Getting the hang of it

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I have been using for a couple of weeks the web-based CAD system OnShape. I did this robot just as test to see how to use the different tools.

I have been using OpenSCAD for quite some time and I was not very keen on using some fancy CAD systems like Inventor or Solid Works because I could not afford them but also because they would force me to use Windows, which I prefer not to. But even if AutoCAD can do OSX besides Windows, I do use Linux most of the time.

So when I learned that there was a new game in town that was based I was first skeptical that a browser could to the job, but after some testing I am now a believer. And I love to be able to jump from a Linux workstation to a Mac to continue editing my designs.

The free version of the service has certain limitations in the number of private projects you can have, storage and something else, but given the fact that can not only import but it exports to popular CAD formats like STEP or IGES it means your work is not locked in. And the easy export to STL makes it perfect for 3D printing (it can also export 2D sketches to DXF equally easily for laser cutting parts too).

I am by no means a CAD expert so maybe some important features are missing but it seems these guys really are experts in the field. If you liked Gmail, I would say this tool is to CAD what Gmail is to email.

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