What is the best 3D design software to whet my appetite

[Leebc]

Hi I am new to 3D printing and am looking for an easy to use and intuitive modelling tool to design jewelry. I'm also looking for a tool to convert a regular photograph into a 3D model. Please can you give me some advice.

[ServiceXp]

From what I've used,, The word "easy" simply should not be applied to any of the 3D software I've tried . I started with 123D and now moving to Fusion 360 (both free).

[Leebc]

Thanks. Point taken. I'll have alook at these tools.

[ssayer]

I went with Blender. It works. It's free. There are a ton of tutorials online. None of these programs are "simple". They all have their learning curve...

[awerby]

"Blender" and "intuitive" should never be used in the same sentence, unless you're talking about making smoothies. It's free, but it's not easy.

Depending on the sort of jewelry you have in mind, there are various alternatives that won't make you tear your hair out (or not as much, anyway). If it's pretty simple geometric stuff, then TinkerCAD might work for you. If it's organic sculptural stuff, then look at Cubify Sculpt.

If you're starting from a single photograph, the best you'll be able to do is produce a low relief; there's not enough information to construct the back side of the object. Applications like 123D Catch require a series of photos from a lot of different angles to construct 3D objects in the round.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[Roxy]

"Blender" and "intuitive" should never be used in the same sentence...

Isn't that the truth?

[curious aardvark]

have agood look at the 123d series of apps. http://www.123dapp.com/
123d catch is pretty much the only reliable program that will take a lot (not one, never one :-) of 2d photos and produce a useable 3d model.

one advantge is that it'll run directly on a tablet or phone

[dklassen]

DesignSpark.

[Sebastian Finke]

Hi I am new to 3D printing and am looking for an easy to use and intuitive modelling tool to design jewelry. I'm also looking for a tool to convert a regular photograph into a 3D model. Please can you give me some advice.

You want to spend some money? Look at Moi3D and Rhinoceros. These are both nurbs-based surface modellors that can do jewellery very well. Personally I'd avoid the free software, you just won't get the same functionality.