I’m looking to design my own 3D printable files. Is there an easy program to start off with? I’ve looked at the list on http://3ders.com and some of them are too basic and some are just beyond my current level.
@Chuck_A I think that would be part of the beyond my level. I don’t know any of that and a basic cube is what I think I could do. Right now I’m trying learn something to edit a file: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:404658. To keep the verticle the same but to modify the horizontal to fit openbeam extrusions. I tried using blender but I couldn’t seem to modify it at all.
Autodesk Fusion360 … do a google search. Full featured, but easy to learn cad tool
And it free…
I would suggest using Autodesk Fusion 360 for the free year, it will let you learn the basics and be powerful enough not to be frustrating, then you can look at other programs, if you are a student you can get Autodesk inventor for free. http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/all
Freecad.org its free works very well and is easy to learn. Different software works for different people so try a few.
I use Autodesk 123D which is permanently free.
+1 for FreeCAD. It has an OpenSCAD module built in too, so best of both worlds. Easy enough to learn, a good support forum and a community here on G+. Plenty YouTube videos to get the basic techniques learnt quick.
Open scad for the win. For this part draw a dxf in inkscape of the open beam cross section (pretty sure you can download it) difference(){
Cube([x,y,z])
linear_extrude(some long length)import(“name.dxf”)
Rotate([90,0,0]) linear_extrude(some long length)import(“name.dxf”)
Rotate([0,90,0]) linear_extrude(some long length)import(“name.dxf”)
I ended up recreating the file with DesignSpark. It took me a bit to understand the basic features. I added an additional extrusion slot on the top to be expandable and narrowed the horizontal extrusion slots to fit openbeam extrusions. Verticals I left the same because I can buy the extrusions for those from HomeDepot. Currently running a 2-hour print to verify they fit before I add the boltholes.
Follow me for Blender videos and tutorials. It’s the Swiss army knife of 3d design.
This is what it looks like so far: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxWkyuHWaCs5TGo5OE14X0tuVVk&authuser=0.
@Joseph_Larson I checked out some videos of blender and it seems to do more that I will have to learn it.
@Mark_Rehorst I’ve seen videos on YouTube of people creating and exporting files to print. I did check it out and it is definitely a steep learning curve along with additional features that I wouldn’t use. I would probably have to watch the videos while creating to eventually learn to use it.
@Mark_Rehorst It’s a different work flow but Blender is perfectly capable of doing cad-like precision. Once got a 2 part video about exactly that. And @Shawn_Nguyen , don’t believe the steep learning curve thing. Just jump in and you’ll be good to go.
@Joseph_Larson To me it is a bit steep but I won’t let it deter me. I like learning new things. But for now I’ll use DesignSpark as @Mark_Rehorst had recommended until I do so.
@Joseph_Larson it isn’t designed to make dimensionally accurate things. So using blender to do that is like using a Lamborghini to pull a boat trailer, it may have the horse power and the ability, but it is the wrong tool for the job.
I have this right now: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxWkyuHWaCs5R3d4NG9lZ3dFZG8&authuser=0. How do I remove the cylinders to make the boltholes?
@Mark_Rehorst Ok, I uploaded the right file: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxWkyuHWaCs5UmFvY1lnN0FzdUU&authuser=0. Seems like no matter what I do I can not get it to subtract the cylinders to make boltholes.
Edit: finally figured it out. I was using the wrong tool.
@Mark_Rehorst I’ll just link the folder and see if that works: https://drive.google.com/folder/d/0BxWkyuHWaCs5b2cxNVE1ZFFnbDA/edit. I did have to send it through netfabb for correction.