[billbartuska]

I'm self taught in Solodworks, but it took me about 6 months to learn to draw a simple cube and rotate it.

You do realize that Mays costs about $3,500.
You can get the Light version for about $800.

The file format for 3D printing depends on the printer. But there's software to convert pretty much any 3D file format to any other 3D file format.

 

[animal0307]

There are multiple software packages out there. I myself use Fusion 360 for modeling and Cura for slicing (post processing models to print).

Fusion 360 is free to hobbyists and extremely powerful. Alot of the YouTube 3D printing guys use Fusion as well

Cura is a free slicing software that takes .STL's (some form of mesh solid? Not sure still very new to 3D modeling) and processes them to print. Simplified 3D and Slic3r are a couple of the other big slicing software but I'm not sure if they are free. Cura does what I need so I don't worry about it.

That is about the extent of my 3D printing software knowledge so i hope it helps.

 

[AlphaC]

http://www.solidworks.com/sw/resources/solidworks-tutorials.htm


billbartuska , I don't when you were learning Solidworks but there's tutorials all over the place now. Given that it is a course for undergraduate students I doubt that for something as simple as a cube it takes 6 months to learn to make basic shapes.


The key aspect to note (for 3D printing in STL) is minimum feature size and closed forms.


There's been a recent push in the past few years for the 3MF file format and also the OBJ (with MTL) format that can do colors and freeforms.

 

[spinFX]

Simplified 3D and Slic3r are a couple of the other big slicing software but I'm not sure if they are free.

Slic3r is indeed free

Hi, i want to create a 3d modell in Maya or 3ds Max by myself and print it out. No experience yet.
What software do you use for modelling and how do you save or post process files for a 3d printer.

I would be very grateful for any comment.
Thank you

One of the simple ways I've found is with sketchup. Very easy to use.
Make model in sketchup
Install the STL plugin for sketchup so you can export your models as .STL files.
Optional: get a program like meshmixer for additional edits and to auto generate supports
Import STL into program like Slic3r
Choose settings for your printer.
Export Gcode for printer.

 

[Max78]

You can get student versions of Autodesk Inventor, Solid Works, and Solid Edge.

I use the student version of Solid Edge, I love the program and I love the way is allows you to manipulate the model. I have been using it for about 5 year professionally and really like it. You can export it to whatever format you need, including .stl which is what your slicing program will use.

With SE the student version is free for a period of time and then you might need to refresh the license but I have had it installed for over a year and never got the prompt. The SE files are locked to the student version and cant be opened by the paid version to keep people from abusing it. Any prints (paper drafts) you make will be watermarked student version.

But if all you want to do is make models and print them it is a VERY user friendly program.

Once you learn the basics of 3D modeling you will be able to hop from program to program relatively easily.

You can get student versions of Autodesk Inventor, Solid Works, and Solid Edge.

https://solidedge.siemens.com/en/solutions/users/students/

https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/featured

https://www.solidworks.com/solution/job-functions/students




As for a slicing program, I use Cura, there are a lot of features but it is also very use friendly. It's also a free program.

We have Simplify 3D at work and I do not care for the program, it does some things nice, but its not worth the $150 they charge, a tiny bit of basic knowledge in Cura and I get just as good of a print, once you really start to understand Cura you can create vastly superior prints because they allow you to modify a lot more parameters.

https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ultimaker-cura-software