3D Design
Introduction
The space has a number of 3D printers and CNC machines. This page is for capturing instructions, know how and reference material regarding 3D printing and CNC design. How to go from design to manufactured part is left to pages dedicated to the different processes. Specific details about individual machines can be found on pages dedicated to those machines, if there is one.
Hackspace 3D Tools
Model Repositories
Online Model Repositories
Well known public depositories of models for free usage are;
- http://www.grabcad.com (needs registration, some models are pay per download);
- http://www.yeggi.com (usually links to above 2);
- http://www.stlfinder.com (can go ANYWHERE with this one, caution recommended)
For a further more in depth list of depositories;
NOTE: If you are downloading an STL based model to modify in Fusion 360 then some work will be required to get from imported to usable. See for example: [Import and Edit STL Files in Fusion 360 2024] for more information.
Design Tools
CAD Software
Using any CAD package requires patience and practice, but gives you absolute freedom to come up with your own designs. It is often easier to learn from people with experience so it is always worth asking other members what they use and if they might be willing to give you a helping hand. If you want to design models yourself, then some free to use pieces of software are:
- Fusion 360
- Offers a surprisingly fully featured parametric CAD package and is well supported by thousands of other makers on YouTube. The hobbyist licence is free (at time of writing).
- Blender
- Is free and GUI based
Is command line based.
- FreeCAD
- Is free and GUI based
In addition to the packages mentioned here, many others exist and almost any software that can produce STL files is usually suitable for 3D Printing.
Design Considerations
There is a lot of "know how" passed around on 3D printing fora. Some of it is good, some of it is terrible, some of it is just out of date. If you are unsure it is probably worth making a trial print of a minimal design to test the essential elements in question. This is especially true with the newer Bambu Lab A1 mini which is fast compared to the Ender 3.