3D App used ?

[Johncoffee]

Just a quick question: what 3D software is mostly used in the forum here? I'm wondering what tools you guys use. For myself I'm using Autodesk Fusion 360 and Autodesk 123D Design. (on my Mac)

[Polygonhell]

I use fusion 360, on shape solid works and open scad, depending on what I'm doing.
I prefer on shape to 360's interface/functionality, but I like the fact that 360 has integrated CAD.

[Jimustanguitar]

I've been using DesignSpark to make my models. I also made a tutorial video to help others get started. I'm delinquent on creating a followup video, but maybe I'll jump on it this week.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYcAZVgKWPA[/youtube]

[Xenocrates]

Things I've used so far:
Tinkercad: Simple, easy, cloud based, can run it on a potato if you needed to, syncs well.
Maya: An abomination as is Autodesk's style for long running professional tools. Kinda annoying, kinda glitchy sometimes, and hates triangle (Work your mesh's in it as rectangles, then triangulate when you're done. But check your triangulation before printing)
AutoCAD: Somewhat annoying, but much easier to get dimensionally correct models than Maya. But beware the command line, and the three layers of interface, just like Maya (Some tools are named the same thing, fill the same function, are in different menu's, and do it differently. This is a flaw Maya shares)
Blender: FOSS, similar to maya, but with a nice selection of expansions/add-ons. I've mostly used it to check stuff after generating the mesh in another program.

So far, I don't really like any of them. But I'm working on learning as many as I can.

[enggmaug]

I don't think many here use Wings3D, but after trying half a dozen, this is still my favorite design tool.
When I need more CAD oriented tool, I use OnShape for now.
I recently gave a better try to freeCAD, and I still don't like the interface much, but well, I understand it a bit better than before, and I may use it sometimes.

[Captain Starfish]

I use PTC Creo but only coz a current client has a seat that isn't being used. It's going to be a hard, sad day when they need that licence back.

[Holy1]

I have used Geomagic (Alibre) for the last couple of years but made the switch to Fusion360 last month. I really like the way you can design and assemble in the same screen. Plus you can sculpt your model for that organic look if you want. Plus it is free for hobbyists.
http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DeltaCon]

Plus it is free for hobbyists.

For one year... Looks like you have to do some annual qualification if you want to keep using it.

[Captain Starfish]

For one year, for the moment, cloud dependent and totally reliant on the goodwill of Autodesk (known for their goodwill...?)

It's like the free baggie of methamphetamine from the dealer you meet at high school... there are probably strings attached.

[Holy1]

Meh, I am enjoying learning and using it. The cloud thing is great including incremental backups of your build.

[Captain Starfish]

Indeed, and it's by far and away the nicest bit of free 3D parametric CAD software out there. Hugely popular with the hobby CNC gang too, as it's got at least 3 axis CAM thrown into the freebie version which works pretty well.

[AlanZ]

From the Autodesk Fusion 360 page:

Access the same design software used by industry leaders worldwide. A free 3-year license is available for students, teachers, and academic institutions.
A free 1-year startup license is also available for hobbyists, enthusiasts, makers, and emerging businesses that make less than US$100,000 in revenue per year. At the end of 1 year, you can reselect the startup entitlement or transition to a commercial entitlement.

[nitewatchman]

I've been using DesignSpark to make my models. I also made a tutorial video to help others get started. I'm delinquent on creating a followup video, but maybe I'll jump on it this week.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYcAZVgKWPA[/youtube]

+1 for DesignSpark

[Johncoffee]

I've been using DesignSpark to make my models. I also made a tutorial video to help others get started. I'm delinquent on creating a followup video, but maybe I'll jump on it this week.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYcAZVgKWPA[/youtube]

Well done Jimustanguitar! I need to check whether there is a Mac version for Design-spark.

[Jimustanguitar]

And I need to record my second video! I've promised that for far too long now. I know more than a couple people are waiting.

[enggmaug]

Can DesignSpark allow to bevel or fillet edges ?

[Jimustanguitar]

Sure can, yep. It's part of the pull tool.

[Johncoffee]

I've been using DesignSpark to make my models. I also made a tutorial video to help others get started. I'm delinquent on creating a followup video, but maybe I'll jump on it this week.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYcAZVgKWPA[/youtube]

Well done Jimustanguitar! I need to check whether there is a Mac version for Design-spark.

There is no Mac version unfortunately. But running the PC version on a virtual machine like Fusion or Parallels would be possible....

[Captain Starfish]

Don't forget VirtualBox (free).

Especially as something just to try out some free software, it's pretty good.

I haven't used Parallels for more than a couple of hours before. Use Fusion for work now but after upgrading to V8 this year I asked for a downgrade to V7 and refund because they'd ditched Unity support for Linux. And they've now retrenched their desktop developer team - not too sure what's coming next...

[Shizuma]

I use Solidworks for the vast majority of my modeling, however I have started using Zbrush a bit for when I need to sculpt more organic shapes which is not something Solidworks is good at.

[Johncoffee]

Don't forget VirtualBox (free).

Especially as something just to try out some free software, it's pretty good.

I haven't used Parallels for more than a couple of hours before. Use Fusion for work now but after upgrading to V8 this year I asked for a downgrade to V7 and refund because they'd ditched Unity support for Linux. And they've now retrenched their desktop developer team - not too sure what's coming next...

Fully agreed !

[626Pilot]

I use SketchUp, which is 95% free (only really useful thing you get with the paid version is the Boolean tools, which are useless more often than not).

SketchUp is *****CRAP*****. Total crap. It will ruin your geometry. You ask it to perform operations it claims to be able to perform on small geometry (the size of stuff you'd design for a 3D printer) and it will rip holes in it. It will move vertices .000001 in some direction because its over-zealous inference engine, combined with its pointlessly bad internal resolution limit, conspire to make your life harder - and that .000001 move will completely mess things up, and you'll never find it until it's too late and you have to spend an hour or longer re-creating an object that SHOULD be perfectly fine.

It's a great program for doing architecture-scale stuff, like buildings, but the resolution limits and "here, let me subtly and exquisitely ruin this for you" inference engine combine to form one HUGE pain in the ass. What should be a simple operation, like extruding a face, will give you a face that's leaning 0.2 degrees in some random direction. You use the Boolean operations to carve something from something else, and it leaves a jagged, torn-up mess that looks like someone shoved it into a blast furnace. I can't fathom the logic of shipping a product so woefully inadequate, but they keep doing it, year after year. I wouldn't be surprised if Google spun it off to Trimble because of what a festering pile of old hot garbage it is. It promises so much with its easy-to-use features (extruding, following edges, etc.), but it can't even do those things right, and you have to go through a bunch of convoluted steps to get a sphere because it doesn't know how to make one natively. (Can you imagine a modeler without a sphere primitive? Total CRAP!!!) Often, to make it do what its UI lies to you about being able to do, you have to scale up a part 10x, perform the operation, and then scale it down 10x.

Like, what, they couldn't figure all that out after it's been out there for a decade or whatever?

Also, the STL exporter sometimes leaves small errors in the geometry.

I do not recommend that anyone use SketchUp for 3D printing. For this purpose, it's really terrible. I've learned to work around a lot of its stupid, stupid, stupid habits, but as soon as I have a sufficient excuse, I'm going to move to OnShape or Autodesk's web-based CAD (123D or whatever it's called).