This guide is intended for beginners to 3D printing who are looking for 3D design resources for learning. This guide is going to walk through navigation tips, printing your design, and resources to learn more advanced techniques and software.
The guide covers the following software for use for 3d design work:
- Tinkercad—Free online app to create 3d models by Autodesk. Works great for beginners.
- Blender—Open source 3D Creation suite—Including modeling, animations, simulation and compositing.
- SketchUp 3D—Proprietary software with multiple pricing tiers. Great for architectural projects.
Options and alternatives to the above software including commercial options are listed in the Other Software tab. And if you want to submit your build to the BPL the procedures are also included in the Getting Ready to Print Tab.
Lastly you can search the BPL calendar for classes on workshops about 3D printing and design.