Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

My friend is getting a Markerbot this summer, and I was asked to try my hand at CAD to help his personal wargame mini and terrain piece project along. Being a more traditional artist, using 2D medium, this is going to be a leap. I'm versed in basic 3D design using map design programs for HL2 and Unreal, but I'm guessing that CAD is a whole other ball game. What do you guys use? What might be a good intro program for a new guy. I have heard Blender tossed around quite a bit.
Any suggestions?

Blender is probably is good starting point though I don't use it myself. Looking at Makerbot, you will need support for *.STL and *.obj files. Blender supports both of these. In addtion, since we are talking "artistic modelling" as opposed to "precision modelling"* this is probably a good tool for that. I have seen some very good things come out of blender.

* by "precision modelling" I mean where diminsions and tolerances are important. Machine moving parts, architectural, etc....

I am studying product design currently and the main bits so software i tend to use it rhino due to its versatility, alias is also another CAD package which alot of professional designers use however these are pricey bits of software. If you can get your hands on them they will do the job perfectly and create all the relevant *.stl *.obj and *.iges files that you would need for rapid protyping/3D printing.

Or if you are planning to use a laser cutter autocad is a great bit of software to do line work for cutting.

I believe you can download a trial version of rhino for free which gives you access to the entire program but limits your saves to 25.
Alias (and autocad) like all autodesk software can be downloaded for free if you are a student. (Or if you know one who can get it for you)

There are plenty of tutorials online that can help you learn how to use both programs.

Both of these programs are as stated above more precision modelling but it is not nessacery to use those features.

When considering a 3D program - you need to understand the particular constraints of the end use.

In this particular case, you are looking to use a 3D printer which will utilize STL files (or a comparable format) for the final output calculations.

STL is a polygonal file format, so you will want to work in that format as you do not have to deal with the various conversion issues from a technical modeler which will utilize solids, patches, curves and what not like Rhino 3D.

Polygonal modeling isn't much different than the level editing which you have already done (and many of the same tools can be used - provided it can generate an output file that can be converted into an STL file).

It is also important to understand that an STL file is very simplistic - it doesn't support any sort of smoothing, so while you are working...you will want to just use the basic faceted rendering as opposed to any form of smoothing. If you utilize any form of normal or bump mapping - it will not translate, however there are tools which can convert those things into physical geometry.

As opposed to going back through the big selection of different modelers you should be able to find it easily enough by searching (can search under my name - there was a discussion a month or so ago). I use 3DS Max R8 which I had to get for a different job as well as Silo3D (because it is lightweight enough to not bog down laptops). Blender and Wings3D are both free software packages which work well enough. Lightwave, C4D, Maya, Max, XSi...the list goes on - as do the prices.

In terms of what are traditionally considered to be CAD programs though - they are not too useful for 3D printing specifically. Again, this is because most CAD programs work with a different specification from the format which the printer will use. As opposed to identifying a surface in terms of the vertices which make up that surface they define the surfaces using equations that define the surface. Curves will be defined using actual radii. When you translate from that format to a polygonal format - you have to go ahead and tell the converter how many segments it will have along that curve. Since polygonal formats are effectively only see flat surfaces, if you have something like an egg - it might end up looking like a 10 sided dice depending on the conversion settings.

Those programs are designed instead for use by CNC machines and the like which utilize the analog output. The machine actually will cut a real circle if you tell it to cut a circle. It will machine a real hemisphere out of a mold blank if you tell it to do as much.

Anyway, it helps to snag a proper CAD program along the way though. In addition to rapid prototyping via 3D printers - laser etching machines are also handy. They use vector files which you can get more readily out of CAD programs as opposed to polygonal modelers.

Solidworks is fairly easy. I use autodesk inventor right now.

Solidworks or inventor for me too, I would say if you can get a newer edition gof for inventor, if your going older get solidworks. But then they're both incredibly expensive unless you get them through work or a collage

I use AutoCad for work. So that's what I have access to and know how to use.
As others have said you will need to check what file type the 3D printer will recognize.

Well, It looks like it's going to be a makerbot, newest edition, does that clear it up any?