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I'm a software engineer by trade, but I have an idea I'd like to turn into a prototype. for starters its going to be a rectangular project box with some buttons and displays, nothing too complex. I'd like to use this as an opportunity to learn 3d modeling. I've done 2d cad before and it was nice to be able to print the design, tape it to plastic or wood or whatever and drill holes and have them close to perfect.

I'd like to try 3d modeling, if it's possible to show that 2d plane that would be great too. I'm unsure which software to pick. Sketchup seems targeted towards a simpler interface, but I dont like the online only. I have an autodesk student liscence so currently leaning toward Fusion 360.

Are there any suggestions of where to start or what SW to use? THank You

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  • $\begingroup$ Just to clarify: when you say "print the design", do you mean "3D print", or do you mean "print out a manufacturing drawing"? $\endgroup$
    – user28774
    Commented Sep 30, 2020 at 22:34
  • $\begingroup$ As far as I can tell, Sketchup still offers offline version. sketchup.com/offline-download $\endgroup$
    – Eric Duminil
    Commented Oct 1, 2020 at 7:31
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Engineering! This looks like a resource-hunting question. Such questions are prone to becoming out-dated, and are therefore considered off-topic for this site. $\endgroup$
    – Wasabi
    Commented Oct 1, 2020 at 12:02
  • $\begingroup$ This question should be posted on the Software Recommendations SE site. There are already relevant answers there. $\endgroup$
    – Eric S
    Commented Oct 1, 2020 at 14:16

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This probably belongs in Software Recommendations and perhaps an agreeable moderator will make the migration.

Fusion 360 is a good choice. It uses sketch modeling and also sculpting to create both engineering type models and organic ones.

Fusion 360 can export/save in various industry-recognized formats, providing for forward use of your creations.

As with many 3D related programs, there are many video tutorials to assist you in your learning experience. You have a good start if you're familiar with AutoCAD, but there's only a bit of overlap.

I'm not sure how your Autodesk license fits in, but there is a student version as well as a free hobbyist version.

Steer clear of Sketchup as it is known to produce models that cannot be 3D printed.

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  • $\begingroup$ +1 to this answer. If you’ve got student access to Autodesk, it would be worth investigating Inventor, which is more readily transferable to the industry standards such as SolidWorks and NX. $\endgroup$
    – Jonathan R Swift
    Commented Sep 30, 2020 at 22:21
  • $\begingroup$ I took the course of Fusion 360 on coursera called "Autodesk CAD/CAM/CAE for Mechanical Engineering". Now, I'm implementing on my thesis. Very useful and easy to use. Main feature: added a control of version of everything, CAD,CAM,CAE,PCB,Render Software $\endgroup$
    – Pablo Díaz
    Commented Sep 30, 2020 at 23:07
  • $\begingroup$ N.B. Lots of this bonus functionality is being removed from the hobby version $\endgroup$
    – Jonathan R Swift
    Commented Oct 1, 2020 at 6:42
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you this is great info. This isn't too far off of my current career, so learning something thats used in industry cant hurt. I'm working on my Master's at night(OMSCS, highly recommended). so I have a year of educational access to AutoDesk. I think I'll stick with fusion 360 or check out inventor(Although I didn't see that as part of my available software). $\endgroup$
    – mr odus
    Commented Oct 1, 2020 at 14:06
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For 3d modelling there a few out there.

For entry level professional 3d design and modelling, the software I am mostly familiar with are:

  • Solidworks: Its my preferred one due to User Interface (mind you all of the are similar). It was purchased by Dassault Systems.
  • Creo PTC: Started out as PRO-engineer then at some point purchased by PTC. Apparently is very proficient with Computer Aided Manufacturing (among other things). A feature that I liked being advertised is that it can open any open almost all other versions of 3d Modelling software (as contrast to Solidworks, that you are limited to only backwards compatibility).
  • Inventor by AutoDesk (the developer of autocad)
  • OnShape: The only web offering. This is a 3d modelling package working in a browser. Nothing is installed on your PC. It was developed by the guy who started Solidworks, and at some point felt that the future of 3d design and modelling is online. In 2018 he sold it to PTC. So the User Interface is very similar to Solidworks. Another interesting feature is that it has build-in the equivalent of an Source Control Management system (think of it as a GitHub since you are a software engineer). So you can keep all versions of your product and revert to them at any point (very cool). Also, it can be free of charge if you let your models be available to the public.

Some opensource ones (note: they are not for the faint hearted in terms of usability):

Then you go onto the big boys. All of following can be used to build things with complexity of a car or an airplane.

  • CATIA: This is the big brother of Solidworks. The initial offering of Dasault Systems. Used to build aeroplanes.
  • NX by Siemens. Interesting trivia: uses the same modelling kernel with Solidworks

I am sure there are a lot more, see wikipedia for CAX software, wiki comparison

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  • $\begingroup$ 'opensource ones... are not for the faint hearted in terms of usability' I agree WRT to OpenSCAD and BRLCAD, but I've always found FreeCAD pretty user-friendly. For OP's situation, FreeCAD has two special advantages: it's conceptually similar to the AutoDesk products OP already knows, in that it gives the user a free choice of whether to control it programmatically or using the GUI (unlike OpenSCAD at one end of the spectrum or SolidWorks at the other); and the language for controlling it programmatically is Python, with which I'm guessing OP, as a software engineer, is already familiar. $\endgroup$
    – user28774
    Commented Oct 1, 2020 at 14:18

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