Christmas is a time to give. And as a friend or partner to a CADer, the question is a tough one. What to get for the CADers in my circles? And because we suffer from the same question, we have put together our holiday season gifts list (or a wish list) for our CAD enthusiasts. With that said, let’s dive straight into it.
The Best CAD Gifts Under $150
Book – “AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013: (No Experience Required)”
A great [easyazon_link identifier=”1118281748″ locale=”US” tag=”cad1208-20″]book[/easyazon_link] for the beginner CADer, this book will also serve as a reference in later stages, even when the reader is done with everything. This is because this book is written using official Autodesk official documentation. Any serious CADer is going to enjoy reading the book and also the professional and standardized approach towards professional training.
Autodesk AutoCAD 360 Pro Subscription
Every CADer has had some experience with AutoCAD whether they use it currently or not. But this subscription is for mobile devices, and if your dear one uses AutoCAD, depending on the license/package you choose, the receiver will be CADing on the go. The package policies are flexible and miscellaneous services are included.
Best Under $500
3D Connexion SpaceMouse Wireless
For any serious CADer, this is something that is going to make them jump, if they don’t already have one. It’s [easyazon_link identifier=”B00FJRRVII” locale=”US” tag=”cad1208-20″]device[/easyazon_link] that allows you to wirelessly connect to your computer and use the navigation stick instead of the mouse. This is for designers and design engineers who use CADing packages for creating more often than not.
Q3D OneUp DIY 3D Printer Kit
With an optional heated bed and USB/SD card connectivity, the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00OK091OW” locale=”US” tag=”cad1208-20″]Q3D OneUp[/easyazon_link] is perhaps the least expensive 3D printing kit available out of all the famous and otherwise pricey ones. It’s simple to setup without an enclosure for the printing space and bare minimum scaffolding for the printing parts. The single extruder is meant for printing with PLA only, which will not be much of a considering this is a holiday gift for recreation and not a professional product meant to serve industrial needs. The build volume is 100 x 100 x 125mm with an impressive resolution of 50microns.
3D Connexion SpaceMouse Pro
The Pro version of a product with the same name may be a bit misguiding. Both devices are different in a lot of ways. [easyazon_link identifier=”B00FJRRVII” locale=”US” tag=”cad1208-20″]This device[/easyazon_link] has a stylish wrist and arm pad which allows easy access to an array of other controls and buttons that basically eradicate the need for the keyboard as well as the mouse. One device that allows you to do everything you already could, in a much easier and more convenient way. Check out the product to see why this is the next generation of technology in CADing standards.
Best Under $1500
Dell Insipron Laptop For CAD
The Dell Inspiron is a mammoth in the gaming and designing arena with a 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad Core (6MB Cache, up to 3.8 GHz). A 1TB HDD is meant to leave you unworried about your assembly sizes and backups. The whole package branded by Dell brings Dell’s graceful styling and finish along with the integrated security and support services. The whole package is setup for CAD performance and will make sure you don’t look back on your investment.
Monitor: ASUS Designo
The ASUS Designo Monitor can be connected to any computer, producing an outstanding level of detail with its UHD (3840 x 2160) AH-IPS capabilities. For any CADer, the addition of this beautiful 27”Award-winning frameless design and sundial-inspired base screen – to his or her gear is going to leave them speechless.
[easyazon_image align=”none” height=”500″ identifier=”B06XPJYVF2″ locale=”US” src=”http://www.computeraideddesignguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/511Hxc73QAL.jpg” tag=”cad1208-20″ width=”500″]
Conclusion
Whatever your friend or partner’s level of expertise in CAD is in, in our opinion the above equipment and resources will do wonders. All the categories were sifted for the best generic coverage of the market and the level of CAD experience. Choose your gift and share with us the reactions of your CADer friends and family members. And merry Christmas.
Bonus Section: Autodesk License for Students
If your CADing friend is a student and is currently in need of software licensing, the Autodesk website’s promotions page offers a free-of-cost three-year license. Now before we get ahead of ourselves, the software will be paid, the license will be free. All of the software packages are available for use under the license and 3 years is enough time for you to learn a lot. For the non-CADers, this is pretty awesome.
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