Hi John,
This is how I go about it.
I used "G" Thang (
http://liutaiomottola.com/formulae/gthang.htm) software to layout the body shape, sound hole and fretboard relative to the sound hole (using scale length etc). It draws really nice arcs and its easy to tinker with and get a nice shape based on other makers or your own design. I then turn off the fretboard and go file->export as .dxf.
The other software I use is DraftSight (free:
http://www.3ds.com/products-services/dr ... /overview/) or AutoCad.
The thing I like about DraftSight is that it is so lightweight and does everything I need (as long as its 2d).
Now you can open the .dxf file in DraftSight and start laying out the braces etc. The first thing I do is draw a center line. Everything else I do will now be relative to this.
Make sure you have eSnap and eTrack buttons clicked at the bottom.
A really nice way of placing things is using the eSnap overrides. You can choose the line tool, right click on the workspace and choose eSnap, then choose from. This will let you click on a spot, move your mouse in a direction you want the line to start from (e.g. center line) then type how many mm and press enter. This will start your line exactly that many mm from the first click point.
For doing angles I find it easiest to draw a line vertically or horizontally, then choose modify from the top menu and rotate.
When using cad tools you always need to keep an eye on the command window down the bottom. It usually tells you what you need to do next. It seems unintuitive at first but becomes second nature. You get out of any commands by pressing escape and you move to the next step by pressing enter.
The bridge I just did in DraftSight, its actually the bridge I am putting on the one I am building now. Its a nice feature that you can just import any other drawing and place it where you like.
If you have any other questions let me know, happy to help (with my limited knowledge)
.
