Free 3D CAD Software
The average 3D printing enthusiast rarely has the budget for a high end CAD system to build their designs. You could always download models created by someone else or shop any of the top 3D printing shops on the internet. For the rest of us, there are plenty of great modeling tools available for free. I have included the list below which I am positive is not a comprehensive list. Please feel free to post a comment if you have a favorite free 3D modeling software I missed on my list.
Free CAD - "FreeCAD is a general purpose feature-based, parametric 3D modeler for CAD, MCAD, CAx, CAE and PLM, aimed directly at mechanical engineering and product design but also fits a wider range of uses in engineering, such as architecture or other engineering specialties. It is 100% Open Source and extremely modular, allowing for very advanced extension and customization."
SketchUp Make - "Hobbyists, kids and backyard spaceship builders all agree that SketchUp Make is the easiest, most fun, entirely free 3D drawing tool in the world. We think you will, too."
LibreCAD - "LibreCAD is a free Open Source CAD application for Windows, Apple and Linux. Support and documentation is free from our large, dedicated community of users, contributors and developers. You, too, can also get involved!"
3D Crafter - "3DCrafter is a real-time 3D modeling and animation tool that incorporates an intuitive drag-and-drop approach to 3D modeling."
Blender - "Blender is 3D creation for everyone, free to use for any purpose. Free Software, great community, and 100% open."
Scupltris - "Sculptris provides an excellent gateway into the exciting world of 3D. It's features are easy to learn, even for someone with no experience in digital art, yet robust enough for creating base models that can then be refined in other applications, such as ZBrush."
Creo Elements/Direct Modeling Express - "Creo Elements/Direct Modeling Express 4.0 is a popular 3D CAD choice for leaders in product design who have short design cycles and frequent one-off designs. Its speed, flexibility and responsiveness to change also make it the ideal tool for short-series production runs." This one I have actually tried. It's a little hard to get used to compared to Creo Parametric.
What free 3D modeling software did I miss?
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