With a view to generating a 2D plan/elevation drawing, not a 3D whizzy on-screen thing, so assume that Google SketchUp is not ideal for that?

Anyone got any recommendations?

TIA as always.

AutoCAD WS is free, but fairly limited.

Not a CAD pro myself but QCAD seemed quite good to me. Some good tips online. (2D not 3D).

Thanks chaps, two to get started with anyway!

OK, unless I’m being dim AutoCadWS only seems to let you view drawings you’ve already done(?) and QCAD isn’t free… Any other suggestions anyone?? (And if I’m wrong about AutoCadWS where the heck am I meant to create a new drawing??) 🙂

How much are you looking to us it for? You can trial AutoCAD free for 30 days (think you can download from the Autodesk website)

Draftsight is good and free. It sounds ideal for what you want.

http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/download-draftsight/?xtor=SEC-6-GOO-%5B%5D-%5B%5D-S-%5BDraftSight%5D

Fairly similar in layout/inputs to AutoCAD LT, and uses the same file formats.

DoubleCAD

http://activate.imsisoft.com/doublecad.aspx?productpage=DoubleCAD-XT

very like AutoCAD – most of the typed commands are the same – though no 3d on the freebie

Cool, thanks. Ideally I’d use the 30 day trial of AutoCAD but given the last time I used it was in 1995 (drawing tunnel lining specs no less!) I think it might take me 30 days to re-learn how to use it 🙂

QCAD isn’t free

Eh? I downloaded as open source a few years ago, I don’t know if its status has changed.

You can draw 2d perfectly with sketchup

I see now only open source fro Linux / Unix variants.

http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html

Not tried personally but free CAD has a windows version http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/free-cad/index.php?title=Main_Page

You can draw 2d perfectly with sketchup

That. You can just change you view to 2 dimensions and it works beautifully. It helps to run through the early tutorials if you haven’t used it before

Try this ‘ProgeCAD’ it’s just like AutoCAD, I have used an older copy, this seems to be the current web page http://www.progecad.co.uk/View-details/progeCAD-2011/27-progeCAD-2011-professional.html, (but I can’t open link?) worth following up as it is so like AutoCAD.
Also found this page http://www.progecad.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=22.
Good luck.