CAD Software – Free CAD programs

I’m a huge fan of OpenSCAD, primarily because I can write almost everything using variables to set all the parameters and then easily reuse projects for nearly any size rocket. I’ve used it to create mounting sleds for my altimeters that can be easily customized. For example, when I print a Raven 4 mount, I can simply tick a box to add a Power Perch, Simple Circuit, or magnetic switch. Another tick changes the mounting holes to the smaller size used on the previous Ravens. The Customizer pane of the software makes it very easy to modify designs in other ways, so for my fin alignment jig I can easily change the leading and trailing angles to match the fin shape of a particular rocket.

And there are a lot of pre-built modules you can use to speed up development. It is a form of very basic programming, but I think it’s well worth the effort. It also runs on Linux, Windows, and MacOS. I routinely move files back and forth between my Windows and MacOS computers with no issues, other than making sure I also copy over any included libraries.

Tony