I’m sure there is an edit post widget somewhere…
Regarding my Solidworks suggestion, that’s mostly for mechanical/structural prints. For more organic prints (characters, sculpts, etc), Blender is probably the best path if you don’t already know a tool like ZBrush/Maya/Max/etc. I do wonder about workflows from something like Reallusion’s Character Creator suite to STL for miniatures, but haven’t investigated if that is viable.
I would concur. Blender is king when it comes to mesh CAD, however, there is no real substitute for a parametric CAD software such as Fusion 360, Onshape or SoldidWorks.
FYI: My SoldidWorks makers version license was $38 for the full year subscription.
If I had to say that as far as ease of use and least learning curve in order of easy to least easy, I’d put it in this order – mind you this is only one man’s opinion and YMMV. The list only includes my favorite 3D Parametric CAD packages, I don’t count AutoCAD as a serious contender in that space.
OnShape - Easiest learning curve and least burdensome on your hardware because it runs in the cloud. It definitely has become my go to for 3D printing.
Fusion 360 - It has only one really outstanding feature, you can print directly into Orca slicer from it. A good runner-up as far as ease of use but I find Autodesk’s business practice over the last 30 years to be both predatory and customer-hostile. I feel penned in when I’m using Fusion 360 and their paid version increased 200% in 2024 to over $650 which is totally egregious. That’s what I mean by predatory, they suck you in for low prices and then stick it to you later on.
SolidWorks 3D Experience edition - In my view, the French just have an attitude that exudes itself in the approach they go to market. If there is a standard way of creating a Windows frame and menu, they needlessly will do just the opposite making the learning curve that much harder. This is similar to Germany’s SAP. Maybe it’s a national pride thing or maybe a sense of national insecurity but despite this arrogance/hubris of the developers, it has it has strong capabilities and there’s a reason its number one. It’s just that their approach results in a very, very steep learning curve.
And someone mentioned OpenSCAD? C’mon, that a programming language that never knew the meaning of the word Computer Aided Design. I’m an old time POVRay lover and by all accounts I should have fallen in love with it but even the coder in me gets chills. The product is so unstable and unforgiving, it is truly in a class of it’s own. To me, it’s just a bunch of CompSci university types who had a project and made it perfect and if you don’t believe it, just go over to their support forum and ask them. 
Another perk for Solidworks - it exports .3mf files, they load successfully into Bambu Studio (BS), and allow you to select a filament per material. When I google’d, it appeared BS wasn’t working for all .3mf files (although I have not tested in OnShape or Fusion360). I can confirm it worked for a .3mf export from Solidworks.
I’m using the hobby version of Alibre for simple mechanical models. Easy to jump on draw stuff up. This is a purchase the package. I use Fusion for more complex models but it’s not as easy to start up and all files are stored in the cloud. Sketching in fusion seems much better.
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but all CAD software, including FreeCAD, supports 3MF files; that’s no feat, it’s expected. I’ll also add that 3MF is arguably the worst format to export 3d files in because of the vast variations that the standard supports. It’s one of those standards that’s designed by committee so it doesn’t do anything particularly well.
And one last note, did you know that all a 3MF file is, is a ZIP file with a dedicated folder structure and a different filename extension? Try it sometime. Rename any 3MF file to a ZIP file and open it with 7ZIP. You’ll be able to see how the catalog is structured and manipulate it. Then all you do is rename it back into a 3MF and Viola, you just hacked the file.
Start with tinkercad, and do simple projects. When you feel limited, go to fusion. Blender is a nightmare for cad, but really cool for modifying stl, and sculpting and organic design. Look at tutorials that make you do real lif projects for fusion360 like this channel :
Fusion 360 hobbyist license is great, free, and there is not much limitation on it. I use it since my first day 3d printing, and I’m so glad because you can mak a lot of complex stuff with it, for free.
What? It’s just a zip file, not magic? Thanks. Will have to check it out.
Is there a better format and workflow for multimaterial output?
The only other file format is OBJ which as an associated(optional) MTL file. However, within the slicer that has almost no meaning. The OBJ file is more intended for doing solid modeling and simulations inside of CAD programs. So if you’re trying to figure out the vibrational frequency of let’s say a rotating object(oversimplified example), the program needs to know the material and mass of the item being simulated. That’s mainly the application.
Cloud storage is the default in Fusion, but it is not a requirement. Use Export instead of Save to keep your files on your computer. Fusion .f3d files loaded from your computer also do not count against the limit of ten editable files.
Fusion can also work offline for up to two weeks.
Give Ondsel a try, it’s a non-crashing way better version of FreeCAD.
TeachingTech has nice video on it.
And get the latest version, improvements have been rapid.
Perhaps that’s true, but that fact ignores the point that it’s still FreeCAD under the hood, and that won’t change the fact that, even if it doesn’t crash, FreeCAD’s chaotic design is simply bad. Simply put, you can’t put lipstick on a pig and call it pretty. It should also be pointed out that the product simply runs poorly and is unoptimized to run on beefy hardware such as NVIDIA .
While this is just one man’s opinion, I do keep FreeCAD on my machines as a reference point. If I can’t solve a problem with a model in other CAD programs, I will give FreeCAD a shot. So I am not without experience. However, every time I go back to see if it might offer something that other programs don’t, I come up empty. FreeCAD excels at nothing and does everything else very poorly. As I said previously, why bother? With so many other options that are head and shoulders above, why make the attempt? This is particular true if one has ever tried to seek help on their “Community” forum which I found to be openly hostile to users who don’t drink their Kool-Aid.
Hi Olias,
I think the takeaway from the reviews and videos that I’ve seen, which caused me to not even install FreeCAD (I have not even tried FreecAD) and go directly to Ondsel, is that Ondsel has a different user interface and workflow specifically adressing the shortcomings of FreeCAD.
It is so much different, that in the media Ondsel is listed as one of the viable free-to-use CAD options, while FreeCAD is not.
Just saying, because it’d be a shame not to be open to Ondsel (if one is looking, if you’re not looking then it doesn’t matter, but the thread is specifically about looking to try) when looking at various CAD software.
I started using AutoCAD to model parts for finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics at the engineering department at my univeristy, back in the day. The parts that I model today for FDM printing in a home environment are of a different calibre, and any of the software mentioned (including Ondsel) would serve the purpose.
For me, it was important to a) have a product with a workflow that I can wrap my head around (here Ondsel was by all accounts more typical of other CAD software compared to the hated FreeCAD), b) no cloud requirement c) no subscription requirement.
Thank you, I appreciate the fact that you took the time to create a detailed and thought-provoking response. 
I’ve just downloaded it and will give it a shot. The holy grail that I am looking for is likely not possible but if I could get the ease of use of OnShape, with the power of SolidWorks and have a high-performing product that I can host on my robust machine, that would be a winner. So far, nothing hits all three check boxes, so I use each in its own way. Who knows, perhaps Ondsel might be that goldilocks zone I seek.
Hi thanks.
I’m really happy to see the Bambu forums are so productive and useful. You can learn alot here.
I think it’s cool you’re going to try it, but I think sadly Ondsel will leave you far from the holy grail of a OnShape and SolidWorks hybrid. Oh well, someday maybe someone will create it.
I have been using TinkerCad - a free online program. It is/was developed by AutoDesk for students and teachers but is available to the public. I can’t afford those exotic programs, so this one works for me very well (I have over 180 different designs on there). Hope this helps you.
Were you aware that every program discussed here so far with the exception of Solidworks has a free version and that is what has been discussed so far?
Solidworks 3D Experience BTW is also only $38/yr. So if you can afford a spool of filament, there is no option listed here that is out of reach.
You are correct that TinkerCAD is aimed at students, particularly those in high school and grade school, rather than adults. It’s a good introductory tool for beginners in CAD but not a serious parametric CAD tool. If it suits your needs, as I mentioned earlier, then it’s the best program for you. However, it’s not in the same league as the professional-grade products discussed here. TinkerCAD is like training wheels for learning to ride a bike. The professional tools mentioned, even in their free versions, are used in professional engineering, which TinkerCAD is not. The main difference between the paid and free versions is that the free ones have some limitations.
For the benefit of others here’s a table of what are the major drawbacks of each “free” variant. I’ll only comment on the one’s I have direct experience. These are my opinions but they are derived from the developers stated objectives.
| Software | Developer | Drawback | Intended Audience | Primary File Types Supported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreeCAD | FreeCAD Community | Buggy and poorly written | General purpose, hobbyists, professionals | FCStd, STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ, DXF |
| SketchUp Free¹ | Trimble Inc. | Not truly parametric, meant as a concept tool to display architectural proposals | Architects, designers, hobbyists | SKP, DWG, DXF, STL, 3DS |
| TinkerCAD¹ | Autodesk | Extremely limited | Beginners, hobbyists, educators | STL, OBJ |
| Blender¹ | Blender Foundation | Not truly parametric, best in class for mesh (STL) manipulation | Artists, animators, hobbyists | BLEND, OBJ, FBX, STL, PLY, 3DS |
| Fusion 360 | Autodesk | Free version limited to 10 cloud storage slots, requiring users to juggle files between local and cloud. Autodesk will LOCK your account if evidence is found that you earned more than $1,000 on your models and force you to pay the $680 subscription fee to get them back. | Students, educators, hobbyists | F3D, STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ |
| Onshape Free | PTC Inc. | All designs are publicly available in the free version with no option to store locally | Students, educators, hobbyists | STL, STEP, IGES, DWG, DXF |
| Solidworks 3D Experience | Dassault Systèmes | Very steep learning curve, $38/year | Students, educators, startups | SLDPRT, SLDDRW, STEP, IGES, STL, DWG |
| OpenSCAD¹ | Marius Kintel | Limited modeling features, Not a true CAD tool it requires high level programming knowledge | Engineers, hobbyists | SCAD, STL |
¹ Software titles in italics do not support STEP files.
As a reminder, all slicers only natively support mesh files, with STL being the default format. However, only STEP and IGES files are truly parametric, meaning they retain the specific dimensions of each line, arc and circle of each model, allowing for precision. All slicers will import STEP files but convert them internally to a mesh, resulting in a much more accurate model. This precision is not as important when making “crafty” models with lots of curves, which is why Blender excels in this category.
Yes I came up thro’ the 3DStudio, Max, C4D route. I use blender now permanently as it’s free and I’m retired. I think it’s remarkable and would encourage anyone interested to invest the learning time. The only problem I’ve had with it creating stl files for my Bambu A1 is that the exports are invariably non-manifold infested and I have to correct this with other SW
If you get fusion on an education licence rather than personal you get access to more of the functionality. Been using a mix of tinkercad and fusion as I’ve only really got back into design the last couple of years, last time I use anything was autocad 2004 and catia v5, not sure if this still exists but was for 3d modelling.
Tinkercad is limited though if you’re stubborn like me you can work around a few of its limits but you will still end up going to something else like solid works or fusion, though it has helped me get back into using design software in an easy way after a 20 year break and I still use it for simple stuff as it’s quick and dirty and I’m still learning fusion.
Yeah that’s been my worry too. I’m currently in an experimental transition phase, where I seek to use Blender for everything - even the stuff I used to prefer OpenSCAD for, by utilizing Blender’s nodes.
It’s a fantastic software - and I’ve since found out that any manifold issues can be handled in Blender with the “3D Print Toolbox” add-on.
Well in the mean time all german ViaCAD 10 pro versions a sold out…and it was note thats the Version 10 isn`t solde in english. By the V12 the pro version is needed (at least in my case of limited Drawing tools which are quickly needed) and than the V12 it getting expensive (or incradible cheape) as the actual V14 pro version.
I`m not worry to buy the 499 USD for a ViaCAD 14 pro lifetime version (if I ever will needed it since even Version 9 pro is still ok to me - draw more on it than on my 12 non pro version) since i know ViaCAD and a Inventor version for 2500 USD per Year is quied to much to me (for this what I use a CAD - 99.9% of the function of a Inventor licenes I never will use even if I m well trained on Inventer - which can handle a litel bit more on a other level than Fuision 360). Although ViaCAD also has a few dynamic surface tools that are world-class - I could never do without ViaCAD, even with an Inventor license - although ViaCAD doesn’t have CAM, static calculations and so on - although I give that to others anyway…
I also can understand if someone don`t know ViaCAD at all - he will by sacried to buy it and may after he buy it, and may it will by nothing for him at all… The you’re buying a bit like something like a pig in a poke and the 30 day trial versions are no longer there.
However, ViaCAD comes also along to a company how is called “Avanquest” and than a product is also coming up how is called “turbocad” and this what I finde on the web locks quid Familiar to me. Also the pricing of the actual version are now quied the same as ViaCAD actual versions… but there is are also older Version of turboCAD out there but I do not know what they include. My ViaCAD 9 pro version, which I once bought many years ago is still in use and was probably a dam god deal for the 90 USD I paid for the lifetime license many, many years ago…
Solidwork, heard a lot god things about. Especially from people who not only need CAD but also CAM. I also don’t know how many people looked at ViaCAD with me for 10 minutes because they needed something for their small company and said - that’s enough. Went home and got the $499 V14 Pro version. so not really wondering way there is no more 30 days free trail version - however , a bit like something like a pig in a poke if you even don`t know if you ever will go into CAD or will give up quick…
Play with Blender to get at least a first impression. Setting a line in a 3-dimensional space requires practice. And what makes it easier in e.G. FreeCAD, only slows you down later. FreeCAD, at least from my point of view, is just a waste of time -Unless you need a free CAM as well and if you need the CAM once in a lifetime or as hobby as well…