What CAD software do you use?

When I first started last year I searched for a free CAD program. I found the usual TinkerCAD, Meshmixer, FreeCAD and Blender. Played with them and got lost. Keep in mind i run an old gaming rig from 12 years ago that is reloaded with Linux so my program options are limited (next upgrade is a new video card but any nerd knows how that market is, poor card is struggling right now).

TinkerCAD made the most since and thats what I went with. Basic shapes that are aligned and added or subtracted. I found it lacking in making precise mechanical parts. Also uploading and adjusting stls sucked and was 50/50 if it rendered right. I did learn and eventually make some parts and published some projects. They are crude and lack refinement though. It was nice though being able to work on projects from anywhere or anytime. Plus its all backed up and you csn publish easily to their community.

Beginning of this month i decided i would finnaly learn a CAD program. I want to start making precise parts and refined looking. I also have a project I wanted to start. Plus i feel like I practiced enough with training wheel. I was going to use Blender blender and found some tutorials but i couldn't lock in precise measurements for mechanical parts. It felt to free hand and ment more for models and figurines. So i dedicated a week to tutorials on FreeCAD and thanks to prior experience it made way more sense. Its been a week now and I am finnaly making parts and objects like I wanted.

Its pretty cool how like how i can make a database of measurements. Draw everything and assign constraints. Takes a while but when it comes to adjusting afterwards it makes it quick and easy. The time limit is the amount of time it takes to print another test print. My objects look way more professional now. Side note I have learned some geometry also, my wife made the mistake of asking the issue i was having. I said i need to calculate the linear distance between two points on a circle and all i could find was arc distance. Her eyes glazed over and smoke came out of ears and she backed away quickly. Then i discovered i could just lock in angle measurements and problem solved easy.

I am just excited. Finnaly making positive progress after a year. Gotta staying learning, discovering and tinkering. Keeps the mind young.

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

Progress is good :)

I've been using OpenSCAD, on Linux and Windows, it's a scripting language so you describe geometric shapes to add / subtract etc. in text.

Haven't really tried anything else but Sketchup and it was way too freehand drawing-ish for me.

I'm still learning tricks on OpenSCAD, sometimes the way the software works lets you do some neat stuff :)

Fusion 360 is free for hobby and students. The biggest drawback of that software is that it's "cloud oriented".

I've used Autocad for 40 years....2D architectural design only, because 3D most people don't want to pay for. I had to buy my 3d printer to get inspired to learn the 3D side of Autocad......in fact I didn't really understand that Autocad could make 3D STL files, until I bought the printer.

Obviously Autocad is the most expensive way to do STL files, but if you already have and use it everyday, why not? What I found is that running Autocad for years actually seriously hindered me from learning any other cad program, I mean I'm "programmed" to the Autocad way of designing and for me I can either use it and design a thing and convert it to STL in 30 minutes, or struggle with one of the free cads for hours (or days) to do the same thing. You cad inexperienced users have an advantage over me learning them. I'm old and set in my Autocad ways!;)

OpenScad is neat in that you can create a basic model, then set it up to simply change variables to make multiple sizes and variations of the same part.....exactly as AmmoMike did in the "Make that Bullet Collator" thread. BUT.....you've got to learn programming in addition to drawing....and Geometry too.

For Cad Freeware, I really like the DesignSpark Mechanical. You have a choice between "constraint" based design, or their original drawing mode. Which ever is more comfortable (easy to learn) for you. DesignSpark Mechanical is TylerR's main software with a little OpenScad (to modify AmmoMike's plate builder model) on the side. Obviously, he does really well with both.

One important thing to be aware of......DesignSpark Mechanical works a 1000 times better, if you are wanting to use a laptop, if you use a separate mouse......the built-in mousepad doesn't cut it AT ALL!

A mouse helps a lot with OpenSCAD too, I would guess that it will help with ANY CAD package frankly. That's my bet :)

Several years back I bought a used laptop from a retiring engineer. It wasn't that old of a laptop at the time but it is now. Anyhow, that laptop still had version 10 of the SolidWorks CAD software on it.

It took a while to figure it out but once I got the hang of it I started being able to design and machine or 3D print various useful items. I recently came across another used laptop on the Facebook "market" pages that also had SolidWorks on it, along with a few other useful software programs on it. I wasn't really in the market of another laptop. I just happened to come across it while looking for a bike trailer one day.

HollowPoint

Fusion 360 for simple stuff, Mastercam for more involved items. TBH, Fusion will probably do everything I need to do for 3D printing, but I already knew how to use Mastercam.

I’m just starting out and am not tak break because of too many other summer activities. However, I struggled trying to learn Tinkercad and it wasn’t until I came across these tutorials, that everything made sense. This guy made everything clear. My has my hat off to him.
https://youtu.be/2JFxtUIOnEI

EZ-Cam: https://ezcam.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChM...SAAEgKHmPD_BwE

I've been using it for almost 25 years. When I first started with Version 4, it's now at Version 21.
Not cheap, so unless you intend to use it commercially, hardly worth investing in for hobby use.

RRR

I started with Autocad on version 1.0. I now use Mechanical Desktop, Architectural Desktop, Solid Works, Mastercam and Catia depending on the application I'm trying to do.

I have settled on FreeCad....powerful...and FREE!

Onshape is a newer free 3d program that in the 2d sketch and 3d modeling environments are a lot like Autodesk Inventor or SolidWorks. Very very powerful free program. It might take some tutorials to get proficient in.