Doors and Windows Programs

Hi,

I am looking for free Doors/Windows CAD programs that can make use of user-custom alum. sections.

Regards,

Nicolas.

What would these "free programs" do with your custom aluminium sections?

Hi,

I'm looking for programs that can take alu. section (the section can also be timber, galvanized metals) and built doors/windows/fanlights/handrails with them. This is a long-term goal of mine to be able to do that with autocad, even autolisp/visual lisp if needs be. However, this would require massive knowledge and customization for so much is involved. To build from concrete example would be more advantageous. I have even downloaded a program that I think you recommended to someone called marvin system something? I have download the windows version but so far it only yields its own openings. I can see sectional views made up of built-in sections but I don't know whether one can exchange those if needs be.

I don't know of any "generic" versions of the type like Marvin offers that would address your needs.

If you want to develop one then talk to forum member Lee Mac about hiring him to write some code for you.

I have encountered Lee Mac in one of my post on bounding box and he's really great in programming. Thank you. I will surely contact him whenever that project takes shape. There a program called Chacal in french that can do that sort of thing through I don't own it. I will try the version of Marvin that links to Autocad. Thank you very much ReMark.

Are you trying to draw architectural, shop drawings or both ?

I had a look at my aluminimum windows and they are put together by notching out pieces could you not use extrude the alu shape for true length then notch out the piece to be removed I just did one and it only took a couple of minutes with lisp probably even less. (hint for Lee ?)

I am having trouble pasting images it works some times

Could you post a drawing.

I'm in the glazing industry myself. We use a couple of software packages that do something like your discussing here. But they are very expensive and tailored towards certain manufacturers. I'm pretty sure you will not find any FREE programs out there. But the big window manufacturers have extensive websites with CAD details available for all kinds of their products. Now if you're looking for something that will produce fabrication details, then you're better off building your own, or speak with your CNC equipment vendors. If you just want shop drawing details, the suppliers have loads of those available for free download.

Thank you all for the information. It is indeed for shop drawing. They are alu doors and windows drawings that look so easy to do, lots of repetitive task and prolonged time. If I could little by little create a lisp program that can incorporate the many task with the many profiles, that would be just great.

I wanted the freeware/shareware programs to have a look at how this is done.

Thank you very much.

Nicolas.

"I wanted the freeware/shareware programs to have a look at how this is done."

Good luck finding any. When and if you do come back and post some links so we can check them out ourselves. I'd be curious as to what you found.

Maybe this steel plate extrusion routine could be the basis of your new routine.

http://cadtips.cadalyst.com/node/tiplisting?keywords=steel%20plate%20extrusion

Thank you all for the information. It is indeed for shop drawing. They are alu doors and windows drawings that look so easy to do, lots of repetitive task and prolonged time.

Again, if it's shop drawings you're after and you're using products from the commercial manufacturers then why reinvent the wheel. They have CAD as well as PDF drawings of all their products. Some of them even already in 3D if you want. We don't even bother collecting these into our servers anymore. Why take up the space when the vendors store them for us and they always have the most recent product updates available.