Any recommendation on free 3D software that I could learn that's compatible with most

3D Printing
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Any recommendation on free 3D software that I could learn that’s compatible with most printers? I’m using mac, by the way.

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You can use pretty much anything - you will use different software entirely to slice it up and prepare it for printing. Try TinkerCAD, Sketchup, 123D Design and OpenSCAD and see what works for you. Export STL and load into your slicer.

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thanks @Jason_Webb

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There are at least 3 that work in browsers: http://www.tinkercad.com http://www.shapesmith.net and http://www.3dtin.com. As mentioned, OpenSCAD is good too, depending on what you want to do. All free so try them all.

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Blender is also available free, if you have the aptitude and desire to get a handle on its capabilities. That is, there seems to be a steep learning curve.

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@Rojer_Wisner Yes I’ve used blender and even done a tutorial on it for 3D World mag. It got a little better after they redid the UI, but much of it is still really strange and doesn’t make much sense.

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I haven’t tackled Blender although my son does it well. Here’s a YouTube I was just watching earlier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHxs4uerHjw

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I use Google SketchUp to “draw” 3D objects. I use OpenSCAD to “write” code that represents 3D objects. Both are available for Mac and Windows. You will need a free extension to generate STL files from SketchUp.

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At these days someone should built an open version of solidworks… It’s the best to create with measures… Don’t even try to compare it with opencad…

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Sketch up is what could be considered the open version of solid works. It’s the same general concept of parametric 3d modeling without any bells and whistles.

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well… @Eric_Moy i think that Sketch up developers could be grateful for this statement but i think that is a bit exaggerated…

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@Eric_Moy Where did you get the idea that Sketchup is parametric? It is not.
@Simone_Pompei FreeCAD which is an open source history-based parametric CAD modeler has been around for years. Its development team is small and work is done in their spare time, so there are a lot of features missing like dimensioned 2D drawings and assembly module. But it is already highly capable to model complex parametric parts without having to learn to code (OpenSCAD). Unfortunately for @Jethro_Estimo the Mac version lags behind the Windows and Linux version and is plagued with problems the other versions don’t have which is why I wouldn’t recommend it on Mac. The devs would welcome experienced Mac coders who could help improve the Mac build BTW.

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Definetely. I’m just wondering why in this period where 3d printing is in “auge” nobody think to improve a project like FreeCAD or do something new in that direction. What i think is that we need a new software with the simplicity of solidworks for the modelling and open like FreeCAD. Maybe even something like thinkerCAD but with serious tools and modeling.

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Please don’t be like an Apple fanboy. SolidWorks may be your CAD software of choice, but as for myself I don’t find it more user friendly than competing pro packages. As a matter of fact I hate SW’s cluttered GUI.

We don’t need an open source SolidWorks clone.

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While not free 3D-Coat is pretty cheap compared to other packages and is arguably the best 3D sculpting and texturing package. Also, anything you sculpt in it is watertight, so it’s perfect for printing.
http://3d-coat.com

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Jethro, could you tell us what you are interested in designing?

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@Temujin_Kuechle i wanna design customized toys. small ones, maybe maximum of 4 inches in height.

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@Nick_Kloski2 I tried blender but it seems the learning curve is too steep for me.

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Jethro
You might consider inexpensive apps, like Chetah, Silo, and a few other mesh modelers (polygon modeler apps) to do what you described.

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thanks @Temujin_Kuechle . will look for this online.