Recommended software for designing 3D parts
- Thread starter LitterBug
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Fusion360 from Autodesk is great, and can be free to use for hobbyists. It's cloud based, so you will need a internet connection for full featured use.
http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview
They also have a less full featured product called Tinkercad that is completely free:
https://www.tinkercad.com/
If you're a programmer / like opensource software, and want a complete off-line package, you might check out OpenSCAD:
http://www.openscad.org/
Don't let the scripting / programming aspect scare you. It's not too hard to figure out and really helps to understand what parameterized CAD is all about.
All of the above will directly save .stl files convenient for 3D printing.
http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview
They also have a less full featured product called Tinkercad that is completely free:
https://www.tinkercad.com/
If you're a programmer / like opensource software, and want a complete off-line package, you might check out OpenSCAD:
http://www.openscad.org/
Don't let the scripting / programming aspect scare you. It's not too hard to figure out and really helps to understand what parameterized CAD is all about.
All of the above will directly save .stl files convenient for 3D printing.
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I love openscad and almost everything I've shared on thingiverse was done in it. It's also essential if you want to do customizable things on thingiverse so well worth learning.
Fusion360 is also great - but won't run on some of my computers since they're too old and is a fairly steep learning curve. I've been trying to learn it the past few weeks and keep thinking it clicked...but then getting stuck on what should be simple things
My biggest beef is that almost all the documentation is videos and I hate video documentation - I like to learn at my speed not wait for the video to catch up. And I can't always listen to videos so again written documentation is much nicer for me.
Windows 10 comes with a free 3D Builder app that's actually not horrible. It's not as powerful as Fusion but for a lot of things it's actually pretty great.
MeshMixer is also good to have on hand - it's a different approach to cad being focused on meshes but since STL's are meshes it's great for quickly editing and fixing STL's. Though it can also be kind of tricky to come to terms with.
Really almost any CAD can be used - if you can't export as STL then you can probably export as something that can be opened by something else that can export as STL and that's really the key.
Fusion360 is also great - but won't run on some of my computers since they're too old and is a fairly steep learning curve. I've been trying to learn it the past few weeks and keep thinking it clicked...but then getting stuck on what should be simple things
My biggest beef is that almost all the documentation is videos and I hate video documentation - I like to learn at my speed not wait for the video to catch up. And I can't always listen to videos so again written documentation is much nicer for me. Windows 10 comes with a free 3D Builder app that's actually not horrible. It's not as powerful as Fusion but for a lot of things it's actually pretty great.
MeshMixer is also good to have on hand - it's a different approach to cad being focused on meshes but since STL's are meshes it's great for quickly editing and fixing STL's. Though it can also be kind of tricky to come to terms with.
Really almost any CAD can be used - if you can't export as STL then you can probably export as something that can be opened by something else that can export as STL and that's really the key.
FreeCAD is my personal favourite. I recommend it with these tutorials even if you have previous experience with CAD. Two evenings with the tutorials and I was making my own stuff, some even quite complex.
Hi-
I'm new to the 3-dPrinter world as well - I come from a 2D cad world and have relied on Sketch-up so far. It is good for "blocking out" designs and the interface is intuitive (to me). There are add extensions that help. One that I have found critical is "Solid Inspector2". It identifies problems within the groups that keep them from becoming "Solid" groups. You also need the extensions that allow STL import/export. I need to check out Fusion 360... jhitesma is turning out great stuff! Keep an eye on what he is up to.
Keep Calm - Have Fun!
I'm new to the 3-dPrinter world as well - I come from a 2D cad world and have relied on Sketch-up so far. It is good for "blocking out" designs and the interface is intuitive (to me). There are add extensions that help. One that I have found critical is "Solid Inspector2". It identifies problems within the groups that keep them from becoming "Solid" groups. You also need the extensions that allow STL import/export. I need to check out Fusion 360... jhitesma is turning out great stuff! Keep an eye on what he is up to.
Keep Calm - Have Fun!
Thanks for all the ideas so far! Really like what I am seeing in openscad and am going to play with it this weekend. Have been playing around with Autodesk 123D Design, but it has been far from intuitive.
Cheers!
LitterBug
EDIT: @ttprigg, totally agree about @jhitesma. We have run into each other on several projects.
Cheers!
LitterBug
EDIT: @ttprigg, totally agree about @jhitesma. We have run into each other on several projects.
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First whack with Openscad
Knocked out a quick mount and cover/diffuser for flexible LED strips with Openscad last night. I currently have the strips mounted on my Danaus frame with shish-kabob skewers and electrical tape which leaves everything very exposed. Printed with clear PLA and the fit came out perfect. Left the end open for the wires to pass through.
Cheers!
LitterBug
Knocked out a quick mount and cover/diffuser for flexible LED strips with Openscad last night. I currently have the strips mounted on my Danaus frame with shish-kabob skewers and electrical tape which leaves everything very exposed. Printed with clear PLA and the fit came out perfect. Left the end open for the wires to pass through.
Cheers!
LitterBug
Nice job! I quite like OpenSCAD as well. Though I started with Fusion360, because I noticed early last year I could install it and use it for free in my higher ed. job, I like the parametric focus/design of OpenSCAD. Then again, I'm more of a vi guy vs an emacs guy, so that might explain why I don't enjoy apps with fancy GUI's!
Also, as jhitesma indicated, only my work computer can run Fusion360 well (a Mac Book Pro) while my own computers at home are circa 2005-2009 and have trouble running anything called "Windows" or fancy 3D software from Autodesk. OpenSCAD runs well enough on them under linux, though I have to say that the free browser based tinkercad also works well. I just can't get used to free-form design software.
Also, as jhitesma indicated, only my work computer can run Fusion360 well (a Mac Book Pro) while my own computers at home are circa 2005-2009 and have trouble running anything called "Windows" or fancy 3D software from Autodesk. OpenSCAD runs well enough on them under linux, though I have to say that the free browser based tinkercad also works well. I just can't get used to free-form design software.
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I am currently using Fusion360 because the community is really helpfull when you have questions. And there is a ton of videos showing the basic usage.
FreeCad was on my Mac once or twice, but it kept crashing every time I didn't save for two seconds. If that got better, I might give it another try, but it will not keep up with the development of the big companies.
FreeCad was on my Mac once or twice, but it kept crashing every time I didn't save for two seconds. If that got better, I might give it another try, but it will not keep up with the development of the big companies.
BTW - if you like openscad there are also varients like http://openjscad.org/ which uses JS syntax and is browser based. It's a little different, but if you're used to JS in some ways it's nicer than OpenSCAD.
Or if you're a Python fan there's SolidPython which converts a Python based syntax into openSCAD: http://openjscad.org/
Fusion360 runs on my Macbook air...but it takes awhile to open and isn't exactly snappy. I really need to update my computers at home...they're as old or older than macattacks and have the same issues. I got my wife a new chromebook for Christmas which she's loving...but it's not a very viable option for CAD TinkerCAD and openJS cad will run....but they aren't very fun to use on that platform.
There's also OnShape which is free and browser/cloud based - it's developed by a team that split off from SolidWorks so if you're familar with that ecosystem you may feel more at home than with Fusion360. I played with it a little...and it was mostly usable even on my older computers. But I haven't had time to dig in enough to really learn my way around it yet.
Or if you're a Python fan there's SolidPython which converts a Python based syntax into openSCAD: http://openjscad.org/
Fusion360 runs on my Macbook air...but it takes awhile to open and isn't exactly snappy. I really need to update my computers at home...they're as old or older than macattacks and have the same issues. I got my wife a new chromebook for Christmas which she's loving...but it's not a very viable option for CAD
TinkerCAD and openJS cad will run....but they aren't very fun to use on that platform. There's also OnShape which is free and browser/cloud based - it's developed by a team that split off from SolidWorks so if you're familar with that ecosystem you may feel more at home than with Fusion360. I played with it a little...and it was mostly usable even on my older computers. But I haven't had time to dig in enough to really learn my way around it yet.
Openscad.... FTW!!! Knocked out two things I've been wanting to do in no time.
Flexible programmable LED strip case/mount and diffuser:
And currently printing a thrust tube for my FT Viggen...
Cheers!
LitterBug
EDIT: Single wall thrust tube complete. Some shrinkage or mis-calculation at the big end, so I'll have to make a coupler from the EDF to the duct. Won't quite slip over the EDF.
Flexible programmable LED strip case/mount and diffuser:
And currently printing a thrust tube for my FT Viggen...
Cheers!
LitterBug
EDIT: Single wall thrust tube complete. Some shrinkage or mis-calculation at the big end, so I'll have to make a coupler from the EDF to the duct. Won't quite slip over the EDF.
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3D printed FT Viggen Thrust Tube
First attempt to 3D print a single wall thrust tube for my FT Viggen. EDF end was a tad undersized on the ID, so made an adapter and fixed it rather than printing a whole new tube. (actually just fixed the tube model and stopped slicing it at 20mm)
Adapter
Thrust tube with corrective adapter
Used "vase" mode to print the tube. Had some really odd stuttering which left zits all over the tube, but they don't create a structural problem and actually give it a rivited look.
Squish test
Cheers!
LitterBug
First attempt to 3D print a single wall thrust tube for my FT Viggen. EDF end was a tad undersized on the ID, so made an adapter and fixed it rather than printing a whole new tube. (actually just fixed the tube model and stopped slicing it at 20mm)
Adapter
Thrust tube with corrective adapter
Used "vase" mode to print the tube. Had some really odd stuttering which left zits all over the tube, but they don't create a structural problem and actually give it a rivited look.
Squish test
Cheers!
LitterBug
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