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316 points pabs3 | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.414s | source
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loufe ◴[] No.42171647[source]
Every time I have a personal project and want to make a simple CAD drawing of a building or a simple model, as I would using AutoCAD at work, I go through the same song and dance. I look around at the options online, my jaw hangs open at the cost of any commercial CAD subscription/licence, then I get frustrated by a glaring lack of functionality or useability while trying some free/open source solution, and resort to a 30 day trial or MSPaint/paper.

Some of the comments already mention how blender's existence is predicated upon it filling a niche in certain senses, instead of trying to achieve feature parity with an entrenched giant. That makes sense, and it's unfortunate, as this space could use an open source option with Blender's polish. In my own industry, mining, I am certain some commercial interests would happily make their product an extension/plugin for a polished FreeCAD (or other), were it at that point.

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dani__german ◴[] No.42173675[source]
While I would never suggest it, in case of emergency, most professional CAD programs can be found online on torrent websites.
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1. DanTheManPR ◴[] No.42173722[source]
I've had multiples of my students get into legal trouble over the years from using these. Just understand that almost all of these professional level software packages phone home even after being cracked, so you basically have to airgap your computer if you use them. It's a major reason why I steer them towards open source CAD packages, and towards the pro level CAD packages with usable free hobby licensing.
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2. raxxorraxor ◴[] No.42173890[source]
The real functionality of a software firewall is to stop your own software from phoning home.

It is sad, that this has become a normal occurrence. Sometimes they phone home for good reasons, very often they do not.

Although I doubt it can get you into legal trouble if you use cracked software.

You can get into trouble if you have been found torrenting them however.