Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?  

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

3D printer and 3D design goes hand in hand. It's a natural thing to make your own designs, once you got a 3D printer. Even if it's just for creating hooks 🙂

So far used OpenScad and Fusion360. Feel more and more comfortable with Fusion360 and like it.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

I use Archicad and for prototypes of a design I’m making

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

I am now using Fusion360, especially  for complex models this is really great. If you prepare the model correctly with sketches and parameters, it is better for customizable models than OpenSCAD.

I have to confess, that for simple things I need very fast I still use old 123D Design from AutoCAD.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

Solidworks.

4 semesters at local tech college, for fun.

Design 90% of my own stuff. Puzzles, Christmas ornaments, name cards for dining room table entertainment, plenty of slings, cube within a cube lattice.

Mk3, with mini ordered, and another Mk3 ordered.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

We use Siemens NX for 3D modeling. For one or the other concept, it is extremely useful to have the original part or a scaled one to show and explain the purpose and features. Also for defining the manufacturing steps and procedure it has been very helpful to print the part first.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

I also use Solidworks, it is what I use for my university assignments. So far it has been probably 50/50 between printing my own designs and various premodeled parts like parts for an enclosure. But I definitely expect to print more own designs than existing ones in the future and feel like it would be a serious reduction in usefulness of my printer for me, if I were not able to design my own parts.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

Optional Inventor, Solidworks (both in my company), OpenSCAD, FreeCAD and Rhino. All systems, except openscad, can import/export Step (and many other) data from other systems and generate STL for the Slicersoftware.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

SolidWorks is what we use for modeling at work.   I have also created stl. flies with Mastercam.    But Solidworks is what I use for all my modeling now that I have it at home also.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

What kind of license do you have with SolidWorks? As far as I remember it was pretty expensive.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

I guess it is pretty expensive, but for now I have free access over the university. I am dreading the day my access ends and I have to pay for a professional CAD Tool though ;-).

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

@armer_geddon

Only if you want to make money with it. Fusion360 is there to pick you up 🙂

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

@armer_geddon

As a student you can extend the standard license by one year.  The licence costs for the standard version is about 6600 Euros (without maintenance).

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

"As a student you can extend the standard license by one year. "

One can extend the student version by one year?

Or one can upgrade to the regular commercial version for one year, for free?

I understand that the regular commercial version, one seat, is USD 6,000+

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

This is an european offer - see here: https://www.solidworks.de/sw/education/4535_DEU_HTML.htm

Anmerkung:

• Die Funktion der Software wird nach Ablauf eines Zeitraums von 12 Monaten nach ihrer Registrierung eingestellt.
• Die Lizenz umfasst keinerlei Wartungsdienstleistungen.
• Der Datenumfang dieser Lizenz ist extrem hoch (etwa 1800 MB). Deshalb wird zum Download eine Breitband-Internetverbindung empfohlen. Nähere Anweisungen finden Sie auf der Download-Seite.
• Nach Ablauf von 365 Tagen können Sie sich, sofern Sie noch immer die erforderlichen Bedingungen erfüllen, die aktualisierte Version des SDK herunterladen. Sollte dies nicht der Fall sein, haben Sie stets die Möglichkeit, die aktualisierte Komplettversion der Lizenz für die SOLIDWORKS Student Edition käuflich zu erwerben, wenn Sie die weitere Nutzung dieser Software wünschen. Weitere Informationen erhalten hier.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

@karl-herbert, this seems to be a similar free licencing offer to Fusion360. Seems like the CAD SW industry is starting to fight for the loyalty of maker users.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

Experienced development engineer from the time before computers, using all availeble CAD systems as a consultant since 1995.

Prefer Solid Works PRemium with FEA Simulation.

Have used all kinds of 3D print services in varouis materials, along with CNC fabrications since it was availeble on the market, now bought my own Prusa.

I design my own parts and assemblys,  simulate virtual prototypes and upgrade before printing. 

The best of the Prusa world is the global evolution of minds that is taking place worldwide. It is a god thing in these times to see all of you improving.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

@karl-herbert: but this means, I can keep extending my license by one year as long as I am still attending the university, afterwards it would be the 6600 Euros? That is really a lot of money...

@nikolai-r: From my understanding, this is an offer for a free license for personal, non-commercial use for one year, which can be extended every time the period ends? If so, it is probably worth giving it a shot and see if I can easily adjust to yet another CAD-Tool. Then lets just hope Autodesk does not only offer this free license model to gain market share with Fusion 360 and abandon it as soon as enough people have invested enough time learning the program to be willing to pay the full license even for hobby purposes (just a wild assumption, as I have no knowledge about actual market share and when Fusion 360 became available)...

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

@armer_geddon The yellow text in karl-herbert's quote says, you can re-download the SDK verions after 365 days, if you still fulfill the conditions for the SDK - non-commercial usage, I guess.

RE: Who's a professional CAD user, and models their own models for printing?

@armer_geddon

Correct. I'm using Fusion360 now for over one year on non-commercial terms and no manual extension was required. But I'm pretty sure Autodesk is monitoring your repository and will take action if they think you're not eligible for this terms anymore.