2023-05-31, 11:29 PM
Hi All,
I just wanted to post about Shapr3D. In spite of numerous flaws, I have to admit that I have been able to do more with this app than any other 3D modeling/CAD program.
There is a free tier, which gives you all available tools. The catch is that export resolution is quite limited. So are the available export file formats. However, STL is available for free, and for my model, the 'low resolution' export was actually good enough for prototyping/printing.
There is a two week free trial of the full version. So you can model in the free version, and then start your trial to get full resolution export in more file formats.
The killer though, is that the subscription price is not really affordable for me - $300 per year. There is also no 'ala carte' purchase of high resolution models. I don't model nearly often enough to justify $300 a year, so I'll be stuck with the free/low res version.
To highlight my main point though - this this really works. I didn't get into either Fusion 360 or OnShape due to their various crappy policies and high prices... but of the things I've used, this one is the best.
There is another recently released app that is promising... Plasticity. Plasticity is going to be in the same ballpark as Shapr3D one day, but it's not there yet. Additionally, the way you do things is designed for Blender users - which is great for them, but never made sense to me at all.
On the plus side for Plasticity, you can actually just buy the app - not subscribe to something. In addition, it's cheaper - currently $100 to buy the software. It's version 1.0 at the moment, and it does show. I'd say there's a lot more learning needed for Plasticity... but maybe not if you're a Blender user.
It's a pretty cool time for CAD software, even if they still haven't reached the ease of use I imagine in my dreams
.
Go check 'em out.
Stan
I just wanted to post about Shapr3D. In spite of numerous flaws, I have to admit that I have been able to do more with this app than any other 3D modeling/CAD program.
There is a free tier, which gives you all available tools. The catch is that export resolution is quite limited. So are the available export file formats. However, STL is available for free, and for my model, the 'low resolution' export was actually good enough for prototyping/printing.
There is a two week free trial of the full version. So you can model in the free version, and then start your trial to get full resolution export in more file formats.
The killer though, is that the subscription price is not really affordable for me - $300 per year. There is also no 'ala carte' purchase of high resolution models. I don't model nearly often enough to justify $300 a year, so I'll be stuck with the free/low res version.
To highlight my main point though - this this really works. I didn't get into either Fusion 360 or OnShape due to their various crappy policies and high prices... but of the things I've used, this one is the best.
There is another recently released app that is promising... Plasticity. Plasticity is going to be in the same ballpark as Shapr3D one day, but it's not there yet. Additionally, the way you do things is designed for Blender users - which is great for them, but never made sense to me at all.
On the plus side for Plasticity, you can actually just buy the app - not subscribe to something. In addition, it's cheaper - currently $100 to buy the software. It's version 1.0 at the moment, and it does show. I'd say there's a lot more learning needed for Plasticity... but maybe not if you're a Blender user.
It's a pretty cool time for CAD software, even if they still haven't reached the ease of use I imagine in my dreams
.Go check 'em out.
Stan