How to Choose the Best 3D Design Software for Your Business: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

November 29, 2020

Choosing the best 3D design software is an important step in creating a 3D design and printing business. Depending on what you want to design you may need to learn parametric computer aided design or digital sculpting. How do you decide what to learn and where to learn it? Let RaveRobot help you with our multi-part guide on making money with 3D printing.

Intro To Software and Design

So you want to make money with 3D design and 3D printing? In this article we will discuss the up front software and design aspects of 3D printing as a starting point on your journey to becoming a titan of industry and capitalism.

It’s a great idea but where do you get started? First you’ll need to figure out what you intend to design and print. Second you’ll need to know what software you need to learn to model that design. Finally you will need to learn how to use your selected software. Shall we begin?

What Do You Want To Print?

The first question you should be asking yourself is what do you want to print? For the most part we can break down your options into two main categories, functional prints and artistic prints.

Functional Prints

A syringe tray for vaccines I designed in Solidworks for a nurse I know

The options for functional prints are pretty endless but the key factor is that the function of the item determines its value. Form may be important here as well depending on how the part will be displayed. Designing a bracket which will be hidden behind a monitor isn’t the same as replacing a mounting bracket for a car stereo that also includes a built in USB port.

Functional print examples:

A new flag for a broken mailbox
Clips to mount an oddly sized monitor to a stand
A replacement part for your car which the manufacturer no longer makes

Artistic Prints

A sorceror for D&D that I designed using HeroBuilder3D and then edited heavily in Blender

Artistic prints are no less functional than functional prints but the aesthetics of the form are usually more important here. No one is going to buy your design for a bust of Spiderman if you have the proportions wrong. If your miniature figures aren’t properly scaled or the weapons are too small to actually print no one will be interested.

Artistic print examples:

Miniature figures for your tabletop game
A bust of a beloved superhero
A decorative vase

Token holders I designed in Solidworks for Arkham Horror which hold a circular game token in the upright position

The Marriage of Functional and Artistic Prints

Most of the time these worlds combine at least a bit. A decorative spice rack might be amazing looking but if it can’t fit the spice bottles in an easy to use manner then it might as well not exist. Designing a soap dish based off one of your favorite books is cool but it needs to also actually hold soap.

Along with deciding what kind of item you want to print you also should assess if there is a market for it. A quick search through some of the various online markets and share sites (Myminifactory, etsy, cults3d, ebay, thingiverse) will give you an idea if you can even market this. What do you do if the market you identified is bloated with dozens of other similar designs?

You just finished watching The Mandalorian on Disney+ and you are so excited you want to design your own Mandalorian helmet. A quick search shows that there are hundreds available for free or paid, you need to differentiate yourself from the others. Maybe instead of designing one helmet you make it modular with various little pieces so the customer can customize it.

How To Model Your Design?

OK so you have your design for a totally unique widget that no one else has ever made but would utterly change the world and everyone will want one. How do you make the idea in your head or your sketchbook into reality? You are going to need software and there are basically two types you’ll need to consider.

Parametric Computer Aided Design

Parametric CAD programs are software in which you are designing an object with tight tolerances and dimensions. The word parametric refers to the ability to change a single dimension or feature and have your entire 3D model be redrawn with the new changes, this makes CAD software precise and ideal for most functional prints. CAD is great with angles and corners, items where dimensions need to be carefully controlled to ensure a good fit and iterative design is expected. If your item is something you would be taking close measurements of and then cutting, milling, machining, or drilling, then CAD is where you need to look.

Free/Beginner CAD Software

Tinkercad: Free to use, Tinkercad is a great beginner tool for 3D modelers. Tinkercad allows its users to create and combine basic objects. From there, the user can create a final design of their product. We recommend the course “TinkerCAD for Complete Beginners” to learn Tinkercad.
Sketchup: If you want to have a software that is easy to use and gives you the appropriate tools for 3D printing, then you need to get Sketchup. Sketchup has how-to videos that will guide you on how to make amazing 3D products. There is also a help center and a forum if you ever need assistance from other users or staff if you are stuck on your design. We recommend the course “3D Printing Quickstart with SketchUp Make” to get started learning Sketchup.

Paid/Advanced CAD Software

Solidworks: Need a software tool for engineering? Let us introduce you to Solidworks! Solidworks is software that accommodates product development and manufacturing. The software gives its users the ability to use their industries to design bigger projects like buildings or machinery. Solidworks is often considered the gold standard of CAD software, it is utterly amazing but very expensive. We recommend the course “Getting Started With SolidWorks Hands On – Learn by Doing” to get started learning Solidworks.
Autodesk Fusion 360: If Solidworks is the gold medal then Fusion 360 is a solid second place. It has most of the same modeling features of Solidworks but they offer a free hobbyist license and much cheaper licensing for startups. We recommend the course “Designing for 3D Printing with Fusion 360” to get started learning Autodesk Fusion 360.

Sculpting

Sculpting software fills the niche that CAD doesn’t do well, organic shapes. If your item would normally be something sculpted from clay such as a human or animal figure then this is where you need to be. If you are designing something like a vase you may be able to work in either software but there really is no replacement for proper sculpting software if you want to make figures.

Free/Beginner Sculpting Software

Blender: Blender is a perfect choice for 3D modeling beginners because it is free and has a wide variety of tools. Blender can do more than just sculpting, It’s tools include modeling, sculpting, animation, rendering, and more! We are considering it for sculpting as for CAD there are better free options. We recommend the course “3D Printing from Zero to Hero in Blender 2.9x – 3D Design” to get started learning Blender.
Autodesk Meshmixer: Meshmixer is part of the suite of 3D design applications offered by Autodesk. As with Blender Meshmixer does more than just sculpting but we feel that for designing from scratch it really fits best here. Meshmixer is also very user friendly for modifying existing 3D mesh files, though this won’t help you much if you want to monetize your designs.

Paid/Advanced Sculpting Software

Pixologic ZBrush: ZBrush is by far the most popular software for 3D sculptors who are designing for 3D printing. It has a bit of a learning curve but if you want to create human or animal figures it really is where you want to be. Pixologic offers both Zbrush and ZbrushCore applications with the later being significantly cheaper with less features. As these are monthly fees you can learn with the cheaper application and then move up when you are ready. We recommend the course “Sculpting in Zbrush” to get started learning Pixologic ZBrush.
Autodesk Maya: Maya is one of the most famous 3D design softwares in the world. Primarily used for creating CGI effects, characters, and locations for videogames and animated films. Maya isn’t cheap and isn’t really designed for 3D printing but it is an option for those who wish to jump in the deep end. We recommend the course “Sculpt 3D Printable Rogues with Zbrush and Autodesk Maya” to get started learning Autodesk Maya.

How Do I Learn 3D Modeling Design For Beginners?

There are different ways to learn about 3D modeling. The best part is that you don’t need to go to college to learn the basics of 3D, though many universities offer courses now. Getting started is as simple as learning about your selected modeling software.

Of course you can hit up YouTube for videos and tutorials, there are some great ones to show off how the software works and what it is capable of. This is a great first step when trying to decide which software to learn. These videos are not interactive though and for many people learning a new skill requires someone to teach it. Online classes might be the ideal place to learn what you need.

Through our research we have found these three intriguing sites will offer courses to advance you in your 3D modeling journey

Udemy.com: The first online course website is Udemy. Udemy has courses that range from learning how to use certain 3D programs to basic skills in the 3D modeling industry. The class we recommend you should start first is “Getting Started With 3D Printing“. For only $10.99, you can learn the basics of 3D modeling and create objects using your 3D printer.
Skillshare: Skillshare is an amazing course site for any skill you want to learn or expand on. One of these skills is 3D designs. Most of the classes they provide for students are demonstrations on how to make certain objects like a wrench, a coat hook, a soap dish, etc.
Coursera: Last but not least is Coursera. Coursera has many classes that you can take regarding 3D modeling. Some classes are for free and some you have to pay for. It is best to start with classes that teach you the basics of 3D modeling and then expand into more classes that teach you how to design objects.

Some Final Tips and Tricks

Model Simple Objects First: Simple object ideas can be shapes like cubes, spheres, and pyramids. These three basic shapes will help you advance into making more complex objects. Start with simple designs until you get used to it and are ready to move on to harder designs. You are not going to sculpt a Iron Man blasting away at some baddies the first time out, nor are you designing an articulated robot arm from scratch.

Never Rush: 3D modeling takes time, especially when starting out. You need perseverance when creating a three-dimensional object. If you are stuck on a certain part of your project, don’t give up on it but consider your current approach isn’t correct and try another. Continue learning different skills and getting help from professionals.

Get The Most Out Of The Software: Learning the different tools and techniques included in each software is a major step in starting a 3D printing business. You need to select the appropriate software for your project but also one that you are comfortable with. It is advised to start with free software that is easy and then ease towards advanced software once you understand the basics.

Check To See Your Files Are Printable: The last important tip is to make sure your 3D designs are good to be printed out. There are different file formats for 3D designs but the two favored ones are STL and OBJ. Check for any errors before you begin printing, especially for non-manifold geometry. If you see any errors, fix them before trying to print the file.

What’s Next?

Now that you know how to create your 3D designs the next step is printing them. Please see our Complete Beginners Guide on Choose the Best 3D Printer for Your Business. It will guide you on the different hardware considerations such as what printers and consumables you will need in order to be successful in your business.