QCAD.org Forum

Hi, I am a retired engineer and have only recently become aware of QCAD although I have been using cad programs for nearly 30 years. My first introduction was on Megacad which is remarkably like Qcad in its interface and operation. Before leaving work 12 years ago started using inventor. I lost access to those programs and had to find a substitute for my projects. I have been using Turbocad but never really warmed to its quirky way of doing things. For 3D work I am now using Freecad which is becoming better with every upgrade. Freecad is great for 3D stuff but not for 2D drawings. Then I found Qcad and it only took me about an hour to find my way around the tools.
Not sure if I should ask a question here but I found I couldn't open multiple windows (drawings) nor could I open two applications of it. Does it not have this function?
I had nearly finished a drawing and wanted to open another application with a shipping container to copy it to my drawing only to find that it overwritten my drawing. Is this what normally happens?
Cheers Allan

Hello and welcome to the QCAD forum.

AllanD wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 12, 2024 4:01 pm

Not sure if I should ask a question here but I found I couldn't open multiple windows (drawings) nor could I open two applications of it. Does it not have this function?

You can open multiple drawings but not in multiple windows. The drawings are opened in tabs instead.

AllanD wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 12, 2024 4:01 pm

I had nearly finished a drawing and wanted to open another application with a shipping container to copy it to my drawing only to find that it overwritten my drawing. Is this what normally happens?

Please make sure that you do not open the same drawing file multiple times / with multiple applications as you might accidentally overwrite your changes. I'd recommend to also work with versioning (e.g. MyDrawing001.dxf, MyDrawing002.dxf, ...) increase the number with each larger change. Needless to say, a fully automatic backup to an external hard drive is imperative (Windows Backup, macOS Time Machine or similar.

Hi Allan
Hello from Melbourne.. Semi retired here.
I too am a fan of FreeCad for 3d and Qcad for 2d.
Given up with AutoCad completely and Inventor will die on my next PC upgrade as autodesk don't renew perpetual licenses anymore "subscription only option" so stuck on version 2020 until it breaks

Welcome & Enjoy the forum...

Cheers
John..