3D/cad modelling 'non-starter'
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:07 amHi Guys,
Well, I have now wasted several hours trying to find a freeware 3D package that works for me.
It is really frustrating because the tasks I need to do are so elementary it's as if these modern-fangled tools find it too elementary, d@mn it!
I've been trying 'Blender' and '3Dcrafter'. All the others I installed seem to have their own formats, so not suitable for sending models to http://www.shapeways.com, which is the purpose of this exercise and where I intend to send off for some ceramic parts to be made.
For the life of me, these packages do not appear to make available some of the following basic tools I want
- this is all I want and need!!..:
1) Make a cuboid, and specify the dimension and position co-ordinates manually*
2) Stretch a cuboid edge to make a trapezoid.
3) Make spheres and cylinders, and specify the co-ordinates manually
4) Add and subtract* one shape from another
5) Define a cut plane manually and cut objects in two
6) Export as STL, Collada or X3D
*(for the life of me, I cannot find any trace of how to do this in these packages!!!)
Is this too much to ask from a freeware package?
I've used several packages for building up [physics] simulation models and none were ever as unintuitive and overly complicated as these.
So, I would like to ask if you guys can point me in the right direction for the simplest software that can do these, or .... could I ask if someone might help me out and just generate these files for me - it'll take me all of 10 minutes to email a pencilled engineering drawing !!! It's really just a few blocks with holes in that I need to be put in a CAD format.
Well, I have now wasted several hours trying to find a freeware 3D package that works for me.
It is really frustrating because the tasks I need to do are so elementary it's as if these modern-fangled tools find it too elementary, d@mn it!
I've been trying 'Blender' and '3Dcrafter'. All the others I installed seem to have their own formats, so not suitable for sending models to http://www.shapeways.com, which is the purpose of this exercise and where I intend to send off for some ceramic parts to be made.
For the life of me, these packages do not appear to make available some of the following basic tools I want
- this is all I want and need!!..:
1) Make a cuboid, and specify the dimension and position co-ordinates manually*
2) Stretch a cuboid edge to make a trapezoid.
3) Make spheres and cylinders, and specify the co-ordinates manually
4) Add and subtract* one shape from another
5) Define a cut plane manually and cut objects in two
6) Export as STL, Collada or X3D
*(for the life of me, I cannot find any trace of how to do this in these packages!!!)
Is this too much to ask from a freeware package?
I've used several packages for building up [physics] simulation models and none were ever as unintuitive and overly complicated as these.
So, I would like to ask if you guys can point me in the right direction for the simplest software that can do these, or .... could I ask if someone might help me out and just generate these files for me - it'll take me all of 10 minutes to email a pencilled engineering drawing !!! It's really just a few blocks with holes in that I need to be put in a CAD format.