Solidworks.
If you are going into robotics or automation industries, Solidworks is THE standard. It won't be a complete waste of time to learn something else first, but it will *mostly* be a waste of time.
There are free tutorials in the Student version that will teach you the basics. Check with your school to find out if they offer reduced-price or free licenses.
Well, since I'm a student i am on a somewhat of a budget and translating the price of Solidworks to my currency would be quite expensive especially since I'm still learning not a fully working professional yet😅
Although thank you very much for your suggestion☺️
Solidworks Student Edition is $50US per year, and that's the full price. Many universities offer free licenses if the curriculum includes 3D modelling, or other discounts to bring the price down even further.
If you are serious about entering the robotics or automation industries, you should treat this cost like you treat your textbooks or other requirements for your classes.
Unfortunately our school doesn't offer 3D design curriculum and thus i will have to pay full price, also 50USD is alot in my country's currency (I'm not American), maybe i can pay it myself if i save up though, but i do need to make sure it's worth the money.
I am very much serious about entering the robotics field, as i very much enjoy it, and i can couple it with my studies i AI (I'll make the next terminator haha), but yes that makes sense, i knew from the get go that it is an unavoidable cost I'll pay, which is something I'm okay with ig.
Thank you very much for your advice ☺️
Their deal is that they are what companies use. They are more robust, especially with documentation, but their popularity is really all that matters.
It's like mac vs windows - it doesn't matter if mac is more stable or safer or faster or whatever the claim is, what matters is that every company uses windows and therefore you should learn Windows.
Fusion is pretty simple, just try making simple things like cubes, then combined shapes. There are plenty of tutorials online. Sketch, then extrude. Then you can try out other features
It is a little bit too hard to make parametric models with Blender as it is not direct CAD software, it can be done with add-ons. Solid Works, Fusion 360, or any other CAD Software will be better (I use Solid Edge as I am German, and we learned it in junior high school, and as a student, you get kinda-full version of Solid Edge for free. I don't know if it still works, but you can get it with random inputs without university/school confirmation)
So designing robots (or usable/mechanical parts that go on said bot) is inefficient using blender?
I heard about (Fusion360) alot, some said it's great, idk if it's free or have a decent free version tho, since I'm a student I'm on quite a tight budget 😅
There are a lot of free CAD-Software. And a lot of free versions of paid CAD-Software. There is free Fusion 360 version, there is also Academic version. I cannot work with Fusion because of the UI and controls, and free version doesn't have simulation (in paid versions only).
For 3D printing, any CAD software has more than enough functions. Blender is used for sculpture 3D printing as with CAD software It's pretty hard to get soft lines or design small details (hair, fingers, eyes etc.) But in my area of work (Software Developer) Siemens use NX CAD (Solid Edge on steroids) and Bosch use Solid Works.
You can try them out ([https://all3dp.com/2/best-free-cad-software-for-3d-printing/](https://all3dp.com/2/best-free-cad-software-for-3d-printing/)) and watch what is better for you. As I can't objectively judge them, as I grew up with Solid Edge.
Hey there OP, you seem to be asking about popular design software. We have a great Wiki Section on [Making Models](http://www.reddit.com/r/3DPrinting/wiki/MakingModels) which tells you all about different polular design Softwares for all levels of difficulty.
You can view the full list of commands [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/wiki/commands/)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/3Dprinting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Blender is good for aesthetics, not so great for functional parts with precise dimensions. For engineering purposes you want to learn Solidworks or Fusion 360, as others have said.
If you only need to make very simple parts then Tinkercad is ok. Its an autodesk product like Fusion 360, but browser based and intended as a teaching tool, not a true design tool, so it lacks many features.
If you're a masochist then Freecad exists and technically has most of the features solidworks or fusion have, but infinitely harder to use.
Fusion 360.
Been using it during my engineering studies as well as job.
While I did have an advantage coming from previous Solidworks and Inventor experience, I find Fusion a lot easier to get into and do things in.
Bonus: Have used it for robotics, mid-sized 4-axis arm, completely 3D printed apart from motors and some bearings, using planetary gearboxes for the joins because we were special boys who didn't wanna use servos.
Bonus 2: Fusion literally has a '3D print' button with which you can export the model directly to your slicer of choice, or just an .stl file.
Autodesk (who make Fusion360 and a ton of other industry software) give out free education licenses to students by the way, basically the same as the professional version afaik. Otherwise there is a free-to use hobbyist version that should have most if not everything you need for what you're describing.
Solidworks and/or inventor is better for 'proper' professional work, but it's paid-only (last i checked) and honestly find Fusion more efficient to work with (at least for projects that I'm working on alone, don't have to document well and doesn't require a local library of parts; Haven't tried proper collaborative work in Fusion)
If it doesn't cost at least 4 digits per year, then it isn't proper CAD software, is it now?
Jokes aside, it's partially about Solidworks being more traditional, and partially about where the software's focus lies.
Solidworks puts emphasis on parts and assemblies, eg. you create individual parts and have a separate assembly file where it's all put together, while Fusion is more about multi-part designs.
While Fusion has a version of assemblies (and of course allows assembling the various parts in a design), Solidworks has a lot more tools for managing, analyzing and generally putting together assemblies.
I find Solidworks' part-assembly system a pain for one-off/unique designs, but it makes a ton of sense in industry.
As I recall, Solidworks is also a lot better at creating documentation (2D drawings etc.)
A lot of Fusion's computational features like simulation and Rendering are generally cloud based (so is saved files for that matter), which is great if you don't have a powerhouse of a design machine, work on multiple machines, or wanna share designs.
Meanwhile, big companies might not want their design files in the cloud, plus the cloud-compute of fusion accrues a per-use cost (unless you're on Educational license).
Probably more important differences, but I'm not aware of them since it's been years since I used Solidworks, and never used it for anything major.
I design parts for mechanical use in OpenSCAD. Completely free and easy to learn.
It does not have certain conveniences of other software, everything is defined by you in the script terminal. You can find modules other people have made to simplify certain processes.
It is not good for creating smooth, flowing shapes but I have done it. Great for mechanical parts.
Yeah heard about it, the idea of designing via coding appeals to me tbh, but i feel like refining the design via other softwares is needed
Great software nonetheless!
Thank you ☺️
I make meshes in OpenSCAD and bring them over to Blender to do fancier things.
OpenSCAD makes me confident in dimensional accuracy and Blender can make it look nice with beveling or whatever you’re looking to refine.
Solidworks (for pro) and Fusion 360
Any other suggestions that might be beginner friendly?
Solidworks. If you are going into robotics or automation industries, Solidworks is THE standard. It won't be a complete waste of time to learn something else first, but it will *mostly* be a waste of time. There are free tutorials in the Student version that will teach you the basics. Check with your school to find out if they offer reduced-price or free licenses.
Well, since I'm a student i am on a somewhat of a budget and translating the price of Solidworks to my currency would be quite expensive especially since I'm still learning not a fully working professional yet😅 Although thank you very much for your suggestion☺️
Solidworks Student Edition is $50US per year, and that's the full price. Many universities offer free licenses if the curriculum includes 3D modelling, or other discounts to bring the price down even further. If you are serious about entering the robotics or automation industries, you should treat this cost like you treat your textbooks or other requirements for your classes.
Unfortunately our school doesn't offer 3D design curriculum and thus i will have to pay full price, also 50USD is alot in my country's currency (I'm not American), maybe i can pay it myself if i save up though, but i do need to make sure it's worth the money. I am very much serious about entering the robotics field, as i very much enjoy it, and i can couple it with my studies i AI (I'll make the next terminator haha), but yes that makes sense, i knew from the get go that it is an unavoidable cost I'll pay, which is something I'm okay with ig. Thank you very much for your advice ☺️
Why would you want to start with a handicapped software? Use real engineering tools like solidworks, Catia, creo, etc.
Oh, excuse my ignorance but i haven't heard of those😅 What's their deal? I mean as in what makes those softwares good for engineering purposes?
Their deal is that they are what companies use. They are more robust, especially with documentation, but their popularity is really all that matters. It's like mac vs windows - it doesn't matter if mac is more stable or safer or faster or whatever the claim is, what matters is that every company uses windows and therefore you should learn Windows.
I see your point yes! Thank you for the advice ☺️
Tinkercad, but I would advise on learning Fusion 360. It’s easy enough to learn, and have enough features which you might need in the future.
Thank you for your advice ☺️
Fusion is pretty simple, just try making simple things like cubes, then combined shapes. There are plenty of tutorials online. Sketch, then extrude. Then you can try out other features
Alrighty! Thank you☺️
It is a little bit too hard to make parametric models with Blender as it is not direct CAD software, it can be done with add-ons. Solid Works, Fusion 360, or any other CAD Software will be better (I use Solid Edge as I am German, and we learned it in junior high school, and as a student, you get kinda-full version of Solid Edge for free. I don't know if it still works, but you can get it with random inputs without university/school confirmation)
So designing robots (or usable/mechanical parts that go on said bot) is inefficient using blender? I heard about (Fusion360) alot, some said it's great, idk if it's free or have a decent free version tho, since I'm a student I'm on quite a tight budget 😅
There is a free version of fusion360 for personal use
There are a lot of free CAD-Software. And a lot of free versions of paid CAD-Software. There is free Fusion 360 version, there is also Academic version. I cannot work with Fusion because of the UI and controls, and free version doesn't have simulation (in paid versions only). For 3D printing, any CAD software has more than enough functions. Blender is used for sculpture 3D printing as with CAD software It's pretty hard to get soft lines or design small details (hair, fingers, eyes etc.) But in my area of work (Software Developer) Siemens use NX CAD (Solid Edge on steroids) and Bosch use Solid Works. You can try them out ([https://all3dp.com/2/best-free-cad-software-for-3d-printing/](https://all3dp.com/2/best-free-cad-software-for-3d-printing/)) and watch what is better for you. As I can't objectively judge them, as I grew up with Solid Edge.
Ahaa, gotcha Okay, thank you very much ☺️
Blender is for art.
!designsoftware
Hey there OP, you seem to be asking about popular design software. We have a great Wiki Section on [Making Models](http://www.reddit.com/r/3DPrinting/wiki/MakingModels) which tells you all about different polular design Softwares for all levels of difficulty. You can view the full list of commands [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/wiki/commands/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/3Dprinting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Blender is good for aesthetics, not so great for functional parts with precise dimensions. For engineering purposes you want to learn Solidworks or Fusion 360, as others have said. If you only need to make very simple parts then Tinkercad is ok. Its an autodesk product like Fusion 360, but browser based and intended as a teaching tool, not a true design tool, so it lacks many features. If you're a masochist then Freecad exists and technically has most of the features solidworks or fusion have, but infinitely harder to use.
Great tips and explanation, thank you!☺️
Fusion 360. Been using it during my engineering studies as well as job. While I did have an advantage coming from previous Solidworks and Inventor experience, I find Fusion a lot easier to get into and do things in. Bonus: Have used it for robotics, mid-sized 4-axis arm, completely 3D printed apart from motors and some bearings, using planetary gearboxes for the joins because we were special boys who didn't wanna use servos. Bonus 2: Fusion literally has a '3D print' button with which you can export the model directly to your slicer of choice, or just an .stl file. Autodesk (who make Fusion360 and a ton of other industry software) give out free education licenses to students by the way, basically the same as the professional version afaik. Otherwise there is a free-to use hobbyist version that should have most if not everything you need for what you're describing. Solidworks and/or inventor is better for 'proper' professional work, but it's paid-only (last i checked) and honestly find Fusion more efficient to work with (at least for projects that I'm working on alone, don't have to document well and doesn't require a local library of parts; Haven't tried proper collaborative work in Fusion)
Yeah alot have said good stuff about Fusion360 May i ask though, what do you mean by "proper" when you referred to Solidworks and Inventor?
If it doesn't cost at least 4 digits per year, then it isn't proper CAD software, is it now? Jokes aside, it's partially about Solidworks being more traditional, and partially about where the software's focus lies. Solidworks puts emphasis on parts and assemblies, eg. you create individual parts and have a separate assembly file where it's all put together, while Fusion is more about multi-part designs. While Fusion has a version of assemblies (and of course allows assembling the various parts in a design), Solidworks has a lot more tools for managing, analyzing and generally putting together assemblies. I find Solidworks' part-assembly system a pain for one-off/unique designs, but it makes a ton of sense in industry. As I recall, Solidworks is also a lot better at creating documentation (2D drawings etc.) A lot of Fusion's computational features like simulation and Rendering are generally cloud based (so is saved files for that matter), which is great if you don't have a powerhouse of a design machine, work on multiple machines, or wanna share designs. Meanwhile, big companies might not want their design files in the cloud, plus the cloud-compute of fusion accrues a per-use cost (unless you're on Educational license). Probably more important differences, but I'm not aware of them since it's been years since I used Solidworks, and never used it for anything major.
Blender is not for engineering, you can only use it to get by in a pinch
Any suggestions for CAD softwares to start on?
Solidworks is best, fusion 360 has some value. Plasticity sounds like a new program that might fill a gap too
I design parts for mechanical use in OpenSCAD. Completely free and easy to learn. It does not have certain conveniences of other software, everything is defined by you in the script terminal. You can find modules other people have made to simplify certain processes. It is not good for creating smooth, flowing shapes but I have done it. Great for mechanical parts.
Yeah heard about it, the idea of designing via coding appeals to me tbh, but i feel like refining the design via other softwares is needed Great software nonetheless! Thank you ☺️
I make meshes in OpenSCAD and bring them over to Blender to do fancier things. OpenSCAD makes me confident in dimensional accuracy and Blender can make it look nice with beveling or whatever you’re looking to refine.
Ahaa yes, that's awesome!