Free Drawing Software, parts etc
 

http://www.designspark.com/

http://www.designspark.com/eng/page/mechanical


Free to download, install etc, small form to register as a user and away you go, seems to be lots of support, looks a more than useful tool for designing/drawing bits and pieces in Cad and 3D quickly.

will it export to DXF?

Google sketchup is also quite good for simple 3D models.

Not very up on these things Neal, it claims it will export dxf [edit: drew a simple box with a hole, saved as Autocad2000 dxf, imported into Coreldraw X5 as 2D -so], will export & import sketchup, just did a quick pdf & jpg save, both worked. This behaves like sketchup, make a shape, drag/pull a side to make a box, spin around, modify etc. (seems it won't import dxf, wants to be the package you start with).

http://www.designspark.com/eng/tutor...mats-explained

It is free and looks useful, it's version 1 and looks like it will get better, it's windows 32 or 64, lots of help files and a forum and articles in a magazine type thing, also downloadable library of electrical parts on RS.
Seems that it's a cut down version of Spaceclaim if that means anything to anyone.