Beginners guide to 3D printing

[Cal]

I can weld a bit, bash tin and I haven't yet seriously injured myself with a machine tool.
I know the cube root of FA about 3D printing.

Please enlighten me.

I can draw things using paper, pencils and pens, but have never used CAD in anger, so I guess that's the starting point. I have a laptop. Any recommendations for a luddite with hand tools.
Once drawn, I need to understand how to convert that to something I can 3D print. I have access to a mates 3D printer that can do plastic.

 

[dieselsamurai]

I have no idea about CAD but i found a really simple online free one called Tinkercad and i use that all the time now

 

[Dr.Al]

The basic steps in 3D printing are:

1. Make (or download) a 3D model
2. Slice it up for printing
3. Print it

In reverse order...

Step 3 just needs a 3D printer. There are cheap ones that involve a lot of fettling, slightly more expensive ones that are closer to "print and forget" and very expensive ones that are firmly in the territory of "rich people and companies". The cheap end is often considered to be the likes of the Creality Ender. The obvious candidates for the middle ground are Prusa (which are semi-open and allow upgrading / tweaking) and Bambu Labs.

Step 2 needs an application called a Slicer. Prusaslicer is Prusa's version, Cura is Ultimaker's version, Bambu studio is Bambu's. Most work with any printer (not just the ones from that manufacturer), but some things work better in the one for the manufacturer of the printer you've got. All slicers allow you to import STL files (which most CAD software can create). Prusaslicer (and possibly others) also allow import of STEP files, which is better in my opinion.

Step 1 (the "make" part, not the "download" part) offers lots of options, some free, some cheap, some eye-wateringly expensive.

If we stick with the free options for now (I can talk about the cheap ones too if you're interested), they come broadly in two categories. Professional-style parametric CAD and what I would call "Push-Pull" CAD.

Parametric CAD means that you draw constrained sketches and extrude/rotate them into bodies, then draw more constrained sketches on those bodies and extrude/rotate them to cut/add to the first body. It obviously gets more complicated than that but I'm trying to summarise. The big advantage is that after you've finished the design, you can go back to the first sketch, tweak a dimension and (if you've done it right) the whole model updates accordingly. The disadvantage is the learning curve.

Push-Pull CAD tends to involve simpler sketches where you draw (e.g.) a rectangle, then pull it up to make a solid body, then rinse and repeat. They're generally easier to use, but when you need to change something earlier in your design (or design parts based on other parts) then you quickly hit the limits of what they can do and I find them incredibly frustrating.

As for which free applications fit in those categories,

Push-Pull:

• TinkerCAD - edits STL files directly. Often used for teaching kids as an introduction to 3D printing. Perfectly good for simple models. Output is (I believe) just STL, so don't expect your models to be editable in anything else.
• SketchUp. Quite commonly used by woodworkers. I find it infuriating, but some like it. Again it's a triangulation system, so the output isn't easily editable in other programs.
• Solid Edge Community Edition. This one doesn't really fit in the Push-Pull category as it's a proper parametric CAD system, but it has a "synchronous" mode that has a lot in common with the other push-pull systems and some find it a lot easier to use than other proper parametric CAD applications. Powerful and excellent. Outputs STEP files which can be edited in other CAD applications (an essential feature in my opinion). Lots of well-written and up-to-date tutorials available.

Parametric

• OnShape - far and away the best free option available in my opinion. Almost as powerful as Solidworks (which is a non-free option) and similarly intuitive (as far as parametric CAD ever is). Loads of documentation and tutorials online and they're mostly up to date. Disadvantages are that it's cloud based (so you need an internet connection) and that (in the free version) your models will be visible to other users (which isn't a problem for hobbyists but would be for commercial use).
• Solid Edge Community Edition. Already listed in Push-Pull section, but as I said, it's proper parametric CAD. Free, installed on your PC and very powerful. Lots of well-written and up-to-date tutorials available.
• FreeCAD. Completely free and always will be (open source software). Bit of a steep learning curve though and a lot of the tutorials on-line are for old versions and things don't quite line up.
• Autodesk Fusion 360. Free but needs a licence to be renewed every year (so they might stop it being free at some point - they've already reduced functionality of the free version a couple of times). Very, very popular with hobbyists, but I think this is largely down to good marketing from Autodesk. Nowhere near as good as OnShape or Solid Edge (in my opinion) and it works sufficiently differently to other CAD systems that it's a pain to transition to/from it (I can switch freely between Solidworks, Solid Edge, NX, FreeCAD, OnShape and ZW3D fairly quickly, but Fusion always makes me swear). Fusion also seems to make my computer have a little meltdown, despite the PC being fairly modern and high-spec. Loads of tutorials on-line, but like FreeCAD some of them are for older versions and things don't line up quite right.

Whichever one you pick, get in the habit of saving STEP files of your models regularly. If you're using Prusaslicer, the easy option is just to use STEP files as the output and slice them directly, but otherwise just save them regularly. If you ever lose access to your CAD system, you can load STEP files into another CAD system. If all you've got is an STL, you're stuffed.

I recommend OnShape to anyone getting started, closely followed by Solid Edge Community Edition, but there will no doubt be loads of people along shortly singing the praises of Fusion 360 ...

There are some other options that are cheap (and possibly better than the completely free ones), but this post is long enough already so I'll leave it there.

 

[Misterg]

I can draw things using paper, pencils and pens, but have never used CAD in anger, so I guess that's the starting point. I have a laptop. Any recommendations for a luddite with hand tools.
Once drawn, I need to understand how to convert that to something I can 3D print.

I presume you want to design your own stuff (rather than just print out stuff that somebody else has designed)?

You need to produce a 3D model of the part you want in CAD as the first step. This means using 3D CAD which can confuse the hell out of people who are used to conventional Engineering drawing. The options have been covered by @Dr.Al above.

I use Fusion 360, as it was very similar to the professional CAD system that I used to use at work (Creo), but OnShape also looked OK. (If you want to make 'Engineering' parts, I would steer clear of Sketchup, personally, due to previous frustrations trying to make things an exact size.) It's worth pointing out that F360 is only 'free' for non-commercial use. - It's a case of picking your poison.

Which ever 3D CAD program you go for, the learning curve will be near vertical to start with. IMHO, it helps immensely if there's somebody physically looking over your shoulder when you're taking the first steps into 3D CAD. If you have somebody locally that already uses one of the free 3D CAD options, that would be a signal to use the same as them. (Whereabouts are you?)

 

[Mart63]

Get a hobby license for Fusion and watch Kevin Kennedy's videos on YouTube (Learn Fusion 360 in 30 Days).

 

[ajlelectronics]

You could make life easier on yourself by downloading items of interest from the many libraries out there. Then progress to simple designs of your own, perhaps geometric shapes to start with, which are easy. I started with RS Component's Design Spark Mechanical, which I found pretty intuitive. However, it is not as comprehensive as Fusion which I am now reluctantly using instead, after RS restricted it further.

 

[Screwdriver]

1. Have a play with Tinkercad and migrate to Fusion 360
2. Buy a Bambu A1 mini

<edit> Bah, missed the thrust of your question. Make or find a 3d file of whatever description "works", export it to a .STL. Then you need a bit of software called a "slicer" which should be Bambu Studio in your case. That does all the work for you. Drag and drop the .STL into the slicer and hit print.

 

[Screwdriver]

Oh and forget about using your mates' 3d printer. They are super cheap and you will miss the magic moment.

I cannot tell you, you will need to discover this for yourself. The first time you think of something, draw it up in Tinkercad/Fusion/Sketchup (my favourite) and have it magically appear in front of you as a real object - well - it is a mind bending watershed moment. Be a shame to miss out on that because after a while it does become a bit "matter of fact".

It is still about as close to magic as most of us will experience though....

 

[Dr.Al]

I recommend OnShape to anyone getting started, closely followed by Solid Edge Community Edition, but there will no doubt be loads of people along shortly singing the praises of Fusion 360 ...

....

I use Fusion 360

Get a hobby license for Fusion

it is not as comprehensive as Fusion

migrate to Fusion 360

 

[Onoff]

For a free, classic, near AutoCAD experience try this, nanoCAD free:

nanoCAD Free - Free 2D/3D CAD Software

nanoCAD Free is CAD application that delivers a great user experience by providing high performance, full capability, a classic interface and native DWG format support.

nanocad.com

 

[Dr.Al]

For a free, classic, near AutoCAD experience try this, nanoCAD free:

nanoCAD Free - Free 2D/3D CAD Software

nanoCAD Free is CAD application that delivers a great user experience by providing high performance, full capability, a classic interface and native DWG format support.

nanocad.com

That's not a good option for 3D printing. nanoCAD (at least the free version) doesn't support 3D modelling - it's just a 2D CAD program.

Granted, you could do a 2D drawing in nanoCAD and then extrude it in something else, but that's not a great way to get started in 3D printing. Stick with OnShape or Solid Edge (or, if you absolutely must, Fusion)

 

[bourbon]

2nd post made my little brain hurt!!! I'll stick to asking one of the repair shop guys to do all that stuff for me!

 

[Dr.Al]

2nd post made my little brain hurt!!!

The simple version is:

1. You need 3D CAD. Best options (in my opinion) are OnShape or Solid Edge but lots of people seem to like Fusion (possibly because they've never tried anything better and possibly because it's marketed heavily by Autodesk)
2. If you don't like parametric CAD, try Solid Edge a bit more (it's got a synchronous mode that some people find easier than conventional parametric CAD). Failing that, try TinkerCAD.
3. Learning CAD is hard, but there are lots of tutorials (videos or descriptions) on-line. Tutorials for OnShape and Solid Edge are very good and generally up to date.
4. Once you've modelled stuff in CAD, you need a slicer (usually there's one recommended for a specific printer), but they're really easy to use - drag your STEP/STL into the slicer and press "Slice". Then upload to your printer.
5. Print. A lot of modern printers (Prusa, Bambu) make this easy. Some cheaper ones involve a bit more fettling.

Is that better?

 

[ajlelectronics]

lots of people seem to like Fusion

I don't, I despise its complexity and user unfriendliness. I liked DSM but they cut it down far too much to use as a free version. Clearly and understandably deliberate but many of us don't have hundreds of pounds to spend on non commercial use.

 

[Dr.Al]

I don't, I despise its complexity and user unfriendliness. I liked DSM but they cut it down far too much to use as a free version. Clearly and understandably deliberate but many of us don't have hundreds of pounds to spend on non commercial use.

Out of interest, did you ever try Solid Edge Community Edition? It's also free, but has a "synchronous" mode as well as an "ordered" mode. The "ordered" mode works much like OnShape/Fusion etc, but the "synchronous" modelling thing is (I think) a little bit closer to DSM's method of working. Unlike DSM, Solid Edge includes essential things like STEP export. There will still be a learning curve, but you might find it shallower than with Fusion.

 

[bourbon]

The simple version is:

1. You need 3D CAD. Best options (in my opinion) are OnShape or Solid Edge but lots of people seem to like Fusion (possibly because they've never tried anything better and possibly because it's marketed heavily by Autodesk)
2. If you don't like parametric CAD, try Solid Edge a bit more (it's got a synchronous mode that some people find easier than conventional parametric CAD). Failing that, try TinkerCAD.
3. Learning CAD is hard, but there are lots of tutorials (videos or descriptions) on-line. Tutorials for OnShape and Solid Edge are very good and generally up to date.
4. Once you've modelled stuff in CAD, you need a slicer (usually there's one recommended for a specific printer), but they're really easy to use - drag your STEP/STL into the slicer and press "Slice". Then upload to your printer.
5. Print. A lot of modern printers (Prusa, Bambu) make this easy. Some cheaper ones involve a bit more fettling.

Is that better?

I've used Cardboard Aided Design before now. That's about my Limit

 

[ajlelectronics]

I've used Cardboard Aided Design before now. That's about my Limit

Probably more simple frankly. Most geometric shapes are preset, so it is just a matter of pulling the shape to your desired size. Then to make it 3D, you select your shape and "extrude (pull)" it to the height that you want. Make it a box? Click one surface and click the "shell" button. To print it, save it as an .stl file and load it into your chosen slicer program. Select the quality and material and press "go". It takes longer to describe it.

 

[bourbon]

You lot are determined to get me to rent a unit!! I've no space at all for one.

 

[Dr.Al]

To print it, save it as an .stl file and load it into your chosen slicer program

Or a .step file if your slicer supports it (Prusa/Bambu), AND a .step file if your slicer doesn't (Cura - the free version at least).

 

[clift_d]

I'd recommend downloading a copy of Prusa's free guide to the basics of 3d printing from their website here:
https://www.prusa3d.com/page/basics-of-3d-printing-with-josef-prusa_490/

While it uses Prusa products for the illustrations it has been written as a general guide for beginners wanting to get started with 3d printing and includes information on the main different types of printers, software, and materials.