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  1. #1
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    Default Software for 3D design

    I picked up for free a Anycubic 3D printer and after a bit of mucking around replacing a few parts, I have it running and prints fine.
    Next step is to learn 3D cad software. Any recomendations for a free or low cost 3D design software. Im familiar with 2D Autocad etc but have never tried to use any 3D packages.
    Have tried Sketchup but find it frustrating as things like changing units doesnt seem easy.
    Dont need anything complex, just would like to get some practical use from this printer.

  2. #2
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    I use FreeCAD.
    It does everything I’ve needed it to do for my printer, and any other drawing/modeling that I do.
    The files are stored locally on your PC so doesn’t need an internet connection to function.

    Steve

  3. #3
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    I’ve been using Fusion360, but I need to find something simpler. It’s a huge program, very processor intensive and requires logging in each time you use it. Takes FOREVER to load on my MacBook Pro.
    Chris

  4. #4
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    FreeCAD is a common one.

    Having done a fair bit of programming and maths I find using SCAD very quick and easy. It's Freeware and there are quite a few free plans already available in SCAD that can be easily apdated or "borrowed" to suit. It's best at definable geometric shapes, boxes, cylinders, spheres, cones, etc but that's about all I use. If you want to make lots of complex shapes I would go with something else.

  5. #5
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    I use fusion 360. It is feature rich but you don't have to use everything.
    For something simpler you could look at tinkercad. Its web based but doesn't seem resource heavy.
    There are lots of tutorials available for both. Take the time to get the basics right.

    On freecad, ive never used it so this might be old news but i gather it had a fundamental flaw which made some operations blow up models {ie certain changes to a model couldn't be made}
    I seem to recall talk of a "fork" (a derivative version) which was attempting to fix the problem.

    What sort of computer resources does it need?

  6. #6
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    Thanks for the advice. I loaded Freecad last night and tried to follow a few tutorials but I think Ill have to do some more looking.
    Hadnt heard of SCAD so will look at that tonight.

    Having used most versions of Autocad, mainly electrical drawings and mechanical drafting, I though it would be easy but either Im getting too old or maybe it just the 3D thing.

  7. #7
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    Default Software for 3D design

    Sparksy - I think the 3D modeling is a bit of a mind shift compared to 2D drafting (CAD or traditional).
    There are some of those Freecad beginner tutorials that are crap too, and they almost did my head in when I started using it.

    I specifically got my printer to force me to learn some 3D and CAD.
    I started by making a couple of small boxes and then modified them so they had a sliding lid. About the size of the standard carbide insert box that takes 10 inserts.
    The approach that made sense to me was to think of parts as solid bits of material added or subtracted from other solid bits.
    Ie a box is a rectangular solid, with a slightly smaller and shallower solid removed from one face.
    So to model it you create a sketch with the shape of one face and then extrude it to make it a 3D solid.
    To hollow it out, click on the face you want to be open and sketch another slightly smaller shape.
    Apply a pocket operation to that sketch to give it depth and you now have a 3D box.

    Steve

  8. #8
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Quote Originally Posted by OxxAndBert View Post
    I specifically got my printer to force me to learn some 3D and CAD.
    I started by making a couple of small boxes and then modified them so they had a sliding lid. About the size of the standard carbide insert box that takes 10 inserts.
    The approach that made sense to me was to think of parts as solid bits of material added or subtracted from other solid bits.
    Ie a box is a rectangular solid, with a slightly smaller and shallower solid removed from one face.
    So to model it you create a sketch with the shape of one face and then extrude it to make it a 3D solid.
    To hollow it out, click on the face you want to be open and sketch another slightly smaller shape.
    Apply a pocket operation to that sketch to give it depth and you now have a 3D box.
    Yep - that's a good summary. If you come from a machining/milling turning perspective which is subtractive, while 3D printing is the opposite - its additive.
    But the software is usually combo of both additive and subtraction.

    It's similar in OPENScad, to design a pipe this is the coding that's needed (my comments are in blue)

    $fn = 40; (this is a rendering parameter low value used for coarse render and fast process, set high for smooth but takes longer to process)
    // radius are ODs This is just a comment
    radius = 50;
    height = 75;
    thickness = 3; This is the pipe wall thickness
    difference() { this an teh code between the curly brackets is the difference operation that subtracts the inner from the outer cylinder
    cylinder(height,radius,radius); This is the additive or outer cylinder
    cylinder(height,radius-thickness,radius-thickness); This is the subtractive cylinder or hole in the pipe.

    }
    Notice 'radius" is mentioned twice in the cylinder functions because it refers to the radius at the start of teh pipe, and the other rails refers to the other pipe end hence can make pipe tapered. To get a taper define a second radius eg "radiustop" and give it a value and insert that in place of the second radius.

    These simple objects are easy and fast enough but if you want "fancy" it gets tricky fast so unless you have programming/maths experience or bent, you'd be better off going for a more of a drawing type wisywig program like simple cad.


  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by OxxAndBert View Post
    Sparksy - I think the 3D modeling is a bit of a mind shift compared to 2D drafting (CAD or traditional).
    There are some of those Freecad beginner tutorials that are crap too, and they almost did my head in when I started using it.

    I specifically got my printer to force me to learn some 3D and CAD.
    I started by making a couple of small boxes and then modified them so they had a sliding lid. About the size of the standard carbide insert box that takes 10 inserts.
    The approach that made sense to me was to think of parts as solid bits of material added or subtracted from other solid bits.
    Ie a box is a rectangular solid, with a slightly smaller and shallower solid removed from one face.
    So to model it you create a sketch with the shape of one face and then extrude it to make it a 3D solid.
    To hollow it out, click on the face you want to be open and sketch another slightly smaller shape.
    Apply a pocket operation to that sketch to give it depth and you now have a 3D box.

    Steve
    I'm finding that Steve, I've previously for last 25 years done 2D drafting for mechanical layouts, diagrams and mostly electrical drafting primarily using Autocad.
    The 3D ones I've tried that use similar methods seem disjointed in how they work and Freecad , I agree the tutorials are crap.
    The ones that basically use programming language take me back to the early 80"s when I did my degree in computer technology with all drawings done by coordinates and machine code.

    I've started trying Design spark which looks like a combination of the 2 types and so far has decent tutorials.

    I don't know , maybe give me a month and this printer might find itself back where I found it. on the verge pickup.

  10. #10
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    Port Sorell, Tasmania
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    I've had a bit of a play with freeCAD and found the tutorials by "Adventures in Creation" were OK. He's put out quite a few vids if you find him OK to listen to.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ckw...uresincreation

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by russ57 View Post
    ..., I've never used it so this might be old news but i gather it had a fundamental flaw which made some operations blow up models {ie certain changes to a model couldn't be made}
    At work I use some of the well known commercial packages (think $10k or more per seat), and with the right operations they will still melt down. At one stage I used to have a list of about 10 operations that would cause a crash, which always seemed to happen coincidentally when the rep. came in to talk up the product and see that all was well.
    Once I even managed to crash the computer doing a tutorial exercise for an advanced feature set. The trainer and I tried it several times and always got the same result, so sometimes bugs just got to happen...

    Michael

  12. #12
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    At this stage it looks like DesignSpark could be a winner.
    Easy so far to use as it basicly starts off like Autocad with a 2D drawing of the base of design then uses "pull" commands to raise base into Z coordinates. Even holes are easier as just draw a 2D circle or polygon on surface and pull it through the design to required depth.

  13. #13
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    I was trained as a draftsman in the paper and pen era. When CAD became available for PCs (think IBM XT), I tried to learn the first time. I got lost and gave up. Over the past 30 years, I tried several times to get the hang of various Autocad packages with mixed success. So 3 years ago I did a couple of semesters at TAFE in CAD and the penny dropped. They taught in Autocad Inventor and it's great! Since then, my student license has expired and I've gone to Fusion360 without any problems. Since you are used to Autocad products, I suspect you would adapt to F360 easily. You can also exchange drawings between them and that might be an advantage.
    Fusion360 has all the tools for 3D printing built in and in the end saves your design in STL format ready for slicing in whatever slicer you have for your printer.
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

  14. #14
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    My CAD experience started with Generic Cad back in the 90's and progressed to Autocad which I still use and Fusion360 for 3D, - finding good tutorials is not that easy - finding someone who speaks clearly and explains the steps can take some time - I went through a couple of the tutorials put out by a guy called Lars - very easy to understand and worth hunting him down, Fusion 360 is cloud based but I haven't found this to be an issue, my 5yr old PC handles it easily, it has an inbuilt slicer - I tried saving as an STL and using another slicer but eventually gave up as it offered no advantage.


    What ever 3D setup you settle on make sure you learn how to use offset planes - all the initial 2D sketches that are done and then 'raised' into a 3D body are done on a plane and the time will come when you need to add a feature to a body and if you are not acquainted with offset planes you'll be scratching your head on how to do it.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by familyguy View Post
    …it has an inbuilt slicer
    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.
    Chris

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