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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → 3D Modelling/Scanning/Design → Please list software you use for Modelling & Design
Pleasant3D
Seems this is a mac only utility.
But, I think it's pretty darn sweet.
It allows you to see each layer of gcode and arrows will indicate the direction the printer head will go... you can even see how all the layers stack up to make your object.
Though you cannot model anything with it, it does give you simple options to rotate, position or scale your STL files.
Great find!
Looks very simple and quick to make your print ready to convert to gcode.
I am using Google Sketchup, Tinkercad.org, and want to check out 123d catch soon.
Probably easier to tweak the measurements in openscad quickly than sketch up, as you just have to change the numerical values instead of visually dragging the faces in sketchup.
Actually, you can resize stuffs in Google Sketchup by entering values.
Click the resize tool 
then click on one of the corners so its ready to be resized
Then you can just enter a value with the keyboard like: 200mm and press enter.
Of course, probably not as good as any CAD software, but theres still lots of advanced features in sketchup aswell! :-P
I am using SolidWorks, VectorWorks, AutoCad, Cobalt, Alibre and Google SketchUp.
I like all of these but I’m not a huge fan of SolidWorks when it comes to building anything super abstract. It takes me about twice as long to make an abstract part in SolidWorks than it does in Cobalt (which is my favorite program for abstract concepts). I like it more for engineering parts and pieces.
^all of these programs have their ups and downs but unless you want to do some seriously complicated stuff then stick to the free and/or really cheap programs.
Jinja- I'll trade you wood and sheep for the SOC hex stl...
Awesome design!! You should put it in the stl posts
Hi guys!
I use SolidWorks both in work and private. Also used Maya for ~10 years.
And I looking very forward for printing with my Solidoodle 
Hi,
I'm using:
1. Inventor Fusion, Autodesk (my preferred)
2. SketchUp, Google
3. AutoCAD 2013, Autodesk
Regards
wolfi
I've got 25 years experience with AutoCad, and 10 years with Solidworks as a mechanical engineer. I can get around in Pro/E, and Catia but don't use them much anymore. Been around manufacturing and NC machinery my whole life basically.
I just got off the phone with sales at alibre...
I've been evaluating their software, but I just can't justify the $200...
He says that they sell it all day long at $200 and can't come down on the price... Thats fine and well, but with free alternatives out there for someone who's going to design 2 or 3 parts a month I can't justify $200
I'm going to discontinue it's use and look else where.
I liked the 2d drawing to 3d extrusion modes in that, and it looks like I can find that in their cubify invent software which is $50, much closer to where I'd be willing to spend. Cubify invent is stripped down and lacks a couple of features like assembly, which I wouldn't mind having. But most of what I'd do that for I could just as easily use some ABS glue.
Overall I was really frustrated with the phone call from Alibre after I already told them I'm not supposed to talk on the phone during work hours... A smooth talker that interrupted me a few times and didn't really understand what I was trying to say without having to inject his own comments.
Unfortunately for them I'd probably pay $100 for their software, but now they won't get my $50 for cubify invent either. Not after he told me it was designed for kindergartners... which is kind of funny since it's nearly identical to their full blown software with the addition of file import export limitations, no sheet metal, and no assemblies.
So this kindergartner is going elsewhere.
$99 take my money... more than that, you can go away, I'll invest my time learning cad software where the sales people will slow down a little an listen to my needs.
Have you looked at Creo? It's free and seems pretty full featured.
Have you looked at Creo? It's free and seems pretty full featured.
I made a note to myself to look at it over the weekend but I was at a wedding and had no ME time this weekend.
I saw your post earlier. How do you like it compared?
I haven't put enough time into it to compare. I know Alibre pretty well, and I got frustrated with Creo because I couldn't easily draw a line, and then move it into place by setting the distance between that line and another feature. But that may be an issue with trying to wing it rather than going through some tutorials ahead of time.
That's the trouble with CAD, you have to invest a fair amount of time into learning it before you can judge whether or not it is right for you.
I did some unigraphics (3d) and a few 2g cad packages a long time ago. I thought alibre worked well enough, but sales seems to have some sort of disconnect between what I need and what I'm willing to pay for it.
As we all know there are free ways to design and build parts. I won't be using the sheet metal stuff at all from alibre.
He claimed that selling the software for $75 would be at a loss. If their royalties are that high for the technology they are using, then omit those features. Most of what was in their $50 kindergartner package is pretty close to what someone needs for designing brackets and stuff.. Add in the assembly feature and charge $59... if you need more file formats charge your licensing fees plus 50% per format. By pricing customers right out of their market people will pirate their software. I prefer to stay legit which is why I'm looking for something else.
He seems to think reprap people have a ton of money and value software a great deal. I think it's the opposite. They value not spending money which is why they scrap together parts for these machines and spend countless hours writing open source software to run these machines.
I'll give Creo a fair shot. If it lets me edit a list of dimensions and design parts parametric easy to change later, I'll probably take the time to really learn it.
I use Alibre Personal edition which I got for $200. It is very powerful with complete 3D parametric modeling capabilities. I use it to design plastic parts/enclosures for my electronic PCBs.
Catia / Solid Edge / Cinema 4D
I didn't print anything. But especially C4D Models would be interesting. (Its the tool I use the most)
Ah ha, I'll make the first mention of Autodesk 3ds Max!
I managed to get the student version. Put in my [truthful] graduation date of 2006- and it still allowed me a license that's valid until 2015 (WIN!)
It can save STLs and many other formats of course, but I'm afraid it might not be the most appropriate software for making enclosures and mechanical parts. However like any good CAD it can do booleans..
While i have a background in the arts and infact thats what i wish to do with my printer if it ever gets here 
i don't have tiem to learn 10 different design sutes. I have a copy of Hexagon from DAZ studios and it can export into stl files but i want the ebst i can for what little i have
Ah ha, I'll make the first mention of Autodesk 3ds Max!
I managed to get the student version. Put in my [truthful] graduation date of 2006- and it still allowed me a license that's valid until 2015 (WIN!)
It can save STLs and many other formats of course, but I'm afraid it might not be the most appropriate software for making enclosures and mechanical parts. However like any good CAD it can do booleans..
Very nice. If I had to learn to CAD a little better I'd try Max.
I have used Turbo Cad since version 1.0. While I have not yet done any 3d printing, I have used it to produce objects on my home made CNC milling table. I have very limited experience with other cads so I cannot make a usable comparison. All in all, TurboCad does pretty much whatever I need so far. When my printer arrives, I may find otherwise.
Some modellers use my PhotoToMesh program.
I'm not allowed to post links it seems, but just google PhotoToMesh .
Some modellers use my PhotoToMesh program.
I'm not allowed to post links it seems, but just google PhotoToMesh .
I run Carrara 8 and Hexagon 2.5.
Just on the PhotoToMesh thread, I mocked up an image of my son using Carrara's Terrain object, tweaked it to a solid, then ported as OBJ to Hex. Made sure it was manifold and ran it through Repetier to see what the print would look like at .1mm layer height and 20% infill.
Turns out it doesn't look too bad. Used Slic3r to get the gCode. Would love to try to print it, but alas, I'm still waiting... order date was 6/22 so I hope I don't have to wait too much longer.
Here's the link
When I post links I get an error message:
"Too more links in message. Allowed 0 links. Reduce number of links and post it again."
What am I doing wrong?
cmetzel wrote:Here's the link
When I post links I get an error message:
"Too more links in message. Allowed 0 links. Reduce number of links and post it again."
What am I doing wrong?
Not sure, I've seen on some forums you have to have a certain amount of posts before you're allowed to post links. Sounds like that's the case. Protects against people showing up, posting a website and leaving.
SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → 3D Modelling/Scanning/Design → Please list software you use for Modelling & Design
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