Do i have to learn CAD

[Tesla]

Newbie here, just wanted to know for working with 3D printers what software should i learn, like solid works ?

[DrLuigi]

I would personaly recommend Solidworks,
But you also have sketchup and other free programs,

I would recommend to learn it as you wont be to able to make your own objects otherwise.

[Geoff]

I'm a Blender fan, it's free and very powerful and there's countless youtube tutorials for it.

[truehybridx]

Sketchup all the way, until you want to do more advanced things. I mostly use trackpads so i can't use blender much without a mouse

[Tesla]

I would personaly recommend Solidworks,
But you also have sketchup and other free programs,

I would recommend to learn it as you wont be to able to make your own objects otherwise.

Ok, i was looking at Solid and Rhino and Blender but it looks like solid is very commercial for making parts and others are animation related... ?

[Compro01]

Ok, i was looking at Solid and Rhino and Blender but it looks like solid is very commercial for making parts and others are animation related... ?

Animation is a superset of 3D modeling. Blender does both. To do just 3D modeling with it, ignore the animation features.

[jimc]

solidworks is very mechanical engineering based. for making parts and working assemblies. it is not very good with complex surfaces or ornate objects and it totally not for making organic forms, characters or sculpting like blender is. rhino is what i use. its kind of a middle ground. it is very precise like solidworks but its also great for complex and curvy, ornate surfaces as well. it however is not parametric so in models with multiple working parts it does not know how each part relates to one another. so basically if you design a engine or transmission for example you cannot test it or make it operate like you can in solidworks. i find rhino to be fantastic for designing models for 3d printing. its professional and powerful software. there are many cad programs out there which are designed for different things. the software you choose depends on the type of modeling you are doing. rhino, solidworks and blender are all great but they each do things the other doesnt do.

[Davo]

We use Alibre, but I hear good things about FreeCAD.

[Tesla]

solidworks is very mechanical engineering based. for making parts and working assemblies. it is not very good with complex surfaces or ornate objects and it totally not for making organic forms, characters or sculpting like blender is. rhino is what i use. its kind of a middle ground. it is very precise like solidworks but its also great for complex and curvy, ornate surfaces as well. it however is not parametric so in models with multiple working parts it does not know how each part relates to one another. so basically if you design a engine or transmission for example you cannot test it or make it operate like you can in solidworks. i find rhino to be fantastic for designing models for 3d printing. its professional and powerful software. there are many cad programs out there which are designed for different things. the software you choose depends on the type of modeling you are doing. rhino, solidworks and blender are all great but they each do things the other doesnt do.

So Blender it is! thank you!

[Mike]

If you want to be able to make some things relatively quickly, prior to gaining expertise in an advanced modeler like Blender, you could try something like Eureka. I use it when I want to make basic household items, because it's very fast and easy, and because you can't make unprintable objects with it. I only use a more advanced modeler if I want to make more advanced objects.

http://eurekatec.com/home.html