Looking for specific AutoCAD alternative - Help

Okay. Calling all cars here. I am in bigtime search mode right now. Here is basically what I'm looking help to find: A cheaper alternative to AutoCAD that allows AutoLISP (and/or VBA) and uses a native DWG file format for use as a simple quantity takeoff app for our estimators.

After discussing some things with one of my estimators, who has done lots of research with your normal "quantity takeoff" applications that exist, really the only thing our estimators here would need is a very simple AutoCAD app that allows you to place symbols (aka Blocks), to total up total lengths of lines/polylines, and do a symbol count (similar to BCOUNT). This is all they need, and quite frankly a $4,000 version of AutoCAD is just too much money for each license.

Let me spell out exactly what I'm after to help in this manhunt:

• Required to be able to import TIFF, and if possible PDF.
  
• Required to be able to run AutoLISP and or VBA custom programs.
  
• Interface needs to be customizable so I can create a Toolbar with custom icons that initiate tools or symbols (or equivalent) and get rid of unnecessary Menus and/or Toolbars.
  
• Would like to have some type of tool repository equivalent to Tool Palettes in AutoCAD.

All my estimators need to do is to trace over HVAC ductwork and pipe, and add up all the linear feet using LINE or PLINE type tracing. Then they will insert and copy symbols that can be counted and totaled.

If I can find something like this that would GREATLY increase productivity with my guys in here. Phase two would be to get a programmer to somehow tie in the totaled linear feet, symbols, etc and generate an Excel spreadsheet from the results.

Hope all of this makes sense. Thanks to all who can help out in my quest for a rigged quantity takeoff setup.

ProGE CAD is based on Intellicad. It seems to have a growing user-base. I ocasionally use a free download of it at home, it's quite similar to AutoCAD. it runs lisp but not the newer vlisp. Don't know about VBA; it appears to claim to be capable.

http://www.icadsales.com/

StykFacE while I do acknowledge your knowledge of AutoCAD, I do wonder about this request. As I see it, "Asking the impossible."

I do have an add-on for piping, valves, etc., that'll give me a BILL OF MATERIALS which included weight, all the "stuff."

This list would be out of date for pricing 'n weights, but, would make a list of all the materials used. I just don't know.

How large is the duct work you're working with? My piping add-on program would work for el's, pipe, valves, etc., to perhaps 24".

BricsCAD is also a great choise. I use it at work and it is like AutoCAD. Same commandbar, toolbar, command aliases, runs lisp's routines and a great vba implementation, VBA reference is the same than ACAD.

BricsCAD 7 and earlier uses Intellicad engine, BricsCAD 8 and newer user Bricsys engine.

ProgeCAD is also a great alternative

StykFacE while I do acknowledge your knowledge of AutoCAD, I do wonder about this request. As I see it, "Asking the impossible."

 

I do have an add-on for piping, valves, etc., that'll give me a BILL OF MATERIALS which included weight, all the "stuff."

 

This list would be out of date for pricing 'n weights, but, would make a list of all the materials used. I just don't know.

 

How large is the duct work you're working with? My piping add-on program would work for el's, pipe, valves, etc., to perhaps 24".

This is strictly for pre-construction bidding. This does not have to be anything spectacular. Supply, Return, and Exhaust diffusers, Thermostats, Heaters, Rooftop Units, FPB's and VAV's, and that's basically it for the symbols. Single polylines for duct lengths. I mean very very simple. This is all I'm needing.

This is strictly for pre-construction bidding. This does not have to be anything spectacular. Supply, Return, and Exhaust diffusers, Thermostats, Heaters, Rooftop Units, FPB's and VAV's, and that's basically it for the symbols. Single polylines for duct lengths. I mean very very simple. This is all I'm needing.

You cheaper choise would be BricsCad...

Do you draft Hvac drawings or P&IDs?

It is for HVAC only.

It is for HVAC only.

No more words, BricsCAD is for you :wink:

http://www.bricsys.com/en_INTL/

I use it form my P&ID's, and I love it.

I downloaded BricsCAD for 30 days. It can run a lot of the Lisp programs I wrote along the years. But when I try to use VBA it returns a funny message: This feature is not yet available. On the download page it says that the Pro version has the VBA IDE. Maybe it is available only in the registered software, not in the trial period?

Fuccaro: I get the same message.

I have installed BricsCAD 8 Pro and vba works fine, perhaps in trial versions it is disabled...

Thank you for your answer!