Few questions about CAD programs

[MacakMika 0]

Hello everyone,

I decided 99% for Ultimaker 2 Extended. This will be my first printer, so I have a couple of questions. When do I design in any CAD program, I save this design as a stl file? There are many types of CAD programs, is it true that any drawing in any program supports Ultimaker? 

[gr5 2,069]

If you haven't already spent hundreds of hours in an existing CAD then use this guide to pick your CAD:

https://www.gliffy.com/go/publish/5271448

 

It's an amazing guide.

 

Try to stay away from sketchup but if you already know it extremely well then there are tricks - I can send you a link.

 

Yes you can basically use any cad program - they all output STL files.  But again, sketchup has major issues.  It lets you create non-solids.  In fact it's difficult to create solids such that most people with bad STL files used sketchup.  But it's possible.

 

[dxp 23]

Oh, plenty to choose from...

• quick, simple and online: tinkercad
• complete and online: onshape
• direct, offline and one-way/locked into: design spark mechanical
• very comprehensive and half in the cloud: fusion 360 (the best, if you ask me)
• free and offline: freecad

and many more. the link to griffin from @gr5 ist not working for me 😕

 

[geert_2 556]

I would suggest you look up some tutorials and demos on Youtube of the most popular free CAD programs. And then see if the workflow appeals to you.

 

For my designs where I have to make frequent adjustments to technical models, DesignSpark Mechanical is good. But it is only suitable for geometric forms, not for organic form. And it is very easy to learn.

 

Not in the list above: if you want to make organic forms, and you don't mind a steep learning curve, then Blender (also free) might be an option.

 

[MacakMika 0]

Thank you very much! You've helped me a lot to resolve disagreements about these programs. I'm glad there are people who are there to help. 😃

[dxp 23]

Ah, if your're into organic models: sculptris/z-brush!

DSM is easy, but you can only save in DSM-Format and export STL (cannot confirm opening in Space Claim). But you can import both STL and STEP. And import RS-Models 🙂

[MacakMika 0]

I hope to learn all the tricks quickly about it. 

[gr5 2,069]

@dxp - all those and more are in that link I posted.  And in a few seconds it narrows down your options to just 2 or 3.

 

I went with DSM because I don't like to rely on web based programs (every web site I have relied seems to have gone out of business).  And it takes hundreds of hours to get learn a CAD such that I don't think about what I'm doing - I just create.