Suggestions for 3D software

[cv_acr]

Fusion 460 works great, and there's a British guy on YouTube with a ton of tutorial videos on using it to design for model railways.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO6U0E0fVTEm9RUQMRtKVKQ

[newt749]

Thanks for the link Chris. That guy has some interesting videos.

Rob
Hampton, New Brunswick
Canada

[GimpLizard]

Absolutely free, most likely forever.  Lots of tutorials on youtube.  Very popular in Europe.

Very interesting. It looks like it's more of a direct modeller than parametric. I like that.

One problem, though. The website (https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/mechanical-software) says that the neutral file formats, of STEP and IGES, and mechanical drawing capability (both of which I would need) are available as "paid add-on modules". And, after searching the site, I found the cost of those two modules comes to over $1000US.

However, if all you're looking to do is create models for 3D printing, this could be winner.

[Chris333]

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Absolutely free, most likely forever.  Lots of tutorials on youtube.  Very popular in Europe.

Just installed and it doesn't open AutoCAD drawings. Although it says it opens Sketchup files I couldn't get that to work either.

Re-installing the file translator to see if that fixes it.

The developer has given no options for directly importing AutoCAD DXFs or DWGs even with paid add-ons. You can only export DXFs.

v5.0:

Import: RSDOC, ECAD files (IDF circuit board), OBJ, SKP, STEP (read only), STL, TXT (Point Curve text file), JPG, BMP, PNG (all common Raster image formats), AVI, WMV, MKV (all common video formats supported)


Export: RSDOC, AMF, DXF, GLB (GLTF), OBJ, VDB (OpenVDB), 3D PDF (facets only), SKP, STL, XAML, JPG, PNG

While it says it will open skp files, it will only open them if they were made using 2014 or older version of Sketchup.

Basically it can't do anything I want it to do.

[GimpLizard]

That's one of the problems with "free" CAD.

A number of years ago I was talking to a developer at Kubotek and he explained that there's a cost - a royalty, essentially - for the use of another softwares file formats. Companies such as Autodesk, Dassault, PTC, CATIA, etc., enter into partnerships, with one another, for the sake of interoperability. Small developers have a harder time justifying that added cost. Even medium sized companies, like Kubotek, have difficulties. While basic Keycreator can open Autodesk Inventor and Solidworks files; to open Pro/E, CATIA, SolidEdge, and other native files costs extra.

That's why I was surprised to see that Alibre, at $100, could open Autocad & Solidworks files. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will open SketchUp files. That option seems rather rare among programs I've seen. Neither my Solidworks or KeyCreator have SketchUp listed in their 'Open' menus. In fact, I've only found one program that does. And that's TurboCAD. (Though it says SketchUp 2021. Don't know if that includes older versions or not.)  There may be others out there, but I haven't found them yet.

[Chris333]

I was able to save a Sketchup file as an older version and import it into DesignSpark.

Man the zoom on the scroll wheel is backwards. Just imagine if you had to drive by turning your wheel left to go right.

And the move around pan function is horrible.

And I haven't even done anything yet. I give up this is just nuts.

[Sumner]

... Just imagine if you had to drive by turning your wheel left to go right......

Had to do that and wasn't fun and I made mistakes  . 

I had a buck rake I used to pickup loose hay similar to the one above.  Mine had been constructed using a late 40's 1 ton or so Chevy truck.  It ran backwards in that now the back axle became the front axle.  They flipped the rear end over so that now reverse was forward and the forward gears were backwards (forward from the new backwards seating position).  Mine had a lot of hydraulics to lift and tilt the rake on the front.  I'd run down the windrows of hay I had created picking up the loose hay and then take it over to a stack where it was dumped and stacked loose.  The stack was in a field where my milk cow was and her current calf with a removable fence around it.  I'd go and pitchfork hay out each day to the cow and calf and a couple horses we had.

The one big flaw in the powered buck rake's design they didn't do anything about the steering and you did have to turn right to go left.  Also you were now steering the vehicle with the back wheels not the front ones and that got quite interesting also.

Getting back to the software question.....download Fusion 360....what do you have to loose 

Sumner

[Sokramiketes]

Solidworks is expensive, but your knowledge and personal growth will never be moved backwards because it will continue as a product line.

Fusion360 is much cheaper for the hobbyist, and also creates a path forward for your knowledge.  AutoDesk ain't going away any time soon.

All of these other free programs are not professional level solutions.  They will come with more nuisances, glitches, etc.  And don't guarantee any sort of long term viability. 

For something that is a support function in the hobby, and not something that most of us want to learn in depth, the technology is better fading into the background.  Fusion 360 is that piece.  Learn it once.

I wish someone had given me that advice for CAM software, after wasting time learning BobCad for CNC machining.  Fusion360 fills that need now too.   

[NtheBasement]

Wow, haven't heard BobCAD in years.  Compact II anyone?

I suspect that when people buy a printer they think they will design and print stuff, and printing is the hard part.  But the hard part is CAD proficiency.

[bbussey]

I wish someone had given me that advice for CAM software, after wasting time learning BobCad for CNC machining.  Fusion360 fills that need now too.   

I had BobCad at one point, when I first got my milling machine.  But one I learned G-Code I found it was easier to write it myself.  And I created VB macros in SolidWorks to convert the more complex stuff.

[Chris333]

I have fusion 360 on my computer. Every time I try to use it they want me to sign in then they tell me my license is expired. Same with Solidworks. I want something that I own and doesn't need to be connected to the internet to work.

But also there should be some sort of standard between drawing programs. I know I will have to learn a new program, but I shouldn't have to re-learn the sky is green and the grass is blue.

[GimpLizard]

But also there should be some sort of standard between drawing programs. I know I will have to learn a new program, but I shouldn't have to re-learn the sky is green and the grass is blue.

CAD functions - sketch, extrude, revolve, cut, shell, loft, etc. - are pretty much the same. It's mostly a question of recognizing the tool icons. If you're familiar with Solidworks, you should be able to pick up Alibre fairly quick. From what I've seen so far, they're fairly similar. Though I haven't tried everything yet.

Oh, and those quirky pan/rotate/zoom mouse commands... I've found they're customizable. Just go to Utilities/System Options/Mouse Interaction.

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Mike

[Sumner]

...I have fusion 360 on my computer. Every time I try to use it they want me to sign in then they tell me my license is expired. Same with Solidworks. I want something that I own and doesn't need to be connected to the internet to work.....

When does your license expire?  I don't have that problem at all.  License was at the end of one year last spring.  Took me about 5-10 minutes and I had it renewed.  I have the free 'hobby' license.  Probably don't use 5%-10% of the available options in my design work.  I keep learning more commands and how to use them but will never use the program to anywhere near its potential.

I also save/export my files to my computer and never (well almost never) retrieve them from their site.  I save the file (which will put it on their server) then I export the file and it is saved on my computer in the folder for the project I'm working.  Maybe takes another 15 seconds or so.  When I start Fusion it comes up in about the same time as a program that would be on my computer.  I then open the file I was working on from my computer.  So I'm not using the cloud. 

Once you have saved 10 files/documents to them they will stop the save process as you can only have 10 open at a time.  I then take about 30 seconds and change the 10 files from 'editable' to 'read-only' and keep working again using the ones I've exported to my computer.  This is a slight nuisance but to be able to keep working for free with an extremely powerful program for 30 seconds of inconvenience is a small price to pay in my mind.

I don't have a problem with working online but did try it without internet and it would let me do it once when we were camping.  I can't remember the situation but I think I had the program up and running on the computer before we left the house.  It would say that I was working off line and it finally quit.  I should of been enjoying the camping trip anyway  .

Maybe Fusion isn't the program for you but I'd like others to know that for me at least it is like using a program that I bought.  I think it is fortunate that they are even letting us hobbyist use it for free.

Sumner

[Chris333]

I would also save everything to my computer. It looks like the free hobby license only lasts 1 year so it must have been at least that long since I installed it. This is what I mean about it being connected to the internet. They are going to ask me every year to re-new a free license. I'm going to have to figure out what fake e-mail address and password I gave them to log in. It is just a time suck.

Just now opened 360 again and clicked the update button. That took me to their website with no instructions at all. I "sign in" and then it take me to a page that says it $60 a month/ $495 a year/ $1335 3 years. It does say download free trial. So how do I re-new for another year?

I guess it is automatically updating (great!    )  and now when I open 360 it says trail ends in 28 days.

Furthermore the "pan" tool seems to really be the move tool. It will move around, but not pan around. It is like you told me the bathroom is down the hallway, but the door has no handle.  EDIT: I used the wrong term here, was thinking of "orbit".

Opening a file just seems to upload the file to the cloud     and then ask again if you want to open it?

[wcfn100]

I just renewed mine because of this thread.

You should be able to go here - https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/personal and just log in with the email you used previously.


Jason