$10 a month or $99 a year for SolidWorks FYI (Page 1/1)
zkhennings JAN 11, 10:22 PM
https://www.solidworks.com/...is%20totally%20free!

Something I learned about at a recent SolidWorks User Group meeting from the CEO himself. You get full access to SolidWorks professional for all non-commercial use projects. Very useful for designing parts to either make them yourselves or to send files to get plasma cut or CNC machined. Pretty sure you get access to the FEA add ins as well for load testing suspension component designs. In my experience, SolidWorks is far superior to any free CAD software, so figured I would make this known. I had never heard about it until going to the user group meeting and I use SolidWorks every day.

I have 0 affiliation with SolidWorks, I just like it.
ericjon262 JAN 21, 10:40 AM

quote
Originally posted by zkhennings:

https://www.solidworks.com/...is%20totally%20free!

Something I learned about at a recent SolidWorks User Group meeting from the CEO himself. You get full access to SolidWorks professional for all non-commercial use projects. Very useful for designing parts to either make them yourselves or to send files to get plasma cut or CNC machined. Pretty sure you get access to the FEA add ins as well for load testing suspension component designs. In my experience, SolidWorks is far superior to any free CAD software, so figured I would make this known. I had never heard about it until going to the user group meeting and I use SolidWorks every day.

I have 0 affiliation with SolidWorks, I just like it.


I've been a huge fan of OnShape, but not opposed to trying other things. I don't currently make enough stuff that I need the FEA type features to pay for it though. have you tried OnShape? it's pretty awesome for free.
Thanks for sharing!

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"I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

I invited Lou Dias to trash me in my own thread, he refused. sorry. if he trashes your thread going after me. I tried.

OldGuyinaGT JAN 23, 04:24 PM
I read this thread with great interest as I am trying to get started on some 3D printing. I just bought an entry-level printer and have yet to unbox it. I know almost nothing about Solidworks (others use it at work) and never heard of Onshape before now.

I doubt I'll need many of the available features at first, but I did look at Onshape and one important note:

"Onshape Standard is available free for non-commercial projects where all user data is stored in a public work space." (direct quote from Onshape site).

For anyone making one-off parts for themselves, this may not matter, but if you ever want to do anything proprietary, the free version may not be for you. (I have not yet decided on this for myself). Solidworks basic paid products appear to be less expensive than paid OnShape.
mmeyer86gt/gtp JAN 23, 06:22 PM
hoping autodesk takes a page from this.
StreetRod4 JAN 23, 07:38 PM
I've been using Fusion 360 for my personal printing projects. Their hobbyist license is free as long as you aren't making more than $1000 per year. I've also heard about FreeCad but haven't looked into it yet
Fie Ro JAN 24, 04:36 AM
For 3D printing basically any 3D design software will work. I have been using Cinema4D for decades for making broadcast motion graphics. But it also does well designing my print parts.
I just stuck to this program because I know my way around it. 3D programs (used to) have a steep learning curve.

However since all mentioned software^^ is based on making parts I see a lot of tools to make designing much easier so I might start to look into that. Especially because I am reviving my old cnc router that never worked and I never got to work because at that time there was almost no info to find, which is much easier nowadays.
zkhennings JAN 24, 10:20 AM
I am pretty sure SolidWorks has some CAM software built in, it can even estimate costs for you. Solidworks is very powerful, and very fast, especially if you set up your preferred hot keys. If you are just doing basic shapes and basic extrusions, probably not necessary. But if you want to do anything more complex than that I would recommend it. It would be excellent for suspension/subframe design for example. You can run motion studies on it too. Super powerful stuff.