Free 3D Cad Software

[waddycall]

Can anyone recommend a good free 3D Cad programme? I use Solidworks at work so something which works in a similar way would be good.

 

[HughF]

Fusion360 - it's bloody good...

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Fusion360 - it's bloody good...

Not used in anger myself. but those I know who do use it swear by it being good and simple.

 

[Wedg1e]

Can anyone recommend a good free 3D Cad programme? I use Solidworks at work so something which works in a similar way would be good.

Can't you just ... ahem... take Solidworks home with you?

 

[HughF]

F360 is better I think, more tutorials, better CAM

 

[Lufbramatt]

Have heard good things about fusion360, although you have to start paying for the more advanced modules. I use PTC Creo at work so keep meaning to have a go with fusion360 and see what its about.

 

[rikrobson]

Just started to use fusion 360

 

[jimi_boom]

What about the free versions of thins like inventor etc that you can get off the websites? or are you planning on using it for serious use?

If so good old torrent web sites :-)

 

[HughF]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a hooky copy of anything given the quality (excellent) and price (free) of F-360

 

[mike os]

Onshape

 

[waddycall]

Can't you just ... ahem... take Solidworks home with you?

If only. Unfortunately the licensing is pretty strict!

 

[waddycall]

I'm now playing around with fusion 360 and it seems very good. Thanks chaps!

 

[Sarto]

I installed F360 at home last week. And played with it 10 minutes, so forgive the stupid question.
Does it save things only in cloud, or could you save them "the classic way" in your own pc?

Merry Christmas!
SARTo

 

[Normsthename]

Can't you just ... ahem... take Solidworks home with you?

This is what I do
You are allowed to install Solidworks on another machine, there is a licence option in the menu's
You have to deactivate the licence on the machine you are using at work.
Install the software on your home machine and then re-activate the licence on your home machine.
When you are finished deactivate the licence and when you get back work re-activate it on your works machine
Don't forget to deactivate the licence before going back into work or the boss will be not be happy that you can't do any work!
Hope this helps

Andy

 

[HughF]

This was a problem we came up against, we had solidworks installed on a hard disc that had died so I couldn't de-activate the license, to activate the clean install (which was a few months later, when we came to work on some drawings again). I called up our reseller who wouldn't help as our maintenance subscription had ended and they wanted some ridiculous amount of money for another year. We left it in the end...

 

[Wedg1e]

If only. Unfortunately the licensing is pretty strict!

Of course it is.

 

[waddycall]

Haha. Truth is we used to be a bit careless with the licensing which resulted in an issue a couple of years ago. I really don't want to open that can of worms again!

 

[Mr Fro]

I'm in my first year of a mechanical engineering degree (on the HNC component at the mo) and have AutoCAD and Inventor at home - all nice and free from the website because I'm a student.

I was expecting the CAD people to check my studentiness or for me to have to use my uni email address but they didn't. They just took my word for it... Just saying...

I've not used Solidworks (because I'd have to pay for it) but a lot of my fellow students have it at their work. The video rendering for solid modeling is waaaaay quicker and better than Inventor - don't know about the rest of it though.

 

[daleyd]

Haha. Truth is we used to be a bit careless with the licensing which resulted in an issue a couple of years ago. I really don't want to open that can of worms again!

Would you risk possibly losing your job "borrowing" something from work which you could get (a version of at least) for free??

 

[Lufbramatt]

Student versions are fine for home use, but usually native files and drawings created on a student version can't be opened on a full version of the software, so no good if you need to transfer files back to work or send to toolmakers etc. You'd have to convert to a "dumb" file type such as .iges or STEP first.

Also the licence files for software like this are often kept on a secure network server so the software can't be "taken home" without booking a licence off the system as mentioned above. It's not just a case of copying a number off the CD case ;-)