39
Do I need to learn a 3D modeling software?
(lemy.lol)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2024
39 points (91.5% liked)
3DPrinting
15590 readers
132 users here now
3DPrinting is a place where makers of all skill levels and walks of life can learn about and discuss 3D printing and development of 3D printed parts and devices.
The r/functionalprint community is now located at: !functionalprint@kbin.social or !functionalprint@fedia.io
There are CAD communities available at: !cad@lemmy.world or !freecad@lemmy.ml
Rules
-
No bigotry - including racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia. Code of Conduct.
-
Be respectful, especially when disagreeing. Everyone should feel welcome here.
-
No porn (NSFW prints are acceptable but must be marked NSFW)
-
No Ads / Spamming / Guerrilla Marketing
-
Do not create links to reddit
-
If you see an issue please flag it
-
No guns
-
No injury gore posts
If you need an easy way to host pictures, https://catbox.moe may be an option. Be ethical about what you post and donate if you are able or use this a lot. It is just an individual hosting content, not a company. The image embedding syntax for Lemmy is 
Moderation policy: Light, mostly invisible
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
In my view CAD is always worth learning, especially if you understand what prints best on your printer.
FreeCAD is basically the worse possible beginners tools. Don't get me wrong when you learn it, it's good and comparable to professional CAD software. But the learning curve is dumb.
Learn the basics first. TinkerCAD is free (from Autodesk) and will get you started. But if you want something which would take you further Fusion360 is fantastic for beginners.
The workflow of CAD is as follows. Sketch -> Action -> Sketch -> Action. Lets say you want to make a box with a hole in it. Sketch the outer box -> Extrude it -> Sketch the inner box -> Extrude/Cut it.
I have to agree on that. I feel I can only use FreeCAD because I've taught myself SolidWorks years ago and I know what to look for when I want to achieve something. Or said another way, when I want to do something in FreeCAD, my though process is always "In what roundabout, convoluted way can I do in FreeCAD what I used to do in 2 clicks in SolidWorks?". The only reason it works for me is because I know it can be done and I know the intuitive way it should be done.
I kind of have the same issue in Blender: I've been trying to teach myself Blender for years, but no matter how hard I try, it's just not letting me in. Unlike FreeCAD, I have never known any other software similar to Blender, so I don't know what I'm doing - or rather, what I should be doing - and it's excruciatingly frustrating.
The commercial alternative to blender is software like Maya. But I too struggled with Blender, however I feel that's because 3D modelling is different from CAD, since modelling is like molding clay into the shape you want it in, rather than accurately measuring it out like in CAD.
Plasticity. (xnurbs is so damn nice)
Yes 3D modelling like in blender can be quite precise but it's a completely different mindset than CAD, much more about taking basic shapes and sculpting into what you want. Of course then there's the whole animating/shading/lighting and so on which don't exist in CAD at all.