Which 3D Modeling Software To Start With For Makers | 3D Printing

There is a lot of different 3D modeling and design software to create models for 3D printing. In this video, I give you my 2 cents of the world of 3D modeling in the hopes of helping you make a decision in the direction you want to start your 3D journey in.
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[@ConorFenlon]

The best place to start, is wherever you are. The best tools to use, are whatever tools you have available to you. The best time to start, is now. Use what you have, do what you can, and never give up.

[@powersprouter]

Outstanding explanation. I'm almost 2 years into CAD now - roughly half & half Fusion and Blender. Blender is now my go-to however, and I still have SO MUCH MORE to learn, omg it's a beast. Loving your videos Jonathan, thank you.

[@macrumpton]

Nurbs vs polygons is like Illustrator vs Photoshop. You can make similar looking things in both, but they have totally different structures. If you want to stretch/squash/resize your design without worrying about it getting blurry or crunchy, Illustrator is the way to go, but if you want to seamlessly merge several images and tweak their colors then get photoshop.

[@jakepF1D]

The problem with Blender is it limits you to additive manufacturing like 3D printing. I’ve expanded into subtractive manufacturing with a small CNC mill, and for that you really need Fusion or FreeCAD. I started with Fusion, but I’ve recently converted almost entirely to FreeCAD. It allows me to design for any process I want to use, and generate the CAM for parts I want to make on my mill.

[@jameskellam2980]

I don't understand. After you make a 3d model you need to convert it into a format your post processing program understands. Then you import the model, pist process, and generate your g code. No?

[@freelancedentist9480]

I can’t even figure out how to add a cube, I hit add cube but no cube, where’s my cube :(

[@iiNgONYaMa]

Mesh isn't useful for subtractive

[@ghazialazzawi5219]

I have droped free cad and fusion 360 and trying to learn and mastering blender becuase it has both precision and artist modeling and its free program thanks maker tales and great job

[@BC5391]

Until 2 months ago I could not install Blender, now with a new computer it is a learning process. I tried Fusion 360, But did not use it on a regular basis and every time I would go back to it they did an update, and the process I used before no longer worked, I'm old, get frustrated and probably have ADHD, yes i kept notes. I've watched several of your placticity videos, looks interesting, thanks for the videos

[@leonardbenzies6374]

Same here,I am 83 and am retirred College Computer Lecturer and used to write code for business and games. Have tried Blender 8 times (years ago) but now their new version might be useable. Just bought a 3d printer and having some fun. Want to do people Scanning also for small models of humans.

[@skeome]

​@leonardbenzies6374 You both might like OpenSCAD, it's straightforward and can be fun. I'm just mentioning you as well to ensure you see this There's also a reference "cheat sheet" included in the program that opens a webpage showing all of the commands you can use with basic documentation

[@skeome]

You would both enjoy OpenSCAD. It's really intuitive and has a built-in "cheat sheet" that opens a webpage showing the commands you can use with a little bit of documentation. It can be fun, but some things might be confusing if you have a lot of parts without comments in your code It only uses spheres, Cylinders (and conical shapes if the r1 is different than r2), cubes/rectangular prisms, Circles, and rectangles, but with translations and differences, you can make almost anything. The first thing I did in OpenSCAD was design some yoyos to give back to a company that has treated me well. It only took me about an hour. There are also basic tutorials on youtube to get you kick started

[@Unbothered.design]

A minute and forty eight seconds in and I am liking your teaching approach. Balanced…🙏🏿

[@asdfdfggfd]

Short version, you are going to have to learn Blender eventually anyhow, so may as well start there.

[@RoseKindred]

I needed this video, about a year ago 🙂. Very interesting. I feel like I wasted my time learning Blender (I know I didn't, but still feels like it) because it cannot do exactly what I want. But it is a great basis because I learned that many of the programs "speak" to each other. Such as doing a base model with exact dimensions in one program and sculpting onto it in another.

[@DanielBadberg]

I love FreeCAD and Blender and use both. So far I don't earn any money with my drawings, but in the future? Who knows, that's why I chose FC and Blender and not Fusion. I have tried CADSketcher and it looks very good. At some point I will try to do my next project completely in Blender and see how far I get with it. To turn my drawings into real objects I have a small MPCNC and various 3D printers as well as a K40 CO2 laser. For the CNC, I need 2D drawings in most cases, which I create with FreeCAD. For the laser also FreeCAD or Inkscape.

[@Spacekriek]

Designspark Mechanical for me, thanks. Blender is a great program but was never quite suited for CAD-related things. I believe it is now heading in that direction, however. I bought a 3D printer a number of years ago and like to develop objects with a more mechanical nature (gears, pulleys, fittings and what have you). This is purely for a hobby, I need to add. I tried programs like Anim8or, Sketchup, Freecad, Solvespace and Blender over the past 5 years and more. About 2 years ago I tried to give DSM another go. It just blew everything else off the table. Once you dig into the few good tutorials out here on YT you really begin to appreciate how powerful and yet simple this software is. I strongly recommend it.

[@fadedflage]

Design spark mechanical

[@JHartModelworks]

I used to do 3d modeling using nurbs in a very old Rhinocerous 3D. I was making things for Poser and Daz studio that type of stuff. I loved modeling in Rhino it was so intuetive, then converting my surfaces to mesh right before export. I'm just getting back into 3D as I'm printing parts for model cars, I need to learn to model again, but I don't want to spend nearly a grand on Rhino 7, Blender does not feel intuitive at all, and things I could do with ease in Rhino, can't seem to figure out in Blender.

[@detroittrickster3327]

i feel you and im a 3dmax user

[@Albert_Riseal]

For 3D printing blender is really good, but for manufacturing the average best industrial design-type, having outstanding control in surfaces: I totally choose Alias or even SolidWorks. It depends on what you do, it depends on what kind of design are you seeking.

[@kalynn092]

Just starting to get started, this is super helpful!

[@k_DEDb07]

so glad to have found your channel and subscribed. i just started 3d printing with a bambu P1S. and I felf like I needed a software for roughing out my 3d ideas then another for drawing up with measurements. i tried to use design spark for roughing out then onshape for drawing up to measurements. i do have some blender experience and have bought Sketcher. do you think 2 years later after this video that things are the same? or is there hopefully a clear obvious best in class for rough ideas and drawing up into scale softwares at this point. thanks for reading. love your videos

[@teabagNBG]

fusion 360 and shapr for cad, blender for mesh modelling and zbrush for organic stuff :D

[@l.clevelandmajor9931]

There is a modeling program you did not mention, and I'm wondering if you even know about it. No, it does not do nurbs, but it does polygon modeling pretty well. I'm talking about Wings 3D. I started with 1.4.1, and have progressed through the years to the latest version which is 2.2.9. The latest version has some pretty good new tools to use, and I have been exploring their capabilities. I do have Blender, and a couple of other modelers, but I use Wings 3D for pure modeling and UV mapping. I make my models for use in other applications, such as DAZ Studio, Poser, and Bryce. It is not enough to do just the modeling. To get the model to look like is was made professionally, you need to know how to UV map them. UV maps allow you to make textures for the models. I could go into the different types of texture maps that can be made, and what each of them do, but that would be a much longer comment. That said, I recommend that you look into Blender's UV mapping capabilities, if you have not done so already. Most modeling programs I know about have UV mapping tools included. All of the ones I use do, and that definitely includes Blender. The reason I use Wings 3D more is because it is not as confusing as Blender and other modelers. Wings 3D has what is called 'Context Sensitive Menus'. When you right click on a work window, the menu for the mode you're working in pops up. Then you just find the tool on that menu that you want to use and click on it. Left click sets the tool in its default state, while right clicking calls up a special menu that gives you more options for the current tool you are using. Wings 3D cannot do animations, or full blown scenes, but it can be used to make what you need for other programs to use.

[@raulkaap]

I just designed a hammer in FreeCAD and had to smooth it out in Blender because the loft was chunky. The end result was good and either software did what it does best.

[@katalytically]

I think which one to use depends on what it is that you are creating. I lean toward open source because, well, it's open source. I'm not going to use a "free" version of a for profit app. "Free" is the bait. You start using it and the restrictions don't seem to be too bad, especially if you are just wanting to learn more about 3D modeling. Over time, from what I have found, the restrictions on these "free" versions get more restrictive until one is forced to purchase the program or go out and learn a totally different one. The principles of 3D modeling are the same for all 3D modeling software, but the features and implementation are different, which means taking the time to learn a new app. What I know from what I have seen so far is the if you want to be a serious Maker, you will probably end up with one of the paid apps as they are more polished and feature rich due to the amount of money they can put into development. For someone like me who is not looking to be a Maker and turn my 3D modeling and printing into a business, the open source programs will be sufficient.

[@lylewyant3356]

my first experience with 3d printing was Tinkercad. It was tricky to learn, and you can do some cool stuff. But, Blender is coming along and will be my goto.

[@rbid]

thanks for your advise. Greetings from the Galilee.

[@jar_hida]

Do i need to model it precisely with some sort of technique or I can just use the sculpt method and any modeling method for a 3D printing model?

[@donaldharmonify]

Thank you so much for making this video, really answered my questions.

[@korybuesing2942]

I bought my kid a 3d very basic laptop tablet.... what software should we use to learn... windows 11 4gb ram what will run the best

[@shokk1967]

Thx, I'm in the process of learning design. I've used onshape, designspark mechanical, nomad sculpt, all for a time, I'm getting the basic fundamentals of them. But I am looking to settle into a program, and your not the first person to recommend blender, looks like I'll start with that, thanks.

[@darrennew8211]

You have to export it to an STL until someone builds a slicer that works with NURBs. :-) I love your Blender precision course, which I recommend to everyone who doesn't need stuff like simulation of their designs. The place to *not* use Blender is where you need to know something more than the shape. If you need to simulate how it's going to work in an air tunnel, or how much stress the parts will support, etc., then Blender is unlikely to support that any time soon. Everywhere else, Blender is excellent and far less buggy than anything else open source.

[@spydergs07]

Blenders physics are actually very very good

[@claeslind9532]

So say all the software were free, would you still use Blender?

[@christopherlyons7613]

Thanks for the video. What are your feelings on SolidWorks 3dexperience for Makers? Price seems right and it provides the bulk of the power of SolidWorks. How would you rate this versus other platforms? One problem is learning options seem to be pretty limited. Ever thought about producing a training series for SolidWorks Maker?

[@JonLBreen]

I love SolidWorks, and I was really excited when 3dexperience for makers was announced. That being said, I think it's unusable. The only way to interact with it is through an insanely overcomplicated web interface. It may take you hours just to find the download button (no exaggeration). Then to download, you have to install this other 3dexperience software that moderates the installation process for some reason. That software is very buggy. Again, you may spend hours just trying to get it to work, and if you're like me, you'll find that some part of your PC system just isn't supported and all you get is cryptic error messages. (I have a modern, powerful PC, running Windows). You can also use a browser-based 3D modeling program in 3dexperience, but that's a far cry from proper, local SolidWorks. A professional designer with an IT department to manage all the particulars would probably find all the frustrations worth it. As a maker with limited spare time to spend on my hobby, I don't think fighting with the bloat is worth it.

[@christopherlyons7613]

@@JonLBreen @JonLBreen Hmmm. Don't really agree with most of your statements. I've had good experiences so far (other that finding good videos about it that can help learning it more easy). They send a direct link to access it In the email they send when you register. Just create a shortcut with that link and access is simple. I feel the browser interface comes quite close to regularly installed SolidWorks. I've been working through videos for normal SolidWorks and haven't had many issues. I agree with installation issues and possible hardware errors. But regardless of those errors everything appears to be working fine on my laptop (which is a higher end Lenovo with a performance video card that is not listed as supported). Yes, I agree they have some cleaning up to do but overall I'm pretty impressed.

[@jedemopro]

Very interesting and honest opinions. Congratulations.

[@lowellhouser7731]

I need a CAD/CAM solution, which means either Fusion or FreeCAD by default. Considering that I'm on Linux, I've never even tried Fusion because I CAN'T, but FreeCAD runs just fine. Will be adding laser engraving/cutting, so I expect to start getting into Inkscape as well. Learning Blender would be a lot of work, and then I would still have to use FreeCAD for it's PATH workbench.

[@avejst]

Great video as always 👍🙂 I'm considering buy Alibre Atom license, A program I can own. Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us 👍🙂

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

Until they get acquired by Adobe, bring out a new rentware version and you find your old copy will no longer install on new PCs.

[@marekm9647]

Thank you very much for the clip - very interesting. Can one make a really round bottle in blender as it uses polygons? I assume I could do it in Fusion...

[@benveasey7474]

Many people think that in a few years time the Real Time giants will be ruling the 3D world. They certainly have the money to invest in CAD Kernels.

[@NightVisionOfficial]

Fusion xD, the timeline is a must when you start

[@glenna3434]

HELP PLEASE. I am trying to make a 3d model of what is underwater at my local lake, but I don't know how to convert a contour/topographical map into an STL or other 3d printable format. I used Garmin and Lowrance sonar to scan and create a topo map, so I can print that on paper, or I can upload the map on the Garmin or Lowrance software. How do I go from that to a 3d model showing the lake bottom (a 3d model of whats under the water.) Any ideas?

[@josephgenna1672]

I learned 3D many moons ago with Alias Wavefront and Maya 1.0. Now I picked up a 3D printer and I want to get back into it again. I went crazy looking for something that wasn’t several grand to lease just so I can play around yet keep some familiarity. I like FreeCAD but so far, Blender seems to be taking the lead. I seriously need to get a better mouse though.

[@dumbcat]

if all you are doing is modeling Blender is not hard. most of the stuff in Blender you will never use

[@dinisdesigncorner332]

i come from ArchiCAD to SketchUp, from Sketchup to Blender and FreeCAD -unsatisfied with FreeCAD i moved over to MoI3D and now Plasticity …working with only one of them, say Blender I would probably have to learn CAD at any point either way

[@machineman6498]

Thank you for making this

[@angrygreek1985]

Of course his "honest opinion" is to use the platform he's chosen to create an expansive library of videos and tutorials for.

[@peircedan]

I'm interested to give blender a try. Wondering if my laptop graphics will be good enough. As a point of interest OpenSCAD will run on anything. I understand on can run it from the command line (never tried that).

[@cv3nda367]

Ive learned AutoCAD as my first software, which I used to design and create my own PC case and I really dislike that it uses just one CPU core (?), its lags a lot when theres a lot of geometry to deal with

[@rvtips228]

you are awsome! thank you. very good info.

[@pieralessi7426]

Hi, do you know selfcad?

[@ammaribnuyasser6990]

Thank you SO MUCH

[@trinston13]

Thanks for this video. Maybe mesh is more my style. I personally can't stand Fusion 360 because it feels so clunky, tedious and diffiuclt to work with. Just trying to import an STL to make a simple mod makes me want to pull my hair out. And I'm bald!

[@allenmurphy2678]

Smashing!!

[@ferripro9112]

You explain very well

[@adrianscarlett]

Ue5 has an experimental nurbs geometry kernel, I'm hoping it will become a permanent feature.

[@adrianscarlett]

I always thought the main CAD kernels primarily used B-rep, and nurbs were a later addition primarily for surface modelling (initially in automotive design by Renault and Citroen in the 1980's)

[@0LoneTech]

Correct. There are also other systems like field isosurfaces (e.g. metaballs), primitive based CSG, or voxels. Blender does primarily mesh but also curves and NURBS but not B-rep. OpenSCAD does mesh based CSG. FreeCAD does primarily B-rep. Mesh vs NURBS is an odd boundary to pick, more relevant ones are e.g. hard-edge vs soft, procedural vs stored, parametric vs destructive, shell vs volumetric.

[@mitri5389]

@@0LoneTech Nurbs in blender is something I would entirely forget about using... its not very useful and the same can be done by using modifiers with typical polygon modeling.

[@0LoneTech]

@@mitri5389 There was an attempt to merge Nurbana tools around 2008, but I'm not sure how far it went. It's mostly replaced by multiresolution sculpt mode in practice.

[@isauromanuel]

What graphicd card is good enough for 3d modeling and sculpting models for 3d printing in 2022?

[@woofkaf7724]

Kompas 3d cheap, small and easy =). But idk is there an en version

[@zz7889]

Learn blender. That's what he said.

[@taimouralkabili815]

Great

[@JSunBurns]

I really like Alibre CAD

[@ivanambreus3021]

Which program is the best? It's Blender guys and here are my paid courses don't think I'm just biased because this is my livelihood. Every single Blender-related channel ends up with: Hey guys here are my paid courses. 🤣

[@Megalous]

Functional parts - Fusion360 is better Artistic Stuff - blender

[@RandomPlayer717]

Hi there supporters , would you like to throw a few nickels this way ? I can’t wait 3 more birthdays to get an ender 5 pro , and baby sitting is dead 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@mohsenfarahani4440]

👏🙏🌹👍👍

[@TreeLuvBurdpu]

How are polygons more "real" than nurbs? Because it's simpler math?

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

I guess because real-world deposition/cutting tools can only move in straight lines.

[@mitri5389]

@@lawrencedoliveiro9104 you can do advanced Boolean operations with polygon based modelers, I can make pretty much make any shape I want inside another mesh.

[@sanketsbrush]

blender is beginner friendly. trust me.😂😂

[@kingsiahthediverse2378]

L

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

Funny thing is, 25 years for a human can be like 2.5 minutes for something like AI, If we teach ai the basics of what we have done, It can do it for us, and make leaps and bounds,