I’d like to modify the design to keep the flared bowl shape of the second one but use the water inlet system from the first. I’m a complete beginner and don’t know how to go about it—could someone help me?
Thanks in advance for your replies, and have a great day, everyone!
That’s going to be a tall order. First is you need to be more specific on what you are looking for - are you looking for someone to do the work for you, or are you wanting someone to walk you through the steps on doing it yourself?
Have you tried contacting the designers to see if they might be willing to do the mod? Since they have all their original files they could do the mod the easiest.
You can design from the ground up or you can maybe modify the existing meshes. If modifying the original meshes, do the licenses allow that? If doing this just for yourself it doesn’t really matter but it matters big time if you plan to post it.
There’s lots of ways for people to help you but some may be problematic. If you already have design tools you use and are familiar with, might want to list those if you want someone to walk you through mods. Similar to if you want to design from the ground up - what tools are you familiar with or want to use?
Hi Eugénie, funny enough, those are the same two berry washers I had picked out… you have good taste!
I’ve only printed the AquaVortex model (twice now) and it does work great. That model does include a STEP file, which would be a much better starting point than a mesh file (STL/3MF), though when I tried to open it in Fusion the geometry was messed up.
I agree it’s not going to be trivial to modify either model, and there will be a lot of testing to make sure the designs stay “compatible” (the balance of water drainage openings vs. input are key to these kinds of washers, for example). Guessing “complete beginner” means you’re not familiar with any modeling or required software… in which case getting familiar with some in general would be a good start (basic tutorials or however you like to learn new stuff). Not saying any of that to discourage you though, something like this could very well be a challenging but rewarding learning process!
Hello,
Thank you for your reply. I would indeed like to manage this myself, but as a complete beginner, I’m afraid I might be taking on a task as daunting as climbing Everest
I hadn’t thought about contacting the creators; I’ll look into how to go about that.
My goal is strictly for personal use; I certainly wouldn’t use someone else’s work for any other purpose.
You mentioned design software—do you have any specific programs you would recommend?
Have a wonderful day.
Hi Max,
Thanks a lot! Rest assured, I’m not easily discouraged—though, as I mentioned to MZip, I do feel like I’m trying to climb Everest with this one
Thanks also for the tip about the AquaVortex; I think I’ll stick with that one for now while I learn how to do it myself.
Do you have any software recommendations for learning?
Honestly, choosing software is kinda part of the learning curve. Everyone can name what they like but no one can tell you what you will. And more importantly what makes sense for you to use could well change over time – eg. starting with something relatively basic like TinkerCAD is a nice intro into 3D modeling, but could get limiting pretty quick. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad starting point (and I’ve seen impressive models made with it, before anyone yells at me ). And once you get into the terminology, process, and overall “think in 3D” mode, much of the modeling is basically the same concepts across programs anyway – it becomes much easier to figure out new software (within reason… eg. Blender or other organic sculpting tools can be very different from traditional drafting-like CAD).
Anyway, I certainly wouldn’t drop any (or much) money on it at first, and of course overall cost can be a major consideration when some versions may run into the thousands per year. Stick to free-ish at least at first (avoiding timed demo versions). Try different ones, see what speaks to you. Consider if you prefer to work in a browser and always online, or a desktop application. Check how easy it is to find answers to questions you run into, tutorials and other resources you like. Beginner-friendly software will have more tutorials about getting started from scratch, vs. for someone with CAD or drafting experience already.
Oh and then there’s something like OpenSCAD, where all the modeling is done using scripting. This can be especially neat if coming from a programming background (it’s very similar to how one would create or manipulate graphics in an application). Not that I’d recommend it to start with, but it’s been done. And can also be hugely educational in terms of programmatically moving around in 3D space.
Having said all that, it’s hard to go wrong with trying TinkerCAD (free and browser-based). Good intro to concepts. There’s an “upgrade path” to the other Audodesk software, specifically Fusion, which is certainly very capable as well. I wish I could more easily recommend FreeCAD – I’ve been trying to like it for decades but it still often leaves me frustrated… very capable software though, and I love that the format is open.
Thanks a lot, Max. That gives me a good idea, and as you said, I’ll give them a try to see which one feels most natural to me.
You’re right—“thinking in 3D” doesn’t come naturally to me yet, but I’m sure it will eventually
I agree with Max. And it’s ok if you decide you don’t like a program someone else prefers. Some are more easy to learn than others but some are also more capable.
And we were all inexperienced at this stuff when we started and had to bootstrap ourselves, watch videos, and read forums for the different software and I’d bet few of us truly knows everything about the software we use. At least I don’t.
And once you get the hang of it, going from concept/idea to printed part is a big accomplishment.
As to software, I use Autodesk Fusion 360 through their hobbyist/home user program (since I don’t do this as a business). It’s expensive software and very powerful but has a steep learning curve. As a hobbyist it’s free to use though. Others use Blender, and other programs.
Fusion is what I draw in 3D with but for my purposes I use Gimp and Inkscape on the front end when dealing with 2D images I want to turn into 3D printed designs. I use CorelDraw some as well. Others have their preferences and can list them. There really aren’t wrong answers — it’s just whatever you prefer and works most logically for you and fits with what you are working to create.
We all had to start somewhere though. And apologies about mentioning the license stuff. You’ll soon find out if you haven’t already that these are shark-infested waters. There are some on MakerWorld who look for ways to skim points and take other peoples’ models, make slight changes, and post them as their own against licenses and there are others who don’t understand why it’s bad.
Anyway, welcome and a lot of folks here will be happy to help you along the way.
). And once you get into the terminology, process, and overall “think in 3D” mode, much of the modeling is basically the same concepts across programs anyway – it becomes much easier to figure out new software (within reason… eg. Blender or other organic sculpting tools can be very different from traditional drafting-like CAD).
