looking for a good, free and easy to use 3D sketch program

[izeman]

i have a rough idea how my new bike should look like. there are many parts to manufacture, and metal sheets to cut etc.
so i thought to design/draw it in a 3d sketch program first.
i used to work with autocad for several years as a professional, but that was 2D only. i have NO idea how to do 3D.
so i'm looking for an easy to learn/use and preferably free 3D software.
what do you suggest?

 

[marty]

Solidworks http://www.solidworks.com/

Not free and not easy.

See - Anyone know Solid Works?

 

[bowlofsalad]

Have you tried google sketchup?

 

[TylerDurden]

Check this:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=53795

 

[spinningmagnets]

The 2D drawing program for bigbluesaw.com is very easy to draw simple shapes, but the files are not exportable. You can bring your own file to them, but if you use theirs (easy for the beginner on purpose) then they want you to buy the part from them.

They water-jet parts, and they can cut stainless steel along with the common steels and aluminums, fairly thick metal too if needed.

 

[izeman]

Have you tried google sketchup?

just downloaded it, and going through the tutorials. we'll see if it fits.

 

[fizzit]

I used solid works for a bit and it was awesome. Now I have to use sketch up. You can do most of the same things that you can do in solid works, it just takes more time.

 

[izeman]

i checked the tuts and it seems pretty easy. played around a bit. most tuts start by freehand drawing. as a technical engineer i want to start screaming seeing this you need reference point, and you need to measure and do offsets and angles and stuff by entering hard numbers, not by moving objects around to a place where they "look good".
but this is handles in the later tuts.
good thing with sketchup is, that there are loads of predrawn object you can download like wheels, crank sets and handle bars.
makes it much faster if you don't need to reinvent the wheel.

 

[izeman]

oh man. this is complicated. my brain is all twisted. everything i learned in autocad is not useable. this is a totally different approach to drawing. i cannot move object as i used to do it. all those anchor point are missing.

 

[TylerDurden]

You might want to check out Designspark Mechanical... It is has more CAD features than Sketchup and it outputs useful file formats, which Sketchup does not. Design tools are almost useless if you can't send standard files or drawings to a shop or builder. Very few (if any) will accept .skp files.

I tried Sketchup for awhile, but dumped it for Alibre PE, which is now Cubify Design (not free). I have since moved up to Geomagic Design (formerly Alibre Professional). If DS-M had been available two years ago, I might have gone that direction.

If you prefer sketch-based modeling (as opposed to direct-design), Cubify Design (~$200) is a good value.


Sharing designs is powerful in a community like ES. Sketchup won't import much useful (outside of architectural elements), whereas DS-M will import STEP, OBJ, STL, SKP, and ECAD files. Here's an outrunner model shared in the CAD section of ES.


I think for free, this is as good as it gets.

 

[fizzit]

It is very easy to make sketchup output stl's, all you have to do is download a free extension. It would be pretty useless otherwise.

 

[arkmundi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_computer_graphics_software#Open_Source_.28Free.29_packages

 

[bee]

I frequently start with a 2d "blueprint" in Illustrator because I've used it for a decade and IMO it's the ultimate tool for prototyping anything in 2d. I bring my 2d drawing into OpenSCAD where a few lines of code will extrude the paths, subtract/combine objects, etc. For simple designs I can do them entirely in OpenSCAD, but sexy contours are much easier with Illustrator, especially when tracing from a photo. This process is great for a lot of 3d printed objects and most CNC work. I find that it's easier to move stuff around and change the design with this tool-chain because it forces you to design in a logical order, as opposed to working with meshes and worrying about closing polygons. Inkscape is a great free alternative to Illustrator.

For more complex 3d printing, I like to use Sketchup. Most sketchup tutorials are aimed at sketching, or doing 3d work that stays digital (like drawing google maps buildings), nothing is stopping you from laying down some guides and punching in coordinates by hand. Keep experimenting with Sketchup, I found that it was poorly documented and I didn't like it too much until I designed a few objects and stumbled upon various useful features that made designing easier, like the different ways tools are affected depending on where you hover your mouse.

I can use AutoCAD, Maya, Blender, ZBrush, 3DS, and a variety of other programs but I find that they are slower to work with than Illustrator/OpenSCAD/Sketchup.

I have heard Solidworks is the ultimate program for technical design but I was overwhelmed the few times I tried to use it and haven't picked up a working understanding of it yet, it certainly can't be worse than Blender

 

[marty]

Copy from down in the Battery Technology section.

The Meanwell RSP-2000-48 makes an excellent light weight 2kW bulk charger at under 2kg. Since I wanted to tour with this power supply I had to make it a bit more user-friendly so I designed an end cap in Freecad software then had it 3D printed locally by a 3D printer guy for $50:

Voltage is adjustable from 20-57V and current limit from about 15-48A using the two pots mounted on the cap. There is also a 3.5mm socket on the side to hookup an external cutout if required. The mesh is just cut from an old dead PC PSU. I just run a Hobby King power meter in line to set the voltage and current, and it also shows how many Ah have been pushed into the pack. If anyone wants to print one PM me for the 3D printer STL file.

Freecad http://sourceforge.net/projects/free-cad/

 

[TylerDurden]

Here's another:
http://solvespace.com/index.pl

From the site:

• Release 2.0 is available for download, now as GPL'd free software.
  
  SOLVESPACE is a parametric 3d CAD program. Applications include:
  
  modeling 3d parts — draw with extrudes, revolves, and Boolean (union / difference) operations
  modeling 2d parts — draw the part as a single section, and export DXF, PDF, SVG; use 3d assembly to verify fit
  3d-printed parts — export the STL or other triangle mesh expected by most 3d printers
  preparing CAM data — export 2d vector art for a waterjet machine or laser cutter; or generate STEP or STL, for import into third-party CAM software for machining
  mechanism design — use the constraint solver to simulate planar or spatial linkages, with pin, ball, or slide joints
  plane and solid geometry — replace hand-solved trigonometry and spreadsheets with a live dimensioned drawing

(I've not tried it yet.)

 

[grindz145]

You might want to check out Designspark Mechanical... It is has more CAD features than Sketchup and it outputs useful file formats, which Sketchup does not. Design tools are almost useless if you can't send standard files or drawings to a shop or builder. Very few (if any) will accept .skp files.

I tried Sketchup for awhile, but dumped it for Alibre PE, which is now Cubify Design (not free). I have since moved up to Geomagic Design (formerly Alibre Professional). If DS-M had been available two years ago, I might have gone that direction.

If you prefer sketch-based modeling (as opposed to direct-design), Cubify Design (~$200) is a good value.


Sharing designs is powerful in a community like ES. Sketchup won't import much useful (outside of architectural elements), whereas DS-M will import STEP, OBJ, STL, SKP, and ECAD files. Here's an outrunner model shared in the CAD section of ES.


I think for free, this is as good as it gets.

This is wicked TD! I've been using the designspark electronic CAD package for a while, and though there aren't much in the way of libraries available, it's fantastic. I'm really excited to hear that there is a mechanical package available as well.

 

[oatnet]

Have you tried google sketchup?

just downloaded it, and going through the tutorials. we'll see if it fits.

I went through a similar process, tried a whole slew of packages I am still getting spam about, but sketchup was the only one I got any traction with.

The paid version will let you export to a whole range of useful file formats so you can export to just about anything; the free version restricts what you can export to after 8 hours of usage. After the "free version" restrictions kick in, it is still fully usable software, and you can install a fresh copy of sketchup on an old PC or virtual machine, and use that copy to load your skp file and export it to whatever format you need - 8 hours of usage is many many exports.

I used it to design the battery box for my VW Dune Bugggy conversion, and sent that design to a local metal shop so they could build the box for me - they had no questions and their build was accurate. It isn't terribly fancy, but there are links to screen prints of the design halfway through this post: CLICK HERE

I'm currently working on an e-moto and a house design on sketchup, it is a joy to get designs out of my head and onto paper something I can work on with others - addictive in fact.

-JD

 

[TylerDurden]

oh man. this is complicated. my brain is all twisted. everything i learned in autocad is not useable. this is a totally different approach to drawing. i cannot move object as i used to do it. all those anchor point are missing.

Here are some webinars including for those more familiar with 2D.

http://www.spaceclaim.com/en/Resources/webinars.aspx
(Requires registration to view webinars)

These are for Spaceclaim, so some features may not be available in DS-M (notably, drawing sheets).