Timber Framers Guild Forums Tools Software CadWork versus Dietrich's DICAM

Hi there,
I wonder if there is anybody who can help decide and write some hints why to choose one over the other....
Thanks
Michal

Well, I'm not real familiar with CadWorks but I am with Dietrichs D-CAM.
I guess my best advice to you would be go to a trade show where both are being shown. Sit down with each rep and spend at least an hour with each. That way you can compare the two programs.
My story is that, I was learning AutoCAD threw a home study program in order to then purchase TimberCAD. During my studies, I found out that TimberCAD was not available, at that time.
A friend suggested I take the 3 day course that the guild conference where they were teaching how to use D-CAM.
Having some drawing training and background using AutoCAD I picked up D-CAM very quickly.
I enjoy drawing in 3-D.
I then export a frame profile to a 2d program to create dimension drawings and shop drawings when needed.

Good luck with your research.
Jim Rogers

Thanks Jim for your opinion.

To be honest, I spent not one hour but six hours with CadWork rep and five hours with Dietrich's. It is quite hard for me to compare them because all I saw was bunch of mouse clicks and keyboard activity.... :rolleyes:

I was hoping someone can write several "fetures" of one SW that the other does not have or what takes quite a long time in one SW and is just a mouse click in the other.

I used to draw in AutoCAD which I want never use again and then I started using Allplan (by Nemetschek). It is really cool software but it is intended for civil engineers. I do all my 3D models and drawings in it but I have to speed up the design process. I thought automaticly generated shopdrawings from 3D would be good a way to go. I was hoping one of these SW would do the work for me... (not the frame and joinery design, just the boring part).

You wrote a strange think in your post ...you draw some shopp drawings by your own... why? does not the D-CAM do ti for you?

thanks again
Michal

By shop drawings I mean a drawing showing one timber and all the joints on that timber.
This drawing would show all the dimensions needed to layout the joints on a timber.
What I do is draw in 3-d and then rotate that frame into a 2-d position. Save that view, and then import that view into Dietrich's 2-dPlanCAD program to dimension it.
You can export/import and have the program automatically dimension the timber for you. But I've found that this doesn't always do the dimension we need or use. Sometimes too much information is confusing.
It's just my personal way of creating dimension drawings.
As I said I can't speak about CadWorks as I haven't used it.
But with D-CAM you can preset the tenon sizes and then click on a brace and then click the post and it will draw the tenon, mortise, and locate the drill holes.
To me that is fast.

Good luck with your research.
Jim Rogers