Which 3D software is best for starting out with 3D printing?
posted in Community by
ergonomic3d
I am just starting with 3D printing and have tried out Adobe Photoshop 3D features, google sketchup, 123D Design and 3DS max 2015. I found 123D Design the easiest to use but am not sure if it is the best option when it comes to building printable 3D models.
Which program do you guys use?
Thank you!
-Alex
8 years, 9 months ago
For engineering (lots of geometric shapes, less organic curves), I prefer using Solidworks.
It also depends on how serious you are about 3D modeling. Lightwave, Blender, and Solidworks all have pretty steep learning curves, so will take a lot of commitment. Sketchup and 123D are a much simpler programs, but will be much more limited, and getting used to them might make it more difficult to make a jump to more robust software.
The second way is 3D scanning simple objects with XBOX Kinect and dedicated software (Scanect, Artec studio https://www.artec3d.com/3d-software/artec-studio ).
The third way is the easiest - finding 3D models on the Internet and 3D printing them (Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/ website for example)