I'm looking to find a single solid modeling tool to drive my 3D printer and CNC milling machine.
Currently, I use OpenSCAD for the the 3D printer and then Slic3r for CAM. OpenSCAD does not do GUI based modeling/developing. Its a scripting language that describes the 3D solid. OK for simple things, but it becomes cumbersome for more complex objects.
I use CamBam to drive the CNC milling machine. CamBam is more of a CAM program with a very limited CAD modeling front end. Based on the traffic in the forums, it seems to be somewhat abandoned.
I've used Sketchup a fair bit. And find it to be great for developing and visualizing just about any 3D object. I've used it on a welding table, a golf bag rack and even a rather complicated theater room in my house where it was critical that some cabinets fit in a tight location. For the most part, I haven't found any glaring missing features in the free version.
Ideally, I would like to use Sketchup to develop the source 3D model and then some ancillary CAM tools to drive the 3D printer and CNC milling machine.
However, in the past when I've tried to feed a Sketchup developed .stl file into Slic3r, Slic3r throws up. People in the forums say the Sketchup generated .stl files are a nightmare. I haven't tried it lately, and perhaps Sketchup has cleaned up their .stl output?
I've looked for CAM tools to use with Sketchup, but this too looks dodgy to me. Free software of course. I haven't actually tried any of the tools.
Autodesk has a free version of Fusion 360. And it seems to be quite popular. It certainly claims to have a ton of capabilities. I've seen some impressive 3D modeling results.
So, I gave Fusion 360 a try. Spent the better part of a week at it. For sure Fusion 360 is full of quirks. And you need to train your brain to think about the world the way it does, and not the other way around. I actually managed to get an .stl to render as expected on the 3D printer. But at the end of it, I've concluded that Fusion 360 is more of a 3D solid capturing tool as opposed to a 3D solid developing tool. It doesn't seem to snap to geometry. And the measuring tool in my opinion is peculiar at best. For my design style I like to develop some dimensions and essentially "enshrine" these dimensions in the model. With Sketchup, its generally easy to go back and measure dimensions. With Fusion 3D, I find it difficult to know you're really measuring what you think you're measuring.
So I'm pondering my next move. Here are the possibilities:
-Go with Sketchup. I'd even be willing to pay $300 a year for it. I have some architectural projects I think it would be really good at. They'll let you try the full version free for a month. Good news is I wouldn't have to learn how to use the drawing tool. During the free month, give the CAM output tools a good try.
-Stick with Fusion 360. It seems to work for many people. Try to figure out how to make it work for my style. But I'm pretty skeptical this is going to get me what I want. I've been through it and just don't see a way for it to fit my needs.
-Give SolidWorks for Makers a try. Looks like you can get a one month license for $10. Bad news here is its a big learning curve. The Maker version might not have features I need.
So... looking to the world wide web for opinions...
Currently, I use OpenSCAD for the the 3D printer and then Slic3r for CAM. OpenSCAD does not do GUI based modeling/developing. Its a scripting language that describes the 3D solid. OK for simple things, but it becomes cumbersome for more complex objects.
I use CamBam to drive the CNC milling machine. CamBam is more of a CAM program with a very limited CAD modeling front end. Based on the traffic in the forums, it seems to be somewhat abandoned.
I've used Sketchup a fair bit. And find it to be great for developing and visualizing just about any 3D object. I've used it on a welding table, a golf bag rack and even a rather complicated theater room in my house where it was critical that some cabinets fit in a tight location. For the most part, I haven't found any glaring missing features in the free version.
Ideally, I would like to use Sketchup to develop the source 3D model and then some ancillary CAM tools to drive the 3D printer and CNC milling machine.
However, in the past when I've tried to feed a Sketchup developed .stl file into Slic3r, Slic3r throws up. People in the forums say the Sketchup generated .stl files are a nightmare. I haven't tried it lately, and perhaps Sketchup has cleaned up their .stl output?
I've looked for CAM tools to use with Sketchup, but this too looks dodgy to me. Free software of course. I haven't actually tried any of the tools.
Autodesk has a free version of Fusion 360. And it seems to be quite popular. It certainly claims to have a ton of capabilities. I've seen some impressive 3D modeling results.
So, I gave Fusion 360 a try. Spent the better part of a week at it. For sure Fusion 360 is full of quirks. And you need to train your brain to think about the world the way it does, and not the other way around. I actually managed to get an .stl to render as expected on the 3D printer. But at the end of it, I've concluded that Fusion 360 is more of a 3D solid capturing tool as opposed to a 3D solid developing tool. It doesn't seem to snap to geometry. And the measuring tool in my opinion is peculiar at best. For my design style I like to develop some dimensions and essentially "enshrine" these dimensions in the model. With Sketchup, its generally easy to go back and measure dimensions. With Fusion 3D, I find it difficult to know you're really measuring what you think you're measuring.
So I'm pondering my next move. Here are the possibilities:
-Go with Sketchup. I'd even be willing to pay $300 a year for it. I have some architectural projects I think it would be really good at. They'll let you try the full version free for a month. Good news is I wouldn't have to learn how to use the drawing tool. During the free month, give the CAM output tools a good try.
-Stick with Fusion 360. It seems to work for many people. Try to figure out how to make it work for my style. But I'm pretty skeptical this is going to get me what I want. I've been through it and just don't see a way for it to fit my needs.
-Give SolidWorks for Makers a try. Looks like you can get a one month license for $10. Bad news here is its a big learning curve. The Maker version might not have features I need.
So... looking to the world wide web for opinions...