Anyone else use Adobe Illustrator to make models?

MakerWorld
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I have been using Adobe Illustrator since the late 90s for my job in 2D print graphics. Last year around this time I started using Illustrator’s 3D modeling tools and was able to make some basic models by extruding the shapes I wanted and combining them in Bambu slicer. It’s an odd way to work, maybe even kinda dumb. But it has been working for me and I have been able to create some pretty complex dimensional-type models. The 3D board game I am working on is pushing the limits of this method/madness.

I have been trying to learn Fusion 360, but there are so many neural pathways to reroute that it is challenging to start converting. I know I just need to get past the learning curve and awkwardness and I’ll be able to create things more quickly and freely, but man it is tough at my age (pushing 50) and my level of stuborness (very high).

Just wondering if there are any others out there with my particular brand of crazy. Anyone? Beuller?

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I feel ya on relearning. I can’t afford illustrator, or rather I don’t want to pay a sub for software. I remember when you purchased once.

I use Shapr, but free. Wife has a student ID so I take advantage of it.

You do you.

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I use illustrator anytime I need an SVG or text on a model, but not anything 3D.

In alot of ways I think knowing illustrator helped me learn fusion 360 - espeically the sketching component and with shape generation.

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Affinity designer’s pretty good imo. They’ve got a 6 month free trial (yes, it’s really free) and then it’s just like $60 to buy it for life.

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I do have affinity. Just haven’t sat down with it yet.

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I find it really useful, in combination with SolidWorks, shapes that are just extruded before other features (eg fillets) are added. But I haven’t tried for anything outside of those initial sketches for extrusion.

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I use the Affinity suite for everything, Designer is my go to package. All my images were produced using it.

I used to use the Adobe suite. It is t worth the money anymore.

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Yeah - I drew my Pokémon earrings in Illustrator and added depth and the drop shape in a CAD software.

The same goes with those toilet signs I’ve made. Sometimes I do other stuff the same way, but much of it is for specific customers so it’s not released here - which wouldn’t make sense anyway, unless you have the exact same name as them.

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I use Inkscape which is an open source program similar to Ill.

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raises hand - yep, about 90% of my designs start in illustrator and then go into tinkercad, with a couple making a trip through Fusion 360 and/or Plasticity, but all of my vectors become extrusions in Illustrator first - I’ve got a pretty good workflow using Illustrator’s new direct OBJ export - all of my lamps were build in illustrator first for example: Lighting Fixtures by AeonJoey | Collection - MakerWorld

I’m also building out a board game in illustrator right now for the boardgame contest (of the 5+ projects I’m splitting my time on lol!)

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I’ve used illustrator a lot. I think it’s an incredibly handy tool in more ways than I could summarize. I like using it for text over Fusion’s inbuilt tools, as it can create cleaner lines that give less issues.

How’s it going with learning Fusion? It might seem overwhelming, but really, you’ve already been doing it in illustrator, the hard way. I mean, you create curves, you extrude them up. If I had any advice to give, it’d be to break things down into simpler chunks that are easier to get your head wrapped around. Build off what you do know.

In a lot of ways what you do know is a strong foundation for how Fusion works. Sketching things in 2d and extruding them!

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Finally finished! this was 100% built in Illustrator and TinkerCAD, all of the art and geometry was extruded in Illustrator and boolean combined in TinkerCAD: BESTAGON board game - Inspired by INNER CIRCLE by AeonJoey - MakerWorld

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Uh that’s really nice dude

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