As above - Autocad is free for education. Solidworks/Spaceclaim etc are $50 a year or so. Your options are pretty endless so it all depends on what the requirements are (what sort of 3D Models.) I wouldn't go buy 30 seats without at least one person being proficient in it and knowing it's the correct program.

Quote Originally Posted by neep View Post
I have the same question, but different purpose. I'm a not a pro but want to design wearable casings for electronics, that sort of thing. I have tried OpenSCAD but the numbers make me dizzy. SketchUp I have used in the past but find kind of a horrible program to use. Any recommendations appreciated. I'm on a Mac, BTW.
I'd recommend you try designspark Mechanical - It's free, powerful and has a much smaller learning curve than most CAD programs.