# Can someone recommend a line drawing software? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965 "2012-03-16T14:42:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/1 "2012-03-16T14:42:07Z")
I’m looking for a software to draw figures/illustrations, like those you find in Ikea or other instructions. Preferably with the following features: [ul] [li]Windows or OS X[/li][li]Cheaper than Adobe Illustrator[/li][li]Standard file format that can be opened by other programs (I think eps is used?)[/li][li]Works with tablets (not tablet computers, tablet input)[/li][li]I’ve worked with AutoCAD before and I like its drawing features: you can draw lines by directly entering start and end points, by relative positioning, by specifying polar or rectangular positions, you can define circles in at least 5 ways (e.g. tangent tangent radius). I’d like a drawing program like that.[/li][/ul] Does one like that exist? Thanks for the recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/2 "2012-03-16T17:53:28Z")
Would Google [SketchUp](http://sketchup.google.com/)meet your needs? I’ve never used it, but I hear good things about it and it’s free! ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/3 "2012-03-16T18:02:26Z")
[Inkscape](http://inkscape.org/) is the freeware alternative to Illustrator/FreeHand/Corel Draw that is most often mentioned. But if I were going to invest the time in learning a program, I’d learn Illustrator even if you had to settle for an older version or cadge an educational version somehow. (Personally, I still love FreeHand, but it’s now abandoned). ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/4 "2012-03-16T18:18:07Z")
I find the drawing tools in CorelDraw much easier to use and more powerful than Illustrator. Also, since they aren’t trying to sell you an over-priced suite of tools, it has a lot of features built in that Adobe keeps in separate programs. [The current full version X5 of CorelDraw Suite sells for $84.77](http://www.amazon.com/CorelDRAW-Suite-X5-Home-Student/dp/B003VMCBEC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331921304&sr=8-1) while the more limited [CorelDraw Essentials 2 sells for $14.99](http://www.amazon.com/CorelDRAW-Essentials-Drawing-Photo-enhancing-Made/dp/B0000CEPDZ/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1331921304&sr=8-12). From what I can tell, Essentials is CorelDraw 9 without some of the input/export filters that had licensing fees. ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/5 "2012-03-16T20:13:56Z")
[Dia](http://live.gnome.org/Dia) and [DRAFT IT](http://www.cadlogic.com/products/draftit/default.aspx) are two programs that I know of but have never used. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/6 "2012-03-16T22:49:29Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Would Google [SketchUp](http://sketchup.google.com/)meet your needs? I’ve never used it, but I hear good things about it and it’s free! I’ve messed around with Sketchup, and, while it’s kinda clunky, and a little hard to get started with, if you persevere, and follow the tutorials, it can be useful. Once you have designed your 3-D object, then orbiting all around it and seeing it from all sides (and making an animated gif of it) can be all sorts of fun! I’ve used it to design room layouts for banquets, art shows, etc. When done, you can “walk through” the result. And, free. Did you mention free? You mentioned free! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/7 "2012-03-16T23:17:22Z")
Ms Word line drawing is pretty good. I’ve used to it to draw my deck layout and some cabinet designs. Since I already had Office it was a free choice for me. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/8 "2012-03-19T14:19:00Z")
Yes I’ve been using MS Word all this time and it’s been slow/inadequate. I’ve also tried SketchUp but it doesn’t have the positioning features of AutoCAD, like specifying start/end points. Before I consider Illustrator, does anyone know if it can do all these? ---
**Author:** ![pyromyte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d26b3c/32.png) [@pyromyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pyromyte)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/9 "2012-03-19T15:27:32Z")
If you’re used to AutoCAD, try [DraftSight](http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/overview/) from the maker of the popular 3D CAD software SolidWorks, Dassault Systemmes. It is FREE and looks, feels, and works almost exactly like AutoCAD. Saves files as .dwg or .dxf by default, but you can export to many others including .eps, .emf, .pdf, .bmp, .jpg, and more. I have no idea how it works on a tablet computer, but it hits all your other bullet points. ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-recommend-a-line-drawing-software/615965/10 "2012-03-20T00:16:31Z")
> [@pyromyte](#): > > If you’re used to AutoCAD, try [DraftSight](http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/overview/) from the maker of the popular 3D CAD software SolidWorks, Dassault Systemmes. It is FREE and looks, feels, and works almost exactly like AutoCAD. Saves files as .dwg or .dxf by default, but you can export to many others including .eps, .emf, .pdf, .bmp, .jpg, and more. > > I have no idea how it works on a tablet computer, but it hits all your other bullet points. Thanks for linking that! I’ve been wanting a CAD program for home newer than AutoCAD Release 14. I’m pretty sure AaronX means tablet digitizers, not a tablet PC, so he should be golden with DraftSight.