Free 3D Modeling Software - 3D Printing: Build your Own 3D Printer and Print your own 3D Objects - page 101

6. Free 3D Modeling Software
Chapter 5 , “ First Print with the Simple , ” demonstrated how easy it is to print a
3D object with the Simple. This process is fairly typical of most 3D printers and
other 3D printing software you may use. I briefly introduced you to Thingiverse,
a library of 3D objects that you can search and download the files needed to print
those objects. Many 3D printer owners are as happy to just download free objects
from Thingiverse and other repositories, but what if you're interested in creating
and printing your own custom 3D models? For creating your own 3D models,
you're going to need the special CAD software I mentioned earlier in the topic.
There are a lot of CAD software companies and even more CAD applications
available. Some are extremely advanced CAD applications with hundreds of fea-
tures and capabilities, and some are super-simple ones that have some limitations.
Some CAD software companies offer training to show users how to properly use
the software, and some are written by one individual, after hours, and come with
almost no documentation at all. Prices can range from the super expensive to the
completely free.
Fortunately, beginning 3D modelers do not need to spend a lot of money on CAD
software. Some of the best stuff out there is not only free but also comes with a
decent amount of tutorials or training material. However, designing objects with
CAD is a skill, and your success (or failure) with a particular CAD application is
going to depend on how much time you put into exploring, experimenting, trying
new features, and so on. You may find as you develop your CAD skills that a par-
ticular application isn't growing with you. When that happens, it may be time to
investigate more powerful CAD applications.
In this chapter, I introduce you to a free-to-use “beginner” level CAD application
called Tinkercad. (I put beginner in quotes because some CAD modelers can do
amazing things with this application.)
Tinkercad is only one example, and you may already have a favorite or a CAD app
that a friend has introduced to you that you enjoy using. That's great! Just keep in
mind that with any CAD application, you'll want to make certain the application
has the capability to save or export an STL file. STL files are the secret ingredient
for printing 3D objects with a 3D printer, so if that's your final goal, find and use a
CAD application that can take your finished 3D model and save it as an STL file.