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TinkerCAD is the most user-friendly and accessible free CAD software out there. Most CAD developers offer a free version, often with limited functionality or strict non-commercial requirements, available to download via their respective websites. Widespread compatibility with other AutoDesk products and thousands of third-party plugins means AutoCAD can keep pace with your design needs as they evolve. Although stacked with functionality, Fusion 360 remains accessible and easy to use, even if you’ve not poured hundreds of hours into CAD software. We’d usually balk at using CAD software with limited features, but all the essential ones are here. FreeCAD also integrates a 2D sketcher to quickly draft complex 2D shapes as a foundation for a full model.
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The PartDesign workbench makes heavy use of another workbench, the Sketcher Workbench. The sketcher allows you to draw 2D shapes, which are defined by applying Constraints to the 2D shape. For example, you might draw a rectangle and set the size of a side by applying a length constraint to one of the sides. That side then cannot be resized anymore (unless the constraint is changed). You also have several view presets (top view, front view, etc) available in the View menu, on the View toolbar, and by numeric shortcuts (1, 2, etc...).
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YouTube is also an excellent resource for those looking to use CAD software for the first time. LibreCAD’s focus is 2D sketching, a potential turn-off for those set on 3D modeling. Blender also has an extensive Python API, allowing users to shape and mold every tool, layout, UI, and shortcut to their preference. The SketchUp Free version is a non-commercial deal, so the full SketchUp software is a better bet if you want to cash in on your work. It’s browser-based, too, so firing up a design is quick and easy on all devices.
TinkerCAD
While nanoCAD is not entirely free, it is a lot cheaper than its competitors. It is an inexpensive CAD software, which offers advanced tools for drawing and creating 2D and 3D designs. Solid Edge by Siemens is a 2D/3D parametric CAD software tailored for mechanical engineers. While Solid Edge is a premium software with a price ranging up to $480 per month for an all-inclusive package, there’s a free version that goes by the name Solid Edge Community Edition. This edition is intended for makers and hobbyists and comes packed with features like automated drafting, exploded view creation, animation, advanced rendering, and simulation.
There are two major limitations of this 3D program as compared to its premium counterpart- you cannot open files created in the community edition in the licensed version of the software and 2D drawings are watermarked. Elsewhere, it also offers mechanical design and analysis tools, useful if you’re printing functional or mechanical 3D parts. SolveSpace exports to all the most common formats, including STL, but also directly to G-code.
Launched back in 1982 before many of us were even born, AutoCAD is one of the most recognized CAD programs. It’s largely responsible for establishing the design standards and file formats present in almost all other competing software. It’s also worth looking for free tiers/plans, usually given to students, or for non-commercial use to save money. These do occasionally come with missing features, but these tend to be advanced ones that shouldn’t affect creating models for 3D printing. Onshape is a development platform that aims to offer users a comprehensive set of tools to bring a product from idea to reality by combining CAD, PDM, collaboration tools, and even business analytics under one roof.
The Draft Workbench offers you 2D tools somewhat similar to what you can find in traditional 2D CAD applications such as AutoCAD. However, 2D drafting being far away from the scope of FreeCAD, don't expect to find there the full array of tools that these dedicated applications offer. Most of the Draft tools work not only in a 2D plane but also in the full 3D space, and benefit from special helper systems such as Work planes and object snapping. The PartDesign Workbench is made to build complex objects, starting from simple shapes, and adding or removing pieces (called "features"), until you get to your final object. All the features you applied during the modelling process are stored in a separate view called the tree view, which also contains the other objects in your document.
Rhinoceros 3D, also known as “Rhino” or “Rhino 3D,” is CAD software developed in Spain primarily used in architectural trades, industrial design, and jewelry design. It uses the curve technique Non-Uniform Rational Basis Spline (NURBS) to create solids, making it a 3D modeler that offers great precision and accurate mathematical correlations in the modeling process. OpenSCAD is a free, open-source CAD software for 3D modeling available for a variety of operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux. It’s oriented to mechanical and industrial design, with limited rendering features. TinkerCAD is available for free, focusing on educational purposes, but can also be used by CAD professionals.
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SmartDraw includes a vast collection of mechanical engineering and architectural symbols for every type of CAD drafting project. A lack of a price comes with limitations, so it’s important to understand what you can and can’t do, and what differences to expect between free CAD programs for 3D printing and paid professional software. Despite what the name suggests, DesignSpark Mechanical is a potent modeling tool for 3D printing, and more specifically rapid prototyping for applications such as engineering. Note that the free Public Plan version is available only if you agree to use your designs for non-commercial use. Though paid tiers are available, the free version features all the same tools, but models come out with a distinctive watermark.
Maya is another Autodesk 3D CAD modeling tool for animating, simulating and rendering game and video characters, models and scenery. With Maya, you can create expansive and detailed worlds that can support lifelike characters and realistic effects, ranging from Michael Bay-esque explosions to snowstorms using Bifrost Graph Editor. The ability to view designs in their web app makes sharing designs far easier, and means the program doesn’t need to keep being downloaded. Moreover, 3D designers can even access the AutoCAD on their phones using the AutoCAD mobile app.
SelfCAD aims to deliver a smooth and intuitive modeling experience without sacrificing advanced features so that you can confidently tackle even the most demanding projects without spending a fortune. Though not specifically geared to 3D printing, FreeCAD does ease the process of preparing models for printing with file export options that include OBJ and STL. The Arch Workbench adds BIM tools to FreeCAD, allowing you to build architectural models with parametric objects.
The software works with its local file format, DWG, which contains all the drawings’ information. Since it was the first commercial CAD software on the market, many other programs use DWG format, making it highly versatile and universal. Furthermore, AutoCAD offers many options for exporting files in the 3D environment, such as STL, OBJ, and DAE. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced designer, this guide will help you find the perfect software to take your designs to the next level.
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