New video introduction to CAD programs I use for 3d modeling my prints

I have a range of videos on the channel about 3d modeling. Each time I post a video, I am asked, “why I don’t use XYZ CAD program.” In this video, I introduce the concepts behind many CAD programs and describe the differences among 11 programs. I basically use TinkerCAD, OpenSCAD, and FreeCAD which are each demonstrated in this video.

[video=youtube_share;IUoTKbGAlhk]Getting Started with CAD Modeling for 3d Printing - YouTube

Nice, up to date summery of what is possible and where the issues are with recent CAD solutions. Especially prices and the windows only issue affects me, too as I only use Linux.

I agree @Geit@Irv_Shapiro has outlined the current CAD world pretty concisely.

I realize that Linux is a religious/philosophical choice for you, and that’s great. Although Linux has made great strides in the past couple of years, I stick with Windows because I feel it is still just a little better than Linux. Certainly, Windows has many fewer flavors to deal with. Flavors are 1 of my pet peeves with Linux; I just can’t stand the messy landscape they all create. Even within a particular flavor, there are all the different desktops to choose from. Arrrgh! I want it simple. I don’t want to have to research all the different options to find the combo that’s best for me. I’d be dead before I made up my mind.

For now, at least, the F360 license restrictions are not so onerous they make me want to switch to something else. Actually, the only-10-editable-files-at-a-time has helped me stay better organized – I don’t have dozens or hundreds of project files to keep track of. Let’s say I have 10 versions of a model. The vast majority of the time I’m only interested in the most recent version. So, I mark the other 9 versions as non-editable. This helps me organize because I know the editable version is the most recent. Easy.

Linux isn‘t that complicated anymore. Around 6 years ago I left Windows and choose LinuxMint as it is more or less like Windows. But unlike Windows it just works without the need to update, reboot and wait, when you just want to work. The system is running 24/7 and never had any issues or slowdowns. Installation can be done using the UI tombs just dumping .appimage files.

Linux is on par with MacOS, when it comes to usability, I would say. My parents are using MacOS. If they want a different system I would install Linux. As the amount of support would be as low as with OSX. I never ever would install them Windows as I would then be fixing their issue every second day.

So using Linux I can install multiple versions of Cura or FreeCAD at the same time, without the need of installing them. If there is an issue I just use an older version.

I am far from being a Linux expert. I am a noob for sure. :slight_smile:

This is getting off-topic, and I apologize for continuing the off-topic comments, but I need to add to what @Geit said.
@Geit is correct regarding Linux. I switched to Linux in 1999 from Windows (I prefer to call it winsh*t) and never looked back. I have found Linux much more reliable, customizable, and much easier to maintain (also cheaper?). The only issue has been software applications that do not offer a Linux version or are dependant on libraries or applications that are not Linux compatible.

So you are on topic. :smiley: As titles like Fusion360 aren’t available on Linux. In most cases the big brand is not available, but you have enough alternative and usually free software to choose from.

Linux just fires back, if companies ignore non mainstream and e.g. sell their printers without any Linux drivers or you need to read a proprietary file format, which is not 100% compatible.

I usually get to my goal faster on Linux as Windows tends to block me by constantly forcing me to do other stuff like updating, rebooting or wasting cpu time by scanning for viruses.

You are so correct that quite a number of mainstream software applications are not available on Linux. For me, the biggest 1 is Photoshop. Unfortunately, there is just no Linux equivalent. Nothing on Linux comes even close. GIMP is a joke. Running GIMP in a VM is a joke. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is. I recently looked at Mint Linux. It’s pretty good overall, but still lacks the polish of Windows. For example, I installed Mint on 2 older laptops. I was trying to see if it truly would make the laptops run a lot faster. On the 1st one there was no screen display, just a blank, gray screen. Windows ran fine on it, if a little slow. Mint did display on the 2nd laptop, but didn’t seem all that much faster.

So, I stick with Windows because I know it and the programs I really want & need run on it. I don’t find Windows updates & virus scans a problem because they happen while I’m sleeping. Besides, when I go to install an app on Mint, virtually evey time the 1st thing it says to do is run sudo apt update then sudo apt upgrade. I’m not sure how this is different from doing a Windows update (I may not have the sudo commands exactly correct, but you get what I mean).

If you install stuff using the UI you never need to deal with this and when there are packages not included/announced by the application manager, when you always can use the UI to keep the system up to date, before launching some install/update application via “side loading” from shell.

Updates or Upgrades via apt are done via UI without you ever notice by the system updater, so all you need to do is click on the little shield icon and click on update. Also if any application update is required you will see a little dot within the shield icon. That the only annoyance. Unlike windows not every application hits you with an update now requester on system or application start. Before you leave the system to grab some food you click on it, enter the password and done. It usually takes only a few seconds to complete. The apt update and apt upgrade calls are included. There is basically no need to ever open the shell for anything.

Installed linux on a neighbours laptop as he was still running vista. I just showed him what the icons for web browser and mail look like and he is happy now. Probably never updated his system, but unlike before all these minor issues and the constant slowing down of his system are gone.