Submitted 5 weeks ago by idunnololz@lemmy.world to 3dprinting@lemmy.world
Hello 3d printing community! I’m a complete newb and I am planning on doing a lot of 3d printing in the coming months.
I wanted to get into 3d printing with the intention of designing a lot of models and printing them for use around the house. So, I wanted to ask what people typically use for designing their own models to print?
Ideally the software would support both Windows and Mac as that’s what I typically use these days. Let me know, thanks!
Not to be a stereotypically insufferable Stallman style neckbeard about it, but the only two objectively correct answers to this question are FreeCAD for mechanical parametric things, and Blender for organic shapes or decorative models. (You can also bully Blender into doing parametric CAD work with plugins. And I guess OpenSCAD also counts, if you would rather program your models rather than model your models.)
All of the other available commercial options are some combination of:
Or for extra bonus points, all of the above!
FreeCAD isn’t exactly slick and it has a rather precipitous learning curve, but it’s also basically the only viable truly free option that won’t spy on you, steal your stuff, or turn you upside down and shake you for money on a monthly basis.
Hey, OpenSCAD is the best! Also Shapelab seems like it might be interesting (sculpt in VR), though I haven’t yet tried it.
Wings3d is worth a look at as a modeller as well. I really liked that. Not as colossal as blender. Nice, focused features.
I agree with everything except relegating Blender to organics and decorative designs. Blender is absolutely viable for hard surface /mechanical modeling. Even without the parametric addons. The Boolean modifiers are much more reliable than they used to be and all the tools for manipulating objects makes the whole design process very fast. Everything I make these days is almost entirely non-destructive, which means edits are painless as well.
There are of course limitations such as compound fillets being very difficult to execute cleanly if not downright imposible in some cases.
Have you tried the parametric addons? I can’t imagine they work all that well but I haven’t looked into them in the past 5 or so years.
Another consideration… If you are a programmer type then OpenSCAD is a language-based program. I’ve been using it heavily for the past week designing a dual-filament extruder for my Ender 3, and last year I designed and built a utility trailer. As with anything it has its quirks, but I’m much more comfortable writing code and I always found the other GUI-oriented programs to be unintuitive.
Also Build123d, which does BREP instead of only meshes. build123d.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html
Aww man, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone was going to “force” me to learn python. Thanks for the link, I’ll take a look at this after dinner.
I really like Build123d. I hope someday the model sites like Printables and Makerworld support it like they do OpenSCAD.
build123d is vastly superior code-cad imo. Faster, more expressive, more aligned with how traditional cad designers work
What do you mean by “traditional cad designers” and why is that important? I’m not really sure why that is something that should matter to me?
I’m never escaping programming am I? :D
Nope, programming is like a black hole – once you’ve entered the event horizon it’s too late and you’ll never escape.
FreeCAD
Looks like there is a consensus with FreeCAD so I will give that a try later today. Thank you!
FreeCAD is a great program for people who know cad. But it’s an awful place to start learning. I know first hand because that is what I tried to do too.
FreeCAD has 2 major issues.
The first is stability. As long as you do stuff the “right way”, it’s pretty stable, but FreeCAD is really powerful and has at least 5 different ways you can do anything, and as a beginner you will constantly find yourself going down rabbit holes that only lead to doom.
The second big issue is documentation. It suffers from both too much documentation and not enough at the same time. The program has seen a massive amount of development over the last several years. When you search for how to do something you will often find a dozen instructions and videos on how to do something, but they will all be for older versions of the program. However, due to the fast pace of developments and improvements to the program there will be nothing about how to do something in the program as a current stands and it will be just different enough that the old instructions don’t work anymore.
I do strongly recommend that you download and install FreeCAD. There will definitely end up being things that you will want to try that can only be done in FreeCAD, but you really don’t want to start learning the basics there.
The other thing to know is that designing an object is only your first step. You then have to slice it and print it. Unfortunately, there is a fair amount to learn there too. Wall thickness, nozzle sizes, support structure, material strengths, ect. are going to require some learning of their own, so throwing FreeCAD on top of that is just cruel.
I strongly recommend starting with something insanely basic like tinkercad. It will limit what you can create to a certain extent, but you will be able to quickly produce some models that are not complete garbage, that won’t cause the slicer to commit seppuku, and that might actually print without causing your printer to shit itself, and have some success with right away.
Once you hit the limits of tinkercad you can then begin trying out the different CAD programs to see what makes the most sense to you. OnShape was the next step for me, but you should really just give them all a try to see what works for you.
Also, as a beginner, the online nature of many programs is actually a big advantage. Being able to switch from my work computer to my home computer instantly has been really nice. I even use the OnShape app on my phone occasionally. You’re not going to be doing any kind of complex development on the app, but it’s cool to be able to pull it up and do some basic stuff while you are stuck in a doctor’s office or at your in-laws for the holidays.
Plus, your initial designs are going to be hot garbage anyways, so it’s not like you have to worry about somebody stealing your ideas just because the free version makes your projects public.
When I got my first 3D printer I had tons of ideas that I wanted to turn into 3D prints. But it took me months to even get to the point where I could print out things of my own design that weren’t garbage.
Start with tinkercad. Upgrade to fusion 360. For sculpting , blender.
To use blender you need a high end PC. Like a gaming PC.
Fusion and blender are both incredibly complex softwares that do a lot of things and take a lot of invested time to learn but there are tons of tutorial videos and online communities for both.
For a step between Tinkercad and Fusion 360, you can check out MatterControl.
It is like Tinkercad but way more options and runs locally.
Hadn’t heard of this. I’ll check it out. Fusion has been a bit intimidating. Ive made a few things in it but found it confusing and but intuitive like tinkercad.
I think Ive spent all my energy on learning Blender and not much left to dedicate to a better CAD program.
You don’t need a powerful computer for blender unless you’re doing rendering or sculping or working with really high poly models. Especially when compared to proper CAD packages. I do a lot of design work in blender and my computer is so unstressed by it I can hear the CPU chirping when I rotate the viewport.
It’s worth learning the basics of a parametric CAD but blender will do virtually everything faster and give you greater freedom and control over the exact geometry it outputs.
Sculpting. Yeah that requires a high end PC.
I have a 12g GPU. 64gb ram. Ddr5. Ryzen 7 CPU.
And it still struggles some times, mostly when using the bolean modifer (the one that combines parts or makes cutouts). Which is something you will use a lot for 3d printing model design.
If you aren’t sculpting, but just cad stuff. You should use a different program.
Blender can do some of that but why not use a software designed for cad. ?
Blender isn’t a cad program.
@idunnololz Freecad forever imho but take a look to onshape(.com) powerful webapp.
I mostly use Blender. Sometimes I use FreeCAD instead.
Lots of people use fusion360. It has a free license for hobbyists. Although it is a cloud-first software. There is always the risk of them canceling that free license.
But I have yet to find a good enough replacement…
That depends entirely on what you want to print/design. If it’s organic forms (Think characters, decorative objects, etc) then something like Blender would suit your need.
if you want to go more technical (machines, precision parts) then you’d one of the various CAD tools, e.g. FreeCAD, TinkerCad or Fusion360
You’ll want to double check me but I think Fusion360 still has a free version buried somewhere on their site. I know last time I opened mine it was working but I thought I’d read something about it going away.
I will mostly be printing functional parts. Eg. mounts, furniture accessories etc.
I tend to open TinkerCAD to make simple things quickly. It’s web based so works on Mac/PC and free.
I personally use FreeCad but it works most of the time can be a real pain, even with proper parametric cad experience. Still it is the only real open-source parametric solid modeler. All the common ones have been mentioned but for a very small basic modeler I’d like to add solvespace.com
Plasticity, advertised as CAD for artists and made by a single dev. It isn’t free, but you own the copy you buy forever and get a year of updates after you buy the copy.
I ended up on this piece of software because it has really beautiful design and runs well on Linux without any compatibility layers. There’s a 30 day free trial if you want to check it out
I watched a tutorial video and it does look very cool! I can also see just how fast you can work in Plasticity if you get good at it. I’ll have this in the backlog. If I end up doing a lot of modelling I might give it a try.
FreeCAD aside, if you want to go somewhat commercial there is “Moment Of Invention”. I tried the free 90 trial and it was really powerfull and somewhat simpler than FreeCAD.
Additionally, no subscription, no cloud, just the software.
Did you mean “Moment of Inspiration”? I was unable to find “Moment Of Invention”.
Yes, I was thinking of it but wrote down wrong.
Copied this from a similar question I responded to a while back: I have been using Sketchup 2017 (whatever the last free version was they released) for years to make 3D models for all kinds of purposes, incl 3D printing. For my brain it has proven to be the most intuitive tool to learn, it’s been a really long time so maybe I have forgotten but I feel like the barrier to entry was pretty small. There is a lot of content out there from people giving tips and tutorials. There are plug-ins still flooding around that have really good functionality. I use it with a Connexion 3D Space Navigator mouse that’s prob 10+ years old. That’s been a godsend and adds so much efficiency and flow to the tool.
I don’t know if you can still download it from Trimble but there are sources for it elsewhere.
Have fun, whatever you choose.
Same! I find sketchup so incredibly intuitive compared to the other apps mentioned here, it just vanished into the background of what I’m creating. Granted, it’s got a few quirks running under Linux, and getting an STL file or if it requires a few hoops, but I can do things I can’t do otherwise - not that the other apps can’t make the shapes, but the parametric paradigm inhibits my creative flow.
Funny enough I actually used SketchUp a bunch in the past for interior decoration. I would create realistic renders of rooms in our house in Sweet Home 3D and I used SketchUp to create all of the funiture, etc. I heard it wasn’t that great for 3d printing which is why I am inquiring if there is something better but if I don’t find anything I like maybe I’ll just stick with SketchUp lol.
Oh that is funny. I’ve had no issues with it, that said, I was content to use a website to convert my .skp files into .stl so I could print but that was less annoying than the learning curve of new software. I tried all the free/OS ones people tend to mention and maybe I’m just an old grump now, but they frustrated me more than just being able to make the thing I’m trying to make and spend no more than 1-2 minutes getting the file uploaded, converted and saved ready to go.
Keen to hear if you find a good solution given we have the same foundation tool. I’d be willing to try a recommendation from someone in the same boat.
Solid works, a premium software package, has a cheap license for vets. Its the same as a student license.
Only drawback is the files will contaminate a professional love cense database. The meta data will copy the student license onto any assembly made with the student part even if the full professional license has been paid.
Not something in have to worry about
My summary of MCAD suites is getting pretty long in the tooth these days, and IIRC one or two of the niche ones are simply not available anymore, but it still might be useful.
For what it’s worth, I use Alibre Design in Windows, and do STEP touchups and smaller projects in Linux (where I spend most of my time) on FreeCAD. I just really like the timeline and workflow in Alibre, and it very rarely crashes.
I’ve been generally happy with FreeCAD for my use. If I am doing something less parametric and more organic in shape, I will use Blender.
Makes sense. Thanks!
I have to throw a vote in for Blender. It’s certainly not the best tool for precise CAD work, but for those who are already familiar with using Blender, you can create excellent models for 3D printing, even without plugins. I also love the fact that you can animate, shade, and render your models for presentations or documentation all in the same program. Yeah sure, some of the other programs have a similar capability when you install their add-ons and such, but Blender is free and doesn’t force you into any eco system. And seriously, it’s honestly crazy that Blender is free for how good it is.
I already knew my way around blender before I got into 3D printing, so I used that ever since. It’s ok. It’s certainly no CAD tool. Parameterization would be great and if you use a fair bit of boolean modifiers without applying them (so you can edit parts later on) it does get laggy.
If you already know Blender it’s a decent choice to cut down on learning time, but if not I would not recommend it.
I used OpenSCAD quite a bit as well, which is the polar opposite of Blender. It’s perfect for parametrization and editing stuff later into the project is super easy, but the handling is really bad, even as a software developer.
The language has some evil quirks, like e.g. that the resolution of curved shapes isn’t a parameter of the function used to create the shape, but instead it uses a global variable. It clearly looks like a language designed by mathematicians.
@squaresinger @Snafucode In OpenSCAD you can pass the resolution variables as arguments to the function, so it’s not quite as bad as you are implying. See eg https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Primitive_Solids#sphere
Yeah I mostly stuck with Blender because I didn’t want to tackle a whole new program at the time, and it has fit my needs pretty well since. But I do agree that you are better off with a real CAD program for most things, especially if you are starting from scratch. I haven’t used OpenSCAD much, but it will probably be one of my choices if I need to do more precise/portable work.
Doesn’t seem popular here, but I like TinkerCAD quite a bit. It’s really intuitive if you are good with shapes and you can make detailed and fairly precise models with it without much issue. I’ve made around 20 models in it at this point, some of which I’ve made public. If you want to just learn one program that will carry you into the deep end, I’d probably point you to freeCAD just because autodesk can be dickheads and aren’t above pulling the rug out from under you.
Pretty busy at the moment but I have seen TinkerCAD mentioned a bunch so I will give it a shot when I have some free time.
If you’re on Windows Fusion360 is what I’ve used for years and it’s been good. There’s plenty of tutorials on YouTube for learning how to do things. I’m trying to learn FreeCad so I can get off windows and not be subject to the inevitable enshittification of Fusion360 but it has been rough going and I haven’t gotten far with it. I’m having to look up things that just worked in Fusion even though the interface appears to be similar. If you’re just starting out you may not have those issues but as it stands, if I needed to make something immediately I’d go with Fusion360.
Was in your boat some time ago, only now do I feel lile I can truly recommend FreeCAD, and given how slowly more restricted fusion has become.
If you aren’t already, the dev branch has sketch projection just like fusion now, complete gamechanger.
Fusion360
Or freecad if you want FOSS
Onshape is one that I recently learned about.
I normally use SolidWorks but its annoying just because I need to switch over to my windows install any time I want to use it.
Onshape is similar to SolidWorks and is intuitive. Browser based and much more powerful than TinkerCAD. Also has a free license. The only stipulation is that anything you create there is considered open source.
Personally I use Blender.
FreeCAD is insane. It is absolutelty unworkable and unintuitive for me.
OpenSCAD is very cool for certain projects.
I’ve been wanting to try out github.com/…/Autodesk-Fusion-360-for-Linux
FreeCAD is insane. It is absolutelty unworkable and unintuitive for me.
I find it pretty workable for most of my cases, but have to look up how to solve certain things. I am doing fairly simple stuff though, and I don’t have any other references except some SolidWorks back in high school ages ago. But it gets me fairly easily to where I want to be, and it is FOSS which is important to me - I don’t want to lock my workflow into a software suite that may do a major rugpull at any given moment. I have experienced that before.
I didn’t start using it until after the 1.0 release - apparently there were some major improvements to the usability with that release. Did you try it after?
Did you try it after?
yep, I tried it fairly recently.
I agree with you on a philosophical level. But ignoring that, if it’s only about prpductivity shaper or fusion are way ahead compared to open source. I’d say you can work at least twice as fast in those.
And freecad slows me down way too much because of how unintuitive it is for me. If I only restrict myself to open source, blender has a way better UX.
I’m going to toss out Microsoft 3D builder, strictly to dip your toe in the water. It’s bare bones and basically MS Paint but when I was getting started I used it for very simple stuff. I still use it if I’m making dead simple modifications/combinations of existing .STL files.
Microsoft actually had some cool ideas in the early/mid 2010s. Still had all the proprietary bullshit but there was at least nifty stuff going on.
Didn’t Microsoft drop 3D Builder? I’ve been running Kinonite or some Fedora spin for several years now.
Maybe? It was/is on an old win10 I keep around (and came with it).
There’s a million better options, but I was glad it was there. Good way to get some kid fooling around early the way paint did. You used to be able to scan things with your surface and import them into builder (this was a good while back).
solid edge has a free community edition. completly offline.
Freecad is pretty good, but unfortunately there’s no foss cad software that’s better. If you don’t care about foss, I would recommend onshape if you’re fine with the “public by default” thing, else fusion360.
For art, blender is great. Plasticity seems neat too, it’s a more traditional software licensing model (pay per version I think, not cheap not insanely expensive)
flynnguy@programming.dev 1 day ago
I’ve been down this rabbit hole and have some thoughts. Personally I’ve been trying to stick to Linux which makes things harder but since you have Mac and/or Windows, you have more options.
First, my main app I use (and why my laptop is still dual boot) is Fusion 360. I have a hobbyist license so it’s free with some limitation that don’t really matter. It doesn’t work great on linux (I’ve gotten it to run with WINE but it seems to crash and not run great) so I’ve been looking at alternatives. However, it works great and will do pretty much whatever you want. Also works well with CNC if you want to branch out into that.
Lately I’ve started looking at www.onshape.com/en/ as it’s all browser based. The free version means nothing is private but because it’s browser based, it works with Linux. I’ve just played around with it once but it looks promising.
I really want to like FreeCAD but it’s been confusing to me when I’ve tried to use it in the past. I think I just need to sit down and watch a view videos and read the docs to learn it. I’ve heard good things about it after it hit 1.0 so maybe I need to revisit it. I feel like this will be best to learn long term.
openscad.org isn’t your standard CAD program but it can be really powerful. I’ve used it a few times but you need to think of your models programmatically and I’ve found this to be difficult for some applications. It’s really cool though and worth checking out.
I’ve found TinkerCAD to be ok for simple things but it seems a bit simplistic for the things I’ve been trying to do.