3D Printer Recommendations Please

[GAP]

I had Bambu A1 for a year or so and upgraded to Bambu H2S this Christmas. Both are excellent machines and very easy to use. Hardest part was to figure out Fusion - which is absolutely necessary if you want to make own designs. I started with ThinkerCad - but it is pretty useless. After considering many CAD systems I've settled on Fusion. It is free for persona use, and pretty intuitive to learn.

Fusion is all well and good if you have a modern PC if you use an older laptop forget it. Tinkercad and 3D builder works for me at the moment.

 

[bensch_55]

Certainly Tinkercad isn't as sophisticated as Fusion but I wouldn't say it's useless.

I have to second this. Tinkercad is absolutely great for beginners who just want to get their hands on some way of designing.
Also, as with many things, CAD software is often down to your use case and your personal preference. As someone who worked with Creo Parametric, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, FreeCAD and Catia, I absolutely despise Fusion360. It is not objectively bad but something about the workflow just doesn't work for me. I'm aware that it's a bit unfair to compare it with Software that costs upwards of 10.000$ a year per license but just as an example, FreeCad was enough to design the whole ÖBB 399 build kit.

 

[peterpavuk]

Certainly Tinkercad isn't as sophisticated as Fusion but I wouldn't say it's useless. Having designed a printed nine locos, five different designs of carriage, and around a dozen different types of wagon with Tinkercad, not to mention all sorts of other items such as points levers, name boards, fencing, signal bases, windows, gutters, level crossing gates, loco lamps and quite a few household items, I'd say it's pretty useful.

In total, to date, I've used Tinkercad to design 980 items.

I've blogged my latest 3D printed loco build which includes a section on how I used Tinkercad to design it - How I used Tinkercad to create a locomotive - PART 2 - How I drew the various parts


View attachment 353638

Rik

That's immensely exceptional what you did.

I also designed few mechanical things in TinkerCad, but i found it hard to use - if one needs adjust something by day 0.2mm - in TinkerCad is a challenge. In parametric CAD it is a breeze.

That's why I moved to Fusion.

 

[peterpavuk]

Fusion is all well and good if you have a modern PC if you use an older laptop forget it. Tinkercad and 3D builder works for me at the moment.

That's true. I own a very capable laptop as my line of business requires it - so i can also use it for Fusion, Davinci Resolve and sorts.

So yeah i am lucky to have right tools.

In other hand - a capable laptop or PC these days is cheaper than any modern LGB loco.

 

[peterpavuk]

Certainly Tinkercad isn't as sophisticated as Fusion but I wouldn't say it's useless. Having designed a printed nine locos, five different designs of carriage, and around a dozen different types of wagon with Tinkercad, not to mention all sorts of other items such as points levers, name boards, fencing, signal bases, windows, gutters, level crossing gates, loco lamps and quite a few household items, I'd say it's pretty useful.

In total, to date, I've used Tinkercad to design 980 items.

I've blogged my latest 3D printed loco build which includes a section on how I used Tinkercad to design it - How I used Tinkercad to create a locomotive - PART 2 - How I drew the various parts


View attachment 353638

Rik

To be fair - I have only 3 things designed on TinkerCad that actually rolls on my track - a VW type 1 model conversion to a rail, an Opel Blitz - again - kit model - but i designed underframe, gearbox etc

And finally Zirneklis - a loco that has been completely designed in TinkerCad - the only bits I've recycled are wheels and some parts of steam gear - too small to print.

However i am currently working on another loco, that have a real prototype, but is not made as a model by any vendors. And Fusion proved to be actually easier to use fir me than TinkerCad. As it is parametric. That's what TinkerCad lacks.

 

[peterpavuk]

I have to second this. Tinkercad is absolutely great for beginners who just want to get their hands on some way of designing.
Also, as with many things, CAD software is often down to your use case and your personal preference. As someone who worked with Creo Parametric, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, FreeCAD and Catia, I absolutely despise Fusion360. It is not objectively bad but something about the workflow just doesn't work for me. I'm aware that it's a bit unfair to compare it with Software that costs upwards of 10.000$ a year per license but just as an example, FreeCad was enough to design the whole ÖBB 399 build kit.

Well, i have started from nothing in CAD, not my professional domain at all. And i spent a year with TinkerCad - but quickly outgrown it.

Fusion might not be perfect - but it clicked well to me.

Again, personal choice

 

[peterpavuk]

I have to second this. Tinkercad is absolutely great for beginners who just want to get their hands on some way of designing.
Also, as with many things, CAD software is often down to your use case and your personal preference. As someone who worked with Creo Parametric, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, FreeCAD and Catia, I absolutely despise Fusion360. It is not objectively bad but something about the workflow just doesn't work for me. I'm aware that it's a bit unfair to compare it with Software that costs upwards of 10.000$ a year per license but just as an example, FreeCad was enough to design the whole ÖBB 399 build kit.

I did tried freeCad, and it's not bad. But, free version of fusion actually have less friction for a beginner - so i choose it. It's a hobby - i don't want to do it professionally and most importantly don't want to be irritated by friction.

But again, down to own choice.