BabaCAD for Mac OS X

[macanoman]

I want to announce that BabaCAD is available on the Mac App Store with price of US$ 23.99.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/babacad/id1060659368?mt=12

BabaCAD is one of the best freeware CAD for Windows by many reviews and with almost 70,000 downloads till now. It's now available for Mac OS X (currently 10.10+, but I will try to support older OS X versions later). Home site for Mac version is http://www.babacad.com/mac

Many users are asking why BabaCAD version for Mac is not free. First of all, BabaCAD's real value is more than a few bucks (example: BabaCAD with LISP customization is 1/30 price of AutoCAD LT which has no LISP at all). From the beginning, my intention was to make and keep this software always free, but I must admit that in these days I can not even pay my home bills, and I'm afraid to talk to my wife about buying one more iMac for testing purposes. I decided to move to mac platform two years ago and I managed to make BabaCAD as native 64-bit app for Mac OS X. I hope users will understand this and support me to develop even better CAD application for Mac.

Mirza

 

[campyguy]

Mirza, a few constructive comments from a longtime CAD application user who uses both Windows (mostly now in a Parallels virtual machine) and a Mac and AutoCAD in Windows (on a PC). First, I respectfully recommend proofreading and corrections to spelling errors on your website; English is my main language but I also work and correspond in German, Spanish, and French, but my point is I wonder if your application code is correct as well - I've had issues in the past with two German developers and it took time to fix the issues so I'm overly cautious when I see errors on your "front-face" web page, especially for a new product.

Second, I stopped using lisp when Autodesk stopped actively developing AutoLISP and moved to ObjectARX/C#/C++/python. I'd consider your product if python or C++ were available. For personal use, I'm using a free enthusiast license of Fusion 360 and python 3.3.5, and it's going to be hard to beat that "free" price and application support with all of the add-ons and libraries available for that platform and apps. You mentioned AutoCAD LT regarding not using lisp - Autodesk doesn't support it with LT, but there are several homemade and free Windows and Mac applications that will "program" VBA and lisp routines with remote calls to command LT - anyone who uses lisp can find one of those apps in Autodesk's own forums. Autodesk moved on from lisp a few years ago...

Third, consider sending your application to Architosh for a review. The people behind that web site have supported Mac users for many years and they also review CAD applications. Good luck.

 

[macanoman]

Mirza, a few constructive comments from a longtime CAD application user who uses both Windows (mostly now in a Parallels virtual machine) and a Mac and AutoCAD in Windows (on a PC)...

Thanks for your comments. My main language is Bosnian, not English, so I surely made some grammar mistakes on website. Also, I am 100% sure that everyone will understand everything written on babacad main site, both English and German version. Code language has nothing common with spoken language, so don't be afraid of code errors (Apple already reviewed my application, so it's nonsense to discuss about code errors). BabaCAD is NOT a new application. First released in 2012 for Windows OS, and downloaded 69,500 times till now, reviewed at many sites, magazines, even on Cadalyst (No. 1 CAD magazine in the world). Here I am just talking about first release for Mac OS X.

LISP is not deprecated as you say. It's easy to learn, does not need compiler, and it is used by most CAD users (go to cadtutor.net and compare how many active users are on LISP customization versus other subforums).

If you are also Windows user, I recommend that you download free BabaCAD for windows. There is C++ API, Lisp, GIS, Oracle plugins and many more, so you can find many things not found on AutoCAD, Fusion and other CAD software (Fusion 360 is free for basic version which includes nothing, everything must be purchased from In-App purchases, AutoCAD is about US$ 4,000).

 

[campyguy]

No worries, but a couple of clarifications, if you please? I was alluding to spelling errors, not to grammar errors. About coding issues, I offer my perspective from personal experience and not from other sources on the web; I also use Xcode and program as well - for me and my small company typos jump out. It's your web site, it's my opinion.

I'm aware of your application, I've not tried it and I don't need to as I own licenses for other CAD/CAM software packages and I don't use 2D CAD as my work is all in 3D or 4D. As to lisp, none of my applications have been updated in years in regard to lisp routines or libraries, including Autodesk's own dialect fork of lisp - all of us have moved to the environments I alluded to earlier, and all I was offering that you consider including another language. As to AutoLISP, Autodesk stopped developing their fork in 1995 with Version 13, moving to other environments - I know that some people use it, but none of my clients, employees, or subconsultants use lisp.

And, for personal (non-commercial use), the full version of Fusion 360 is free. The MAS prices are for the commercial options, as stated on Autodesk's dedicated web portal. Users need to download the app from Autodesk's website, sign in to an Autodesk account (which is free to sign up for), and request an educational or enthusiast license - that license unlocks everything for 1 year. At the end of the year, a user can simply request a new 1-year license. Autodesk requests that users apply for a paid commercial license when the Fusion 360 apps (there are several) generate US$100,000 or more. I received my free enthusiast license the same day I applied for it. You really should read up on the Fusion 360 license options...
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/supp...-or-educational-licensing-for-Fusion-360.html

I would not compare your product to a US$4000 application, and I'm not going to criticize your product as I've not tried it out. Your Mac version has fewer features than your Windows version, and you're charging money for the Mac version while the Windows version is freeware? Again, good luck...

 

[macanoman]

I will try to answer to question about why BabaCAD for Mac is not free, and Windows version is free.

I heard that there are many Mac users who try to run virtual machine and AutoCAD. Every professional CAD software use fast graphics core (OpenGL, DirectX...) and hardware acceleration. Virtual machines just simulate hardware acceleration, and anyone who ever tried to run any pro CAD in virtual machine (parallels, vmware...), knows that it is very bad performance. BabaCAD uses OpenGL for graphics rendering, and it also work on virtual machine but with low performance.

Since the first release of BabaCAD for Windows (2012) many visitors to babacad site contacted me with question about BabaCAD for Mac. I told them to run bootcamp and Windows, but after I bought my first MacBook Pro and tried BabaCAD on bootcamp and Windows, then on virtual machine, I realised that I must start to develop version for Mac. Why?

1. Virtual machine (I tried VMware and VirtualBox): no hardware acceleration, some of CAD apps runs but with low performance, and many CAD apps do not work at all.
2. Bootcamp and Windows: I can work only 1 hour and 45 min on battery in Windows on my MacBook Pro, but I had already used to work 11 hours on my MacBook (I was really, really disappointed).
3. I like to work on Mac OS X, so I have to switch constantly between OS X and Windows (very boring).

So, from user point of view: Will I go to MAS and find some pro CAD for a few bucks or should I run virtual machine or bootcamp with freeware CAD. There is no AutoCAD LT on MAS and I think AutoCAD LT opt out from MAS cause it's high price for 2D CAD w/o customisation options did not attract users. There are few good CAD on MAS and I will left to users to find what is the best for them.

 

[EdwardC]

Looks like a nice app, I will be in as soon as you update for DWG. Please keep us posted.......

Regards........Ed