HI I am new to this forum but I would like to ask if any one can compare CADRAIL & 3rd Planit in their current versions. I have used both in the past but I haven’t done work with either for maybe 8 or more years Frown [:(]. I Started with CADRAIL but switched to 3rd Planit due to what I felt was a simpler interface. Has one gone by the way side or are they both still updating and offering new versions. I am going to buy one of them in the next few weeks so I thank any one who can offer me some insite.
Howard
Both are still going. I am a CADRail user for about 10 years or so. They have not released a new version in a while. The user interface is pretty much the same. He has not released a new version is some time now, which is okay unless there are going to be some major changes to it. Overall, it does everything I ask of it, I have a long history with it and I have bigger fi***o fry than learning a new program.
As I said, the biggest plus is that it does what I want of it. The second biggest is that it is one of about five Windows-based programs that has never crashed on me!
People out here seem to get good results from CADRail, 3DPlanIt and Xtracad. I’m sure the users of each will offer you some insight.
Hi Howard,
I can’t comment on the two programs you inquired about, but I am a user and big fan of Xtrkcad www.sillub.com . No 3D capability, but it’s free! I really like the program, and 3D isn’t important to me. You might give it a look since it won’t cost you anything.
I’ve only used Cadrail so I can’t comment on the others.
What version of Cadrail were you using ‘8 or more’ years ago? I went from version 5 to 7.x and did have some trouble with the changes in how the controls were laid out and used. Once I got past that part everything works fine.
Don
The sillub website link doesn’t work. The webmaster has said he is looking for another host for the site.
To get a copy of v. 3.1.4 join the Yahoo Group XTrkCad
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/XTrkCad/
You can get the program in the file section of this group down towards the bottom of the list.
Bryan
I use the current release of 3rd PlanIt and find it useful, and after climbing the learning curve which all of these programs have, pretty intuitive to use.
Before you invest in this particular program, you might want to check out the message traffic on the following Yahoo groups. The message archives of each of these groups are public, so you can read the message traffic without joining the groups.
The groups are:
3rdPlanIt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3rdPlanIt/
3pi http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3pi/
3piusers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3piusers/
The reason I mention this is that the current release of 3rdPlanIt is over two years old, and the manual is older than that, with a release date on the file of Nov. '01.
The author of the program is apparently working on a new release, but there have been no official updates for over two years. Users of the program were at one time encouraged to install a beta version of the program under development, but access to this resource was terminated without warning, with the result that some users can no longer access work which they did using an incompatible file type. User support has been erratic, although this may have been addressed by a new business manager in recent months.
A feel for the situation can be gained by reading some of the message traffic on the forums in recent months.
-Ed