What Is QCAD. Uses, Features, Opinions, Prices

Today, many individuals and businesses rely on computer-aided design (CAD) programs to complete accurate drawings for their projects and clients. QCAD is one such open-source CAD application designed to help you create professional designs.

This CAD software can meet that need and not hit you in the pocket. QCAD provides the features needed to design 2D drawings for anything from technical drawings of interiors, buildings, and tools to diagrams and schematics.

This is one of the best CAD tools available and is compatible with Mac , Windows , and Linux . Perfect for a wide range of user sizes, QCAD can satisfy everyone from home-based freelancers to large corporations.

Developers, analysts, engineers and many involved at different levels within the construction and manufacturing industries have left reviews that speak to the value and benefits they have experienced through practical use of this software.

What is QCAD

QCAD is a simple 2D CAD system. With QCAD, you can easily create and modify drawings with ISO text, dimensions, hatches, and many other features, and save them as DXF files. These DXF files serve as the interface for many CAD systems, such as AutoCAD.

QCAD is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac operating systems. The Linux and Windows versions are identical. However, the installation process differs.

QCAD is recommended for intermediate to advanced users. It is geared towards technical drawing, as it is partially inspired by AutoCAD. Even beginners can learn QCAD quickly thanks to its remarkably clean and organized user interface.

Not to mention that QCAD Library has over 5.000 CAD parts available as free add-ons. Designers who need an easy way to render floor plans and create technical drawings find QCAD an invaluable resource.

QCAD has the ability to be detailed and produce stunning, professional designs. With expansive libraries filled with many intuitive tools and shapes, an affordable price point, and a simplified interface that suits all skill levels, QCAD is a favorite.

Many companies will find that they can implement QCAD software easily, as options such as language, measurement system and level of complexity can be adjusted and customized per user.

Easily set up and easy to learn, QCAD can be quickly up and running so your team can become more efficient right away. So if you’re looking for the next software to give you a professional edge, QCAD should be at the top of your list.

What can QCAD be used for?

QCAD provides around 40 construction tools and 20 modification tools for points, lines and arcs, circles, ellipses, curves, polygons, text, dimensions, and hatching.

In addition, the program can work with layers and blocks (groups). Scale printing, object printing, symbol library, and measurement tools are also included.

With its large library and comprehensive feature set , this software provides many users with exactly what they need to quickly produce professional designs.

The construction industry can provide its drafters and architects with a fast and accurate way to design landscaping, building permit drawings, survey drawings, and floor plans.

Manufacturing designers can implement this software to create 2D representations that are easily printed for reference in their manufacturing process.

You might also be interested in The 6 Best Programs for 3D Architecture

QCAD Features

• Very friendly interface.
• Simple setup.
• Can be used with metric or imperial systems.
• Compatible with Mac, Linux and Windows.
• Resource friendly.
• Multilanguage support.
• It has a layer system and block support.
• It has many supported file formats.
• 24-bit color, 35 CAD fonts, 47 linetypes.
• Scale printing and many other printing features.
• Extensive libraries with over 5.000 CAD parts for construction and modification.

Advantages

• It has intuitive tools.
• The functions, especially printing and design, are easy to use and learn.
• Simple setup.
• You can make simple and complex 2D designs.
• Possibility to import CAD files and modify them.
• Available in multiple languages.
• It uses few resources and requirements.
• Excellent customer support.
• It is easy to use all the drawing functions.
• It is one of the best tools for 2D drawings.

Disadvantages

• Does not support 3D drawing.

Plans and prices

QCAD is available on its official website: QCAD . It has several purchase versions:

• The free, open source version, known simply as QCAD Community Edition.
• A paid version, known as QCAD Professional, with a price of 33 Euros.
• QCAD Professional + DVD, with a price of 47 Euros.
• QCAD Professional + USB Flash, with a price of 47 Euros.

How and where to download QCAD

There are two ways to obtain QCAD software :

• From a DVD you purchase from the QCAD website.
• As a file that is downloaded from the Internet after you apply for your license online.

In either case, you will receive the same files needed to install QCAD on your computer's hard drive. Both the download site and the DVD contain various files for different operating systems.

Installing QCAD on Windows

If you have a DVD, insert it into your computer's DVD drive. Then, launch Windows Explorer to view the contents of the DVD.

1. Click the Start button in the bottom left corner of your screen and navigate to “All programs”
2. Then click on “Accessories” where you will find an application called Windows Explorer.
3. Click on Windows Explorer to launch it.
4. Go to "My PC”Y luego a“CD drive".
5. The file you need to install QCAD is called ““qcad-3.xx-pro-win32-installer.msi” or "“qcad-3.xx-pro-win64-installer.msi” and is in the folder installation\3.xx\windows\32 bit o installation\3.xx\windows\64bit.
6. Note that 3.xx is the version number in the file name.

If you have purchased the downloadable version of QCAD, use your browser to access the personal download area. You can find detailed instructions in the email you received after purchase or in the customer area of ​​the QCAD website.

In the download area, download the file labeled QCAD Professional Windows 32bit (Installer) or QCAD Professional Windows 64bit (Installer), depending on your operating system architecture.

Once the download is complete, use Windows Explorer to locate the file on your hard drive.

• Double click on the file qcad-3.xx-pro-win32-installer.msi o qcad-3.xx-pro-win64-installer.msi from the DVD or from the folder where you downloaded it.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to install QCAD.
• During installation, you can choose which folder to install QCAD to. All QCAD application files will be installed to that location.
• The default location is C:\Program Files\QCAD. It is not recommended to change this unless you are sure you want to install QCAD in a different location.
• Once the installation is complete, you do not need to restart your computer. You can also remove the DVD from your DVD drive.

To start QCAD , simply double-click the QCAD icon on your desktop.

Installing QCAD on macOS

First you need to find out which exact version of macOS you are using. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Click the mouse on the apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
2. Click on the “ itemAbout this Mac”. This will display a dialog box indicating the version number of the macOS system that is installed.

The version number is displayed just below the macOS label. Memorize or write down the version number displayed on your system.

If you have a DVD, insert it into your computer's DVD drive now.

1. A DVD icon appears on your desktop. Double-click it to display the contents of the DVD.
2. If your macOS version number starts with 10.14, you will need to install the file called installation/macOS/qcad-3.xx-pro-macos-10.14.dmg.
3. You need to find the installation file corresponding to your machine.
4. Note that "xx” in the file names represents the version of QCAD you have purchased.

If you have purchased the downloadable version of QCAD, use your browser to access your personal download area. You can find detailed instructions in the email you received after your purchase.

Most likely you will simply click on a link in your email or webmail application to go directly to the QCAD website and access their download area.

In the download area, download the file labeled with your macOS version. Once the download is complete, use Finder to locate the file on your hard drive.

• Double-click the file you located in the previous section, either from the DVD or from the folder you downloaded it to.
• The file is a disk image containing the QCAD application. Double-clicking it displays the contents of the file.
• Drag the QCAD application icon to the “Applications" which is displayed in the same Finder window for your convenience.
• QCAD is now installed on your system. To run it, open the “Applications” and double-click the QCAD application icon.

Opinions from users who have used QCAD

Let's take a look at some opinions from users who have already tried QCAD and have given us their feedback.

• Diego:

“I love QCAD can’t wait for the next version… it’s so easy to use compared to AutoCAD. I never thought I would say this as I have used Acad for over 30 years [2d only… fantastic job…”

• Erwin:

“I just wanted to say that this is a wonderful product for 2D drawing. The program is very fairly priced, I can own my copy of the software, and the license is very good. Above all, it has all the 2D tools I needed, with some surprises and a scripting interface for creating my own routines.”

• Ryan:

“I’m taking a 2 minute break from QCAD because I’m inspired to say THANK YOU. I always saw QCAD as a free but limited alternative to big name software. I bought my pro license almost a year ago because I was using QCAD more and more. Now I’m hooked.”

QCAD is my favorite design software. The keyboard shortcuts are AMAZING! The tools are FANTASTIC! And they're always releasing new, useful tools!

The new overlays are great for what I’m working on (digitizing old ship construction plans) and I can’t wait to use the new transformation tool to automate the ribs on airplane wings.”

• Frames:

“I have been using QCAD Professional for a few years now and I am very happy with the program, the responsiveness of RibbonSoft service and the regular release of software updates. QCAD is an excellent program and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a 2D CAD program.”

QCAD Alternatives. Top 5 of this year

Let's look at some programs similar to QCAD.

1. Palette CAD

Palette CAD is a 3D modeling software and CAD software ideal for anyone who needs drawing capabilities focused on architectural design.

It has also been cited as great for animation teams that need to design good backgrounds and sets, and is suitable for companies of any size.

Palette CAD features an interface that makes practical sense to anyone familiar with any type of 2D creator application. If you've worked with traditional graphic design, computer-aided design, or creating 2D floor plans, you'll feel right at home with this concept.

Together with a drag and drop system, it is easy to design a room, carve out its details, paint it with the appropriate industry standard interiors and place objects as if you were working with a real physical model, only more precise.

Palette CAD complies with architectural and construction concepts and real-world units of measurement. Previous solutions required you to approximate many of these concepts, and that's a lot harder than it sounds.

This is actually a problem that still exists in many of these solutions even now. That makes compliance with these standards very, very useful.

2.OnShape

OnShape offers flexible 3D modeling solutions and CAD tools designed for agile design teams. Integrated version control and collaboration tools allow engineers to work together on drawings, even if they are not in the same physical location.

Everything is stored in the cloud, meaning backups are instantaneous. By automatically logging every design step, OnShape creates a complete audit trail of every change made to a drawing.

Multiple users can work on the same document without having to worry about overwriting each other's edits. Built-in data management tools allow tasks to run in parallel to improve performance and compress design cycles.

Advanced product development tools include parametric modeling and a native, open-source programming language . Users can import drawings from almost all major drawing packages, so migration is no longer an issue.

OnShape is designed to work with both 3D models and traditional CAD drawings. It can also display documents stored as TXT, PDF , JPEG, and MOV files.

3. SoftPlan

SoftPlan is a CAD software application that has many features developed specifically to make life easier for residential architects.

SoftPlan is the closest you can get to building information modeling (BIM) for residential design. In addition to providing standard features such as textures, rendering, templates, and cross-sectional views, SoftPlan also includes functionalities that focus directly on the practice of residential architecture.

From 3D walkthrough models to cloud-based sharing of interactive designs for colleagues, contractors and clients, this software truly meets the needs of architects.

SoftPlan's pricing is at the higher end of the spectrum for residential CAD software, but architectural firms on a budget have the option to pay for the license on a monthly basis.

Users who subscribe to SoftPlan+' s affordable cloud services receive free upgrades to the main version for their PC; this is a unique pricing model in the market. Demo versions are available upon request.

4.FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a 3D modeling and computer-aided design (CAD) software product that gives you the power to create detailed 2D and 3D models for your construction, engineering, and manufacturing workflows.

A dynamic 2D drafter allows you to make meticulous drawings, which can also act as a template for 3D parametric model elements.

The system also comes with a technical drawing module and includes computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) capabilities so you can create manufacturing processes to fully maximize productivity.

FreeCAD is available for installation on Windows, MacOS and Linux workstations. The vendor offers free online CAD programs for businesses in industries such as software development, real estate, aviation, engineering, education, architecture and retail.

This program is free; you can download a version for your operating system from the vendor's website. FreeCAD is an open-source 3D modeling software that allows you to create detailed technical drawings and perform efficient CAM processes.

5. Lumion

Lumion is a 3D modeling and computer-aided design (CAD) software product that provides a robust platform for creating detailed floor plans and 3D models.

An extensive content library helps you quickly get started on your projects with pre-designed furniture models, floor plans, and appliances. The program includes a large selection of effects to add to your images and videos, and is fully compatible with a variety of external software solutions for extended functionality.

Lumion is available for installation on PC workstations. Organizations of all sizes use Lumion in interior design, construction, animation, architecture, scientific research, retail, and engineering.

The application has two versions: Lumion and Lumion Pro. They are available as a perpetual license and vary in the number of features included.

You can visit the website for more information about the product and pricing, they also offer a 14-day free trial to new users.

FAQ

Let's look at some common questions regarding QCAD.

1. What are the minimum system requirements to run QCAD?

CPU and RAM requirements depend largely on the complexity of the drawings you want to create, view, and edit.

For simple drawings, the minimum recommended requirements to run QCAD on your operating system are:

Windows 10

• 260 MB of disk space.
• Screen resolution of 1024×768 pixels.
• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
• 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM.

Mac OS

• 260 MB of disk space.
• Any official Apple computer based on Intel or arm64 (M1, Apple Silicon) running macOS >= 10.7.

Linux

• 260 MB of disk space.
• Screen resolution of 800×600 pixels.
• 500 MHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
• 500 MB of RAM.

2. Can I run QCAD on a 64-bit platform?

Yes. 64-bit packages are available for 64-bit Windows, macOS, and Linux distributions.

3. I use more than one computer, how many licenses do I need to purchase?

Licensing is per user, not per installation or system. With a single-user license, you can install and use QCAD on multiple computers and multiple operating systems as long as you are the only user.

Conclusion

You might also be interested in: 6 Best Professional Drawing Programs

This software is packed with useful tools and is very affordable. It has a one-time fee per user and can be upgraded for use with computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).

A free, open-source application is also available. Overall, QCAD offers a user-friendly interface packed with useful tools and features that can benefit various industry sectors.