I am learning how to 3D design and have a student license on inventor, but also sketchup. However, I don’t know which one to start off on. From what I’ve seen, inventor seems WAY more daunting than sketchup, though it seems like I can do more engineering related tasks, like gears with inventor. On top of that, I looked at microsoft 3D builder, free on my laptop, but I have never heard of anyone using it. Is that any good?
Tl;dr Which software should I use (advantages and disadvantages of each)?
Side note - the printer I am getting is a Prusa I3 mk2, if that changes anything.
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Enza3D
2
Fusion360.
It may seem daunting at first, but if you want to do real engineering design, you need to use real engineering software. Inventor is also fine; if you’re using it for 3D printing, either software will work. Fusion360 has an advantage when it comes to CAM, and Inventor has the upper edge for sheet metal work. Play with both and see which you like better. I like Fusion360 because it’s cloud-based, and it’s always free for non-commercial use. It is definitely the direction Autodesk is moving in for CAD software.
Don’t waste your time with packages like 3D builder and the like - learning the software used by pros will take longer, but you’ll be much less limited once you do know it.
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I started with sketchup but soon realized its deficiencies such as real circles and not being able to easily resize by dimensions. Don’t get me wrong, Sketchup is a good program but it really wasn’t built with 3D printing in mind.
I switched to Fusion 360 and even though it has a stiffer learning curve it was worth the effort.
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Can I get Fusion for free? If not, how much does it cost?
Enza3D
5
It is free for students, artists and startups. Otherwise, its around $360 a year (I got a license on Prims Day for $30). I don’t remember the exact limits for free use, but you can find it on Autodesks website.
I am a student, which is why I already have inventor free, so I may try fusion too. Which would you say is better for things like internal combustion automotive engines? I am interested in printing car part models, which is why I ask.
Free use is very generous and easy to sign up for.
If you can design with Inventor, you will be able to do loads more than with sketchup…
i use Autodesk Inventor 2016 which is by far the best software I have used for design. There is a learning curve but it is worth it.
101010
10
Inventor, Sketchup, Tinkercad are all viable software for designing 3D parts. However, depending on how complex your part needs to be, your best option will change. I’ve used Inventor and there is a HUGE learning curve involved but once you get it, you’ll like it. Sketchup is in the middle, you can’t do as much but it is easy and intuitive, and Tinkercad is the most simple option but gives you loads of tutorials on how to use it. Hope this helped.
What kind of models you wanna work with?
Never used Micrisoft 3D builder. But when I was a student I used 3ds max student lucense. Was more than enough for me that times.
