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5 best 3D printing tools for schools and students to learn 3D modelling
6 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Try these 3D printing tools for students
Fusion 360
Fusion 360increased its popularity ranking because it is available for free for students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and startups. This program combines the professional capabilities of high-end CAD programs with a user-friendly interface.
Key features include:
Check out this step by step tutorial on how to use Fusion 360
Download Fusion 360
— RELATED:Khan Academy for Windows 10: Education at Your Fingertips
Inventor
Inventoris another great tool that allows you to create professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation and product simulation tools.
Compared to some of the other software presented in this article, Inventor is a very advanced 3D modeling program that requires a lot of training to master. It is a direct competitor of SolidWorks.
Key features include:
Download Inventor
Blender
Blenderis an open source 3D software that bolsters a wide range of useful tools that allow you to easily create 3D models from scratch or edit existing models. It has simulations tools, supports NURBS surfaces and polygon meshes and if you are an advanced user, you can develop your own features.
Blender has one of the biggest 3D printing community in the world. You’ll find plenty of information and printing guides on forums, YouTube and blogs dedicated to 3D printing.
This popularity is down to two main reasons: the plethora of editing and printing tools that it offers, and the fact this is a free open-source tool.
However, keep in mind that Blender has a pretty steep learning curve. If you’re a beginner, using the tool for the first time won’t be that simple. Patience is key. If you continue using it, you’ll eventually get the hang of it.
Thanks to its community, Blender offers you a wide range of andcourses and how-to guides.
Key features include:
Download Blender
— RELATED:6 best antivirus software for education
SolidWorks 3D Design
SolidWorksis a complete 3D Modeling Software and CAD product design solution. The suit offered by this company includes software for product development, cover design, manufacturability checks, CAM, and data management. This tool is suitable for advanced users and university students.
SolidWorks comes in 3 versions : Standard, Professional, and Premium.
Key features include:
Download SolidWorks 3D
— RELATED:Here are the best education apps for PC
SketchUp
SketchUpis known for its beginner-friendly learning curve and has a ton of tools for creating geometric objects. It is totally free to use and you can also prepare and share 3D printable objects with ease.
In almost every 3D project, you need to turn your model into a drawing to be easily understood in presentations. LayOut in Sketchup lets you add model views to pages, choose drawing scales, adjust line weights, and add dimensions and graphics. The changes you make to SketchUp model will be automatically reflected in LayOut and you can easilyexport pages as PDFs, images and CAD files.
Another great feature of SketchUp is the fact that you can find almost any 3D model you need for your project in its 3D Warehouse. This is world’s biggest library of free 3D models. You can also use 3D Warehouse to store and share your own models.
Other features include:
Watch SketchUp video tutorials
Conclusion
In this article, we explored some of the best options of 3D software that allow you to not only create complex and exact 3D models but also learn how to do it and print your ideas using a 3D printer.
Let us know which software you picked from this list in the comment section below.
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More about the topics:3D design,software for windows 10
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
