which software to choose

Hi everyone,

Can please someone help me ?

I am engineer with a long CAD/FEM experience and like a lot open source software. I have (for my own) some job to do and I wonder what is the good choice for the software. In few words, this job is :

1. To make a linear extrusion from a dxf file to have a body ; the purpose is to do a simulation. But dxf file have splines...
2. To do a simulation, with contacts and large displacements.

So, after some time, I choose :

For the point 2 : code_aster through salome-meca, but impossible to put inside a dxf file. So :
For the point 1 : freecad can read dxf, but splines becomes lines. It seems that openscad can not understand splines...

I would like to avoid replacing my splines by arcs.

Can please someone help me ?

Thanks and best regards,

Ryan

Hi,

Thanks a lot informing me about Draftsight, I did't know it.

But are you please sure it's free ? They speak about a free trial in the agreement window.

I am working for the moment to run it (debian OS), I have some problems and I will see

Best regards,

Ryan

Hi amka,
The algorithm used by AutoCAD 2D NURBS SPLINES not exactly reproducible by other software, you should export the DXF files in DXF R12, so that the splines are converted to POLILYNE approximating enough the SPLINE.

Hi Jon64,

Thanks for the advice ; I think I will begin by trying splines, they have hundreds of points without gaps (all is quite in an arc and very regular) - so probably it can fit.

I will try.