What CAD can you guys recommend for progressing beyond TinkerCAD?
I really enjoy OpenSCAD and will continue to build that skillset but sometimes I just want to much about with a mouse in 3D space. I used to really enjoy doing mockups in SketchUP when that was still a free Google project.
I’m definitely not designing engines or commercial products. I’m mostly just designing small things for the 3D printer.
Also, Open Source is a must. I’d rather struggle with a free product that could be made better than pay for a commercial product that does way more than what I need it for.
I found fusion360 to be a pretty easy transition to make from tinkercad once I took some tutorials.
Still I really like tinkercad for all it does.
Sorry, I missed your open source requirement.
It’s all good. I only run Linux so Fusion isn’t really on the table for me.
So its closed source, but Bricsys includes “BricsCAD Shape” in their BricsCAD package, including on Linux. After the free trial ends, Shape still works fine. It’s positioned as a Sketchup competitor, though I haven’t used Sketchup in forever so I couldn’t compare them in any deep way.
My hangup with open source is mostly about affordability. There’s no real “casual” CAD licensed software. I pay Adobe the 10 bucks a month tax because it’s nice to have real Photoshop when I want it and my time is better spent doing a thing in Photoshop and moving on vs. learning gimp [just…no…] so I’m not morally opposed to a non-FOSS solution I just don’t want to spend the money.
Definitely curious about Shape. Thanks!
I have gone on ad nauseum about my concerns over OnShape’s business model and lazy EULA, but if you use Linux exclusively and find you dislike FreeCAD, just know what you’re getting yourself into and it’s a fairly nice tool, as long as your internet is stable.
Linux options for mature and full-featured mechanical CAD are… limited. Free ones even more so, as you’ve seen.