Thread: Software for 3D design

Originally Posted by jack620

Is it any good? I tried getting F360 to slice my model about 18 months ago and couldn’t make it work. Perhaps they’ve improved it since then. I still export the STL file into Slic3r.

It depends on if your printer is supported. Mine are not. That's why I forgot to mention that. Slic3r only works with one of my 3 printers too. So I have to use a different proprietary slicer for the other two.

Originally Posted by jack620

Is it any good? I tried getting F360 to slice my model about 18 months ago and couldn’t make it work. Perhaps they’ve improved it since then. I still export the STL file into Slic3r.

You'll need to get a postprocessor file for your printer, I may be mistaken but I have vague memories of using the Fusion360 additive generic post processor - the post processor file has a .cps file extension I downloaded mine from the makers (Anycubic) web site, then it is just a matter of setting up the parameters for your printer ie printable area, max temp, heated base etc then generate a file path once the file path is generated you can do a simulation and then output the Gcode - if you haven't specified a post processor file up to this point then this is where it is done before you hit output Gcode, if you don't specifiy a post file then Fusion will use the default post file which is used for onscreen screen simulation and no Gcode is output, I'm no computer guru and I must admit I did bumble my way through it, if you don't have a specific postprocessor file then you may find that one from a similar printer will work ok. For my cnc mill I use RS274D post file but I have tried Fanuc and this did work.

On generic post processors my understanding of the post processor file is that it contains info specific to your printer/mill/router etc - while Gcode is essentially a generic language not all machines will have a heated platen, not all mills will have flood coolant to be turned on etc. - these are the things that the post processor inserts into the Gcode that is specific to your machine.

Thanks for the reply, but TBH, it sounds a lot easier to use Slic3r!

I am currently forcing myself to learn Freecad and while it's learning curve is different to other programs I am finding it just does things a bit differently, but does work.

I gave up on fusion 360, which is a pity because for ease of use it is great, it said my free yearly subscription had expired and after renewing it did not work I deleted it. I tried Alibre Atom 3D, having used Alibre quite a few years ago. It said, yours free to own, only US$149. Except there is no online purchasing, it seems you have to buy from the local reseller, got an email from some person in New Zealand who must be the authorised reseller for this region. Special deal for this month only. $333. Good markup on downloaded software. Then it is not free to own. It is tied to your computer.

Looked elsewhere and most of the "free" ones generally come with plenty of catches. Like Fusion 360 does these days.

I have not used FreeCAD due to the topological naming issue

https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Topological_naming_problem

Major efforts are underway to fix this.

I currently use a Maker version of Solidworks. It works and is affordable, but they have made the worst sort of dogs breakfast of the cloud / whatever the $&^% it is BS to get it started etc (3Dexperience). Once started, Solidworks works as per a usual install.

I don't have time / refuse to deal with CAD software that does not do proper dimensioning / parametric modelling.

I did buy Vectric VCarve Pro as it's very good for quickly doing toolpaths for the CNC Router.
It's ok for very simple 2D drawing and for 3D carving artsy stuff.
Does not do proper dimensioning and is not 3D CAD. Anything other than super simple 2D, I do the design in Solidworks and export a DXF that I import into VCarve to do the CAM / toolpaths.

I started with FreeCAD way back in 2011 and it has done everything I need it to do. Not just 3d printing but also for CNC machining (yes the CAM module know as Path in FreeCAD does work).

I also use TinkerCAD for some quick editing of existing STLs such as increasing the hole diameter on a part or removing unwanted features if i need to on the go rather than going through FreeCAD.

I do know how to use Fusion360 but got sick of the changes they kept making with licensing. Its a good product but they can pull the plug on us anytime.

No CAD program is the best but with a bit of fiddling around you can make almost anything for a hobby shop.

Whats the point in a complicated CAD program when we are not building space ships or parts that require some form of finite element analysis which FreeCAD can do

FreeCAD is also OpenSource which means developers are contributing their time for free because of their passion or interests.

Start with the package that has a lot of community support and run through a few simple tutorials.

Do not start with complex tutorials. Start with something simple like making a bushing/adapter/spacer or a mounting bracket for a chuck key.

I am using FreeCAD for railway wheels.
It is a complex tool with various components programmed by various contributors, with differences in terminology and functions.
Simple and integrated it is not.

But, it does work once you get through the (steep) learning curve.

The Topological Naming Problem (TNP) is not an issue once you understand what it is.
It takes but a minute to define a new plane for any sketch used to develop a new shape.
And the new plane approach is bullet proof.

My understanding is that TPN can be a problem in commercial 3D packages also.

There is a good support forum that is very active with quick responses to novice questions.
If you look at the forum history there are not that many bugs discussed and identified.
Many threads simply result in a re-orientation of the user's thinking into the design philosophy of FreeCAD.

Keep well,
John.

I have discovered recently that there is a free community licence for Solid Edge. I used SE some years ago and it is a proper parametric CAD package.

Michael

Well freecad is turning into a real exercise in frustration compared to the "free" commercial CAD programs. I am trying to edit a STEP file and freecad is just near impossible to make any sense of. Nothing seems to work.

An actual snapshot to see what kind of a step file you are actually editing and what kind of edits you are trying to perform helps.

Now lets clarify one thing here, you cannot edit any parameters of a step file such as changing hole diameters or resizing a specific portion of the part or adding extra wall thickness in FreeCAd (or most CAD software). This in the way I understand it will break the mesh.

What you can do with a STEP file is for example clip off a part or split a part into two or run a boolean operation or merge parts etc.

Did you try opening the part in something like PursaSlicer to see if the actual STEP is not damaged. You will be surprised to know that just because you can open a .STEP file in a CAD program, it does not mean its intact and it can have broken faces etc which a CAD program doe not like to deal with.

Rather than editing a STEP file, I prefer using it as a template since you can easily get all the dimensions and design a new part.

If its a simple edit then you may want to try TinkerCad since it runs off a browser and requires very little CPU/Graphics/Memory.

And I hope you are running your CAD programs on a decent computer something along the lines of one that can play some of the recent generation of computer games or capable of video editing. A netbook will not work and virtual machines are crap at allocating graphics memory.

EDIT: I hate spell checkers.

I run FreeCAD 0.20 on a 4 yo medium performance laptop.

My latest wheel is moderately complex, 1.6 MB, and takes 2 minutes to re-calculate.
This not an issue, as normally my build is faulty and the result is an instant red warning message !
Once the build is correct, 2 minutes is fine.

Ordinary sorts of models are virtually instantaneous.

If you want large models and quick responses, I agree with kafie1980.

John

Originally Posted by kafie1980

An actual snapshot to see what kind of a step file you are actually editing and what kind of edits you are trying to perform helps.

Now lets clarify one thing here, you cannot edit any parameters of a step file such as changing hole diameters or resizing a specific portion of the part or adding extra wall thickness in FreeCAd (or most CAD software). This in the way I understand it will break the mesh.

What you can do with a STEP file is for example clip off a part or split a part into two or run a boolean operation or merge parts etc.

This is the file and it has the step file there for download. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4829954/files

The step file is two parts joined together. I first managed to delete the part I did not want to edit at the time which left me with the base. Then I thought just an easy job of clicking a face. Add a sketch and remove material. Oh no it is nothing like that at all.

What I found out I have to do is manipulate the activity tree until I get "BaseFeature" showing up. Once that shows up, I can then add datum planes to faces, sketch and cut or extrude.

But I found the sketch system is clunky. Say I draw a rectangle. Firstly I can not find a way I can dimension the rectangle as I draw it, like in other commercial "free" cad programs. If I want to put a circle in the centre of the rectangle, I would normally just draw crossed lines and create a circle on the intersection. But FreeCad will ignore points on crossed lines or at least it will for me and I have to constrain the circle to the crossed lines. I find it just clunky and slow that way.

The program works though.

I ended up doing what I wanted. But it has taken a long long time and many many days to change the above file to this.

20221020_174746.jpg

Making a circle in a rectangle in FreeCAD is for me basically a click and draw the circle, apply a radius constraint, followed by a horizontal/vertical distance constraint from the edge of the rectangle based on half lengths of the rectangle sides.

I agree its easy to do this in other programs but what exactly are you referring as “other commercial “free” cad programs”? I am guessing Fusion360 but I maybe wrong.

If Fusion360 then hands down its a good program (is it better than FreeCAD? probably). I just don’t like their business ethics and their “free for students and hobbyists” is a bit of a grey area and eventually they have access to your design.

Autodesk can pull the plug on Fusion360 anytime but FreeCAD being opensource can be cloned or branched into a new repository and will live on as long as the OpenSource community is happy to maintain & contribute to it (no shortage of opensource contributors who are willing to spend their personal time).

Originally Posted by kafie1980

I agree its easy to do this in other programs but what exactly are you referring as “other commercial “free” cad programs”? I am guessing Fusion360 but I maybe wrong.

By commercial "free" software. Software that forces you to register to use it. So while it is free, the copyright owner at anytime can remove your ability to use it. Which is from what I understand like Tinkercad, Design Spark, Fusion 360 and so on.

Some of them would have had tens or more of millions of dollars of investment put into the fully featured commercial programs (which is why the crippled version is so easy to use) so unlikely to be pulled as those owner would love big numbers of people already familiar with a cut down free version of their software so have the basics already down. A bit like years ago Solidworks was probably the number one pirated CAD there was, but it meant lots of people who could never afford the software knew how to use it, and employers saw that and they used solidworks as well because of th enumber of potential employees already familiar with the program. Which is probably why we see these "free" versions of crippled software these days.

Is the aspect of the crippled versions of these programs to remain “free” carved in stone?

The “free” nature of a product can change anytime and they did change their terms and conditions of usage in the past.

A new CEO can decide to bring about this change anytime if he doesn’t consider it a viable business model.

Last time they brought a change was October 2020: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/suppo...e-Changes.html

They are not just crippling down the program but actually limiting its use.

Its a glass half empty or half full discussion beyond this point.