What Happens when Two AutoCAD Experts Compare DraftSight to AutoCAD?

By

Lynn Allen and Brandon Loehr

Lynn Allen spent over 20 years with Autodesk and there aren’t many people out there who know more about AutoCAD than her. So what happens when she virtually meets up with Brandon Loehr, founder of the blog and YouTube Channel CAD Intentions, a fellow AutoCAD evangelist, to take a look at DraftSight from the perspective of an AutoCAD User? There was plenty to talk about, including noting that the transition and differences just aren’t that big. If you are considering making the transition from AutoCAD to DraftSight, it’s an affordable, easy switch. As Lynn says,

“Give it a whirl, right?”

Lynn and Brandon walk us through what it feels like to make the move from AutoCAD to DraftSight. You won’t want to miss the full article on AUGI here.

Let’s start with some of the highlights:

  • If you are looking for value, you’ll notice how much is included for the price in each tier of DraftSight. Spoiler: You can basically get a full version of DraftSight for a month or two of AutoCAD. Price is a huge selling factor. You can save a lot of money.
  • If you need options for perpetual and network licenses, DraftSight also covers you here. (Hey AutoCAD users who are feeling the pain of the move to named users – you have a choice!)
  • If you don’t have a big fancy computer, DraftSight is going to be easier to install and run. It’s a newer software that doesn’t have as much bloat from decades of versions.
  • Your existing files and templates should work fine – everything should come across cleanly and work well in DraftSight.
  • Same for saving and exporting drawings in a variety of formats. In some cases, DraftSight does a better job of saving backward than AutoCAD does. You can save a DWG all the way back to Release 12!
  • With DraftSight, everything should feel familiar in a good way. Your AutoCAD commands will work, you can use the classic workspace if you choose.

    • “It’s nice to be able to make a transition and not have to spend a bunch of time learning how things work or where things are laid out. It’s straightforward and easy to pick up.”

  • DraftSight works with AutoLISP and now with DraftSight21 Visual Lisp.
  • DraftSight has some cool features that you won’t find in AutoCAD, including the TB layers toggle to set entities to default to specific layers and set their default properties as you create them. Another one that people will really like is Power Trim. Being able to just drag the mouse around and trim things automatically speeds things up and is a nice feature.

You can learn quickly that the transition and the differences aren’t that big, so it’s an affordable, easy switch, that I think a lot of people can benefit from. Especially if you are using AutoCAD LT right now, DraftSight is a perfect option. – Brandon

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Proven DWG-file-based CAD at the best value on the market. DraftSight, brought to you by Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company, has been trusted by millions of users worldwide. DraftSight provides a familiar, intuitive 2D drafting experience with options for advanced productivity tools, 3D design capabilities, parametric constraints, and flexible licensing options including perpetual licenses and network licenses for organizations with multiple users or sites. DraftSight’s command and file compatibility and support for legacy drawings and data like Dynamic Blocks facilitate a quick transition from AutoCAD with a minimal learning curve. Visit DraftSight.com to learn more.
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