3D CAD

Well, I just got my new 3D printer (Deezmaker Bukito) and finished putting it together. Next I have to power it up and run it throught its paces and calibrate it, then I can start printing with it! I know I can download project files from Thingiverse (Doug Holverson posted a BT-50 version of the Stine/Carlile Mark nose cone - might be my first real print), but I ultimately want to design my own parts. Anyone here have experience with 3D CAD programs for designing pieces and have any recommendations. So far, the best I have found is AutoDesk's 123D Design, but is this the best for doing precision design work? (These have to be precise enough to fit body tubes and other parts.)

Recommendations, please?

Rhino3d.com


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Greg:
I have a "Micro" 3D printer on order that should be here in Feb. 2015. so I've been playing with a number of 3D design programs. Turbo-Cad is one (expensive)
One I've just started Playing with is Google "Sketchup" You might want to give Sketchup a look. It has a free "try it" download that will let you get the feel of 3D program drawings. We're using this program at work for a lot of our new 3d modeling designs. seems pretty user friendly.

Rhino3D is also a very good 3D program but way to expensive for me.

I use Rhino for design and the creation of .stl and .dxf files that feed into the GCODE program I use for milling rocket parts. I typically design to 0.001", but I don't know if my milling skills are close to those tolerances! They are at least good to 0.01".

I have been working with CAD systems for 25+ years. I haven't run across a situation yet that Rhino didn't have a solution for a design problem, and I'm putting along with version 4 on a laptop that's over 5 years old (running WinVista). To see how I have used it for design in an actual project, see the following thread:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?68919-Light-n-Tight-II-Av-Bay-Rebuild-Wild-Child

Anyway, go with what you are comfortable with (and what your wallet can afford). Of the systems you are considering, look at the tutorials available on YouTube so you can see how their workflow goes. Also, look at the userbase and what forums they have.

Greg

I'm a big fan of SolidWorks, though it helps a lot to be able to use my school's academic license. If you have a .edu email address (by virtue of being a student or through an alumni association), you could get Autodesk Inventor on a free academic license (not for commercial use). It's not as great as SolidWorks, but still pretty good.

Any CAD system should enable you to desig with a precision much higher than anything you can achieve in real life, let alone with a 3D printer. Not sure what the workflow is with your Deezmaker printer, but I'm assuming there is a so-called slicer somewhere in the process, eating STL files (polygon representation of your object) and spitting out G code (telling your 3D printer what to do). It's converting your 3D file to STL, which is usually done within the CAD program itself, that reduces the precision a bit, but that also depends on your CAD programs settings, which you should be able to change. The other loss of precision is obviously while slicing, since your object is always built up from layers of constant thickness.

You could give FreeCAD a try; it seems to be modelled after Catia V5, which is highly used in aerospace and automotive in Europe.

Oliver

YAY, I second Oliver on the FreeCAD, I tried it and I liked it a lot. It is incredibly capable and professional, with MUCH more power than some of the introductory CAD programs I have seen for free. But depending on the anticipated use, a sketch-up or something like that could be OK. Try them out!

I use Pro-E and Solidworks mostly at work and was looking for a personal package. I could not believe Freecad was free.

+1 on FreeCAD. As with all CAD software, it has a steeper learning curve, but I'm starting to become more proficient. I am just about done making a replacement part for the globe in my classroom. I won't be as stingy on the plastic as the original manufacturer. ;D

Doug

I use solidworks and love it.

FreeCAD is definitely worth looking into. I installed it once, but didn't get to mess with it much. Maybe I'll try it out again at some point, but who knows what the future holds in terms of support.

I've been using TurboCAD since 2001 and began using the 3D capabilities of the Pro version five years ago. It's still my primary program for 2D and 3D, and I've used it extensively for complex scale parts uploaded to Shapeways (see link below signature). Buying the Pro and Platinum versions outright would be expensive, but fortunately, older versions can be found for much cheaper (for example, https://www.cadandgraphics.com/ has TurboCAD 19 Pro for $229...sometimes you can find deals on Ebay). And those older versions can be upgraded to the latest version at a discount, as IMSI/Design's licensing rules don't seem to be as strict as most. I don't recommend the Deluxe program for 3D work, since you really need the ACIS modeling capabilities of Pro TurboCAD (old Pro is still better than new Deluxe for 3D work); however, even Deluxe users can upgrade to Pro or Platinum at a discount ($700-$800 currently). My only real gripe with the program is a switch to a default dark theme as of version 19 which I think is done poorly (I switch mine to a lighter one, but sometimes there are tool icon bugs with the lighter theme).

I tried the 123D program once a couple of years ago (based on the non-parametric Inventor Fusion). The main problem was a serious limitation of resolution when outputting STL files; you really should use something that's going to give you options to vary the resolution of the tessellated surface.

On a related note, I put together a page detailing my workflow in fixing STL files prior to uploading to Shapeways, using the free program netfabb Studio Basic: https://meatballrocketry.com/netfabb-fix-stl/ ...

Good luck on your move into 3D.