Courses  

RE: Courses

I can’t comment on the Prusa courses offering but I found the tutorials by Lars Christensen to be very very good. They are getting a few years old now but the techniques he teaches still apply. 

RE: Courses

I second this.
He is really good.

Posted by: @jrlebel

I can’t comment on the Prusa courses offering but I found the tutorials by Lars Christensen to be very very good. They are getting a few years old now but the techniques he teaches still apply. 

RE: Courses

I picked up their "3D Modeling in Autodesk Fusion" course last summer. They had a half-price sale. Yes, it's at a beginner level. 

Before getting the course, I had an 8-week window where I self-studied while waiting for the printer kit to arrive. Spent maybe 16 hours total during those 8 weeks with Fusion. I did try some short YT videos to get the basics. I don't recall any of them simply because none were really great for complete noob as an up-front learning tool.

Learning styles differ, but for me, I find starting with a project need of my own works best. Decided I needed a much better case for a RPi + display.  Worked through that initial design with hands-on attempts, Googling for specific questions, and reviewing short video or web page answers for those specifics. Maybe not efficient but I was able to produce what I needed as a model for free.

When the late-summer half-price sale showed up, I decided I'd give it a try. This was after my initial 8 weeks with Fusion. I just checked the course progress, and I stopped at 40% complete. Mainly because I was past those basics with my other self-learning. 

The course is well organized and clear. It's a mix of text, marked-up screen-shots, short quizzes, and many short 7-10 second videos to illustrate actions better shown as animated. Navigation is good and you can always look back/re-read. Writing style is casual but concise. Same concepts as you can find with other resources. So, nothing mind-blowing.

I don't regret getting it and would have possibly picked it up at full price. I was curious to see if it did offer anything new. Not really after my initial designs but maybe could have been useful up front as a starting point. TBH,  your learning style/preference is a big factor. I think that's why there isn't a simple answer, but it's for beginners.

RE: Courses

Thanks very good explanations. 

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I am anal about open source and have used open source software for over a decade.  I do very many industrial designs in FreeCAD and all my custom designed CNC or 3D printed designs are done in FreeCAD.  It is free and beyond what I need 90% of the time.

There is a FreeCAD discussion on Printables if you are interested.

FWIW, I only have Linux or single board computers on my personal network.

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I also use FreeCAD for everything. We use Solidworks at work and FreeCAD is surprisingly similar. Solidworks is stupidly expensive for an individual, though they do have a maker version. I didn't find that useful because they don't allow any files to be used on both programs. All the other 3D programs are either too expensive, or I have issues with the companies, or I just don't like the programs. That said, the learning curve with FreeCAD is a bit steep at first. You spend a lot of time doing exactly what it seems you should be doing, but it doesn't work. Once you understand the order and ownership of things in the tree and the difference between solid and construction lines, it goes much easier.

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I have been looking for the free Cad since I saw this post. Can you tell me where to look for it. Many thanks

Fairly obvious, did you try a simple search?

https://www.freecad.org

Cheerio,

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I started with OpenSCAD, moved to FreeCAD then to Fusion 360 and then back to FreeCAD. Besides the obvious (it’s free) I just like it better. 

RE: Courses

FreeCAD is a work in progress.  That being said, compared to other commercial programs, I have used, it is much easier to use and has a support system that is there for YOU.

My biggest issue with FreeCAD is all the different workbenches and tools that are part or available for adding.  Going between all of them can be confusing and frustrating but then  very rewarding when you get what you want.  🙂

I have found that since I calibrated my filament properly, I don't have to do some weird design issues to get decent and accurate prints with my FreeCAD drawings.  From stuff I read on the net about ensuring you use X heights or Y widths, are not part of my design process.  I make my FreeCAD drawings for what I want and then print them.  I do try to stick within 0.05mm dimensions.  

With some of the FreeCAD workbenches, I have taken someone elses STL file and converted to something I could modify for my project.  I did give them a copy of what I created.

I export in STEP 99.9 % of the time.  For some of my projects, exports have had mesh errors for very small part of the print, not causing any issued.  Usually where there is a fille

FreeCAD is great for the single job design or a multi-part, integrated, articulated design.  I have done animated designs in FreeCAD to demonstrate to customers.

There is a video showing how to draw and animate a two piston engine action.  

Depending on what you are trying to design, you may want to learn spreadsheets or master sketch aspects of FreeCAD.   Again, there are so many avenues of FreeCAD to make it fatalistic.  Once I learned about how things are attached, it solved many of my issues.

I posted a link about an AI tool to make STL files.  Never tried it.