Plasticity may be the 3D design software you’ve been looking for
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The best option is always the one that works best for you. When it comes to 3D CAD, there are multiple approaches and some just don’t click for some users. So in this video, we showcase Plasticity, a new design software intended for artists with a freer workflow.
Plasticity is new and there will no doubt be plenty of development and new features to come. It’s also worth noting that there are always multiple ways to create the same geometry, so what you see in this video is not exhaustive of everything on offer.
www.plasticity.xyz/
0:00 Introduction
1:02 What is Plasticity?
2:15 Scope of this video
Learn Everything about Design playlist: • Plasticity
Nikita Kapustin playlist: • Plasticity 3D Modeling
Pixel Fondue playlist: • Plasticity
2:48 Getting acquainted with Plasticity
4:23 Object: Tool rack
4:31 Main twin rectangular prism body
6:40 Adding holes
8:12 Adding fillets
9:56 Editing features
11:47 CAD for artists
12:08 Alternate application: Editing others’ source CAD
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12:43 Alternative application: Parametric CAD to Plasticity
14:36 Conclusion
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I applaud Plasticity for not only having a non-web based program, but also a non-subscription based program. Both are becoming increasingly rare.
Why is non-web an upside? Just that it avoids any cloud storage? Honest questions, the desktop client is great so I’m not exactly upset about the lack of a web interface myself. I do like having the option though.
100% agree on it being great it’s not a subscription though, I don’t use CAD for much but I’m doing more functional parts lately and this is well worth having in perpetuity.
@@caketalitysome people don't have internet access or have really bad internet. That's the only thing I can think of
Many times it starts this way, then, when it gets tracktion, it moves to subscription only (and maybe web-based).
@@caketality As an industrial designer and researcher that travels a lot i don't like being dependent of internet, even on the seasons where i'm at home i don't really feel comfortable with it. I already bought a machine that can run software smoothly and without problems so i have power to do CAD and FEA without needing the support of a cloud server.
I think cloud services are only useful for hobbyists that have the infamous 2 gb RAM laptops or for business that need they employees conected on the same server in order to have an optimized communication between workers.
@@DrorF That is sad, that is what always happens with new companies, the only one who does not follow the same tendency is Siemens, the company is extremely big already so they don't really give a f*ck about giving Solid Edge in their "Community edition" for free with very little restrictions (Can't open files made in pro edition, 2D draws are watermarket and the topology optimization module only works for forces, you can't use it for torque or compression).
As a Fusion user, I think the pricing model is the best thing about Plasticity. It can do all the basics, allowed for commercial use, and does a one-time fee. For now however I would be more curious to learn Blender to make something actually different.
Version 1 only for one-time fee... yes, I agree, version 1 is very good and the rate of updating so far is clearly very good - but, that's going to change soon enough or there won't be much to persuade users to upgrade to version 2... the developer owner and any financial backers are hoping to sell continually. 'I would be more curious to learn Blender to make something actually different.' I actually agree, I use DSM ( parasolid v6) and Plasticity ain't so special - sure it's directed/tuned to concept artists and their workflows ( it's very quick for sure) but DSM can do easily enough the same, same freedoms etc. I also would like to learn Blender, but in truth, having the spare time is a real problem...
@@TAH1712 There are more ways of punctuating your sentences than just ellipses and hyphens.
@@TAH1712that's the case with all software, v1 is sold and updated until there's a large base then v2 introduces new bells and whistles to try and get users to make the switch.
This business model is far superior for the consumer as the next version may not offer anything you want so you can safely stick with the old version without being forced to pay for things you don't want/need.
@@foodhatesme yes, but sharp marketing isn't likely to offer tools that the majority can do without or not want. 'Far superior' assertions can only be from your own perspective . Plasticity is very good, getting better all the time.
@@TAH1712 selling the customer a product instead of a service is a better for the customer period. I can't even being to fathom how anyone would think there's a valid arguement against that...
If you need what's in the new version you buy it, if not you're safe to save your money as the software you currently have is yours.
The subscription model is a perpetual leach on your wallet, and you get no choice when they add/remove features.
Adobe is a perfect example of a piece of software the removed a feature and placed it behind a paywall, if you actually owned the software they wouldn't be able to do that...
First may I thank you for making this video, I purchased the licence thinking it would have some documentation to assist in its use. Up until I came across your video, my money had been wasted. Your video, explained far more in the expert way you do in a very short time. I now will go back and try again, as I thought it was the sort of program I needed. YOU have made it possible for me to now try it again. Also thank you for your other videos, which I have found very helpful too.
If OnShape had a license that supported people just trying to make a few dollars on a side-hustle it would be the go-to CAD platform IMHO. It's great to see Plasticity doing it. Great review showing the differences in these platforms!
You're not kidding, $1,500USD a year for OnShape is a hefty price tag when alternatives exist.
Since it's not... the go to is Fusion 360.
@@ScottMoyse Fusion360 does not have a license that supports hobbyists with a side hustle any more than OnShape does.
That's exactly the reason why I don't use OnShape. All great until you see the $1.5k annual price tag. Fusion 360 is cheaper but still.
This is why I had to stop using fusion360.
I'm using plasticity for a while now, and as I'm coming from a gamedev background, I find plasticity really really easy for me to do presice objects for 3d printing. I love it!
Huh, that's neat. What do our use it to create specifically? Game assets of course but I am wondering exactly what you use it to create 🤔
@@Rctdcttecededtef I think the op meant that they use plasticity for 3dp, but the tool is easy for them to use bc it's likely similar to tools used in creating game assets. Not that they use plasticity to make game assets.
@@xxportalxx. ah, so alterations to existing models?
@@Rctdcttecededtef I don't understand what you're asking here. Yes, no, maybe? He doesn't say. There's no reason you couldn't start a model in this software either (as clearly shown in the video) . I just don't think he meant that he uses it in video game creation.
Plasticity looks like what I've have been wanting. Here's another instance of quickly learning my options by watching your videos.
Great find, and walk-through of the process
Great video. Gonna try it and most likley buy it. Sharing video to a few 3d friends now also.
Program looks great
Having used a constraint-based approach, I'm never going back to a Blender-like program for building precise parts. It's awesome to have the features update automatically when you change something, with only the needed relationships between them set in stone. But the last use case is very intriguing once you reach the part of your project where you've already figured out the functional design, tolerances, etc. and are only looking to work on aesthetics. But of course you better be sure your functional design is locked in, since changing anything in the CAD will need you to redo everything in Plasticity.
actually the developer is making a bridge between blender and plasticity for smooth workflow.
@@3dMistri Blender works like Plasticity (in the sense that it's destructive and non-parametric except for modifiers). So that doesn't help much. What I'd like is a bridge between CAD and Plasticity, but that would be very hard if not impossible to build. Plasticity would have to remember the sequence of operations and reapply them in a new context when you changed something in CAD, basically becoming partly non-destructive itself. Many times, this will error out if an input to the operation is no longer present or valid.
@@polycrystallinecandy Now it is the time for you to learn parametric tools like grashopper because it give full control over any aspect of design. However, you have to spent significant amount of time.
You can also learn other parametric modeller like fusion 360 or solidworks.
@@3dMistri I do use parametric modelers (OnShape, Fusion 360), which is what I was talking about when I mentioned constraint-based modeling. Maybe you misread my comment
@@polycrystallinecandy so why you want to shift to plasticity, i mean what you lack in fusion 360. i mean plasticity is developed by single person and i dont think he can spent time on such tools.
Love this, I definitely will try it..thank you for the heads up!
Hi Mark, I think your conclusion is really insightful. The idea of using Plasticity as an additional tool in a workflow, rather than a replacement, is brilliant. At times I’ve had to use parametric stuff, whether I like it or not, but then been massively slowed down with finishing the simpler or cosmetic parts. Your idea will definitely make designing things much faster and be less daunting. Thank you so much!
This looks like exactly what ive wanted all along. Something like tinkercad but a bit more powerful. I can use perimetric cad fine but i enjoy using tinkercad for the simpler stuff. This looks like it bridges the two enough to still bring that joy but with more user friendly features! I am certainly going to try it!
I think Shapr3D would be a good Option for you too :)
Something that makes Tinkercad easier to use and involves less gurss work is if you click on the circle in the middle of the ruler tool it sets it to "mid-piont" mode - where is measures and resizes objects from their midpoint - a game changer!
Definitely helps with centering multiple parts
Good point. Also, you can just double-click that hole and edit it directly without ungrouping or deleting the old one, although after changing the size, you'll likely have to realign it with the body.
Thanks for that tidbit!
I'm so glad you've decided to talk about this software. I use it for my pro work quite a bit and I couldn't recommend it enough.
Having watched some Plasticity videos It felt more like a tool for entertaiment media 3d modelling.
Exactly. And why not to use toy-like Nomad/SketchUP/Shapr etc for it. And sub-d approach is much more intuitive and time-tested way to deal with simple geometry. This app is useless replica of existing tools made for no-reason (except probably creator's self-education and profit :))
Plasticity is the software come true! I haven't stopped modeling from the very beginning of the 30-day trial. Is well worth the purchase. Thanks for your review on the two. Look forward to more content!
I know there is a bridge add in for Blender under development so you can create objects in Plasticity and then push it to Blender if you want to texture and render it. I'm going to try out Plasticity at some point as it looks very promising.
I've been doing all of this in blender myself for years. The CAD addons for blender enable constructing objects with similar precision.
I mean you could export an FBX/OBJ and use that in Blender right now, right?
Definitely gonna give this a try. Thanks for the review.
This seems very similar to Shapr3D, which I have been using for just over a year and I love it. It's very easy to us and I have made a lot of parts. These easier software programs will help a lot of people who find parametric software too complicated, get into 3d modeling. I will be looking into Plasticity more.
Just fyi to anyone reading this: Shapr3D is getting parametric modeling support this year!
i use shapr3D too for subwoofer and speaker enclosure design and i find it very easy to use and it's free for me as a student
Shapr3D is a fantastic modeling tool (although I feel the new UI introduces needless complexity and is a huge step in the wrong direction), but it's also the poster child for why software subscriptions are terrible for consumers. I lost a lot of models when it went from all-you-can-eat to all-you-can-pay overnight. More recently, I've purchased the Studio version of Plasticity for less than the cost of a one-year Shapr3d rental, and I don't have to worry about losing my work to rate hikes and service outages..
Ok, but price, and periodic payments.. 🙄...
💯 I will be buying this, it plays heavily into the way I model in blender but this looks way more evolved for Print modeling.
This video is “must watch” before considering Plasticity especially for 3d printing! Really valuable info!
I definitely look forward to giving it a try
Great video, I will give it a try for sure. Thanks
Definitely gonna give it a try based on your video despite the frustrating looking learning curve. Thanks!
Yes will definitely be trying this, thanks for the heads up. I currently use tinkercad for simple parts but often have to resort to a "many step" process for nice corners ect. For more complex i use fusion 360 but really struggle with it and feels like every step is a battle for me. Thanks Micheal for taking the time to share you knowledge with us.
You have motivated me to keep on using Thinkercad. Thxs 😃
Looks interesting. I'll have to give this a try. I'm still learning FreeCAD. Thanks for another great video.
When i first started trying out CAD as a maker back in 2010, i started with the only affordable option for a Mac user, ViaCad. It’s incredibly similar to this!!! I would say that they are almost identical in the workflow but ViaCad is much much more complex with many more features. But i could never really get good at it. I ended up abandoning it for fusion 360 a few years ago. I find fusion to be MUCH easier to use for me. I love being able to go back to the original sketch to make changes. I did enjoy a lot of the features of being able to edit solid objects without inputting precise dimensions though!!! That was a huge benefit and one that i have really missed. I might do just like you have done and get a license as a supplement to parametric modeling. Great video!
This is super compelling, thanks for sharing and comparing to parametric modelling software. 🙌 Great video as always.
Good video, I switched from Freecad about 6 months ago and I've not looked back since. Plasticity is advancing at an amazing rate. Now sure what version it was you were using there, but you missed out the Dimension and measuring tools (V1.4) Also I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but you could of put the holes in at the beginning on Plasticity and just extruded the part. Also you don't need the construction lines if you start to say drop another circle in just move to any points you want to reference and hit shift and an reference line will be drawn you can snap a part to. Its so quick and easy to make things and later adjust easily, I'm loving it. Keep up the good work, love watching your videos !!
I've been using Plasticity for a while now and love it. Its my 1st choice when I need to quickly model anything.
Yes I'm definitely going to try it
In my work, I have tested SolidWorks, Creo, Inventor, and for personal use, Onshape, Fusion, and FreeCAD. Finally, after testing Plasticity, it is clear to me that it is the best choice for personal use in 3D printing. I haven't hesitated to purchase the paid version.
It is great to hear from someone that uses them all. Can I ask why you prefer Plasticity over OnShape/Fusion/FreeCad? I am coming from TinkerCad and need something more.
@@Hmm-lf8tx For my use, 3D printing, plasticity is easier, lighter and much faster. parametric software has advantages for viewing and modifying a model's parameters, but in my case it does not compensate for the speed of modeling offered by plasticity. for a beginner I advise on the other hand to start on a parametric software to understand the basics of the design and there will surely be need for more modifications. moreover onshape, freecad and fusion are free contrary to plasticity.
Thank you for another excellent video - I liked your comparisons between the 3 CAD systems highlighting their differences. I hope to investigate plasticity further and really appreciate Plasticity's non web based access mode. Where I live we have unreliable internet access so this is crucial for me.
This is amazingggggg!!!! I love the creative freedom!!
Thank You Plasticity! for not only having a non-web based program, but also a non-subscription based program. I used during the beta version! Awesome developers.
Interesting to see a comparison of the workflows.
Very interesting to see a "dual tool" workflow, leveraging the power and benefits of each!
I can't help feel that Plasticity seems a lot like Blender - I also know that there is work ongoing to bring more parametric CAD capabilities directly into Blender.
So far I tend to focus on just FreeCAD for designing for 3D printing but after watching this, I'm wondering if in some cases it might be better to move a CAD "template model" to Blender for finishing as you suggest
Exactly what I was looking for.
Nice app, and well made video Michael
Fusion 360 is still my software of choice. Intuitive, meant for technical parts and it has a private plan, so it is free for non-commercial use. I would even pay for it if needed.
Just like Onshape for me, hasn't cost me a cent and does what I need. I enjoyed learning Plasticity though and I'm sure I will use it in future.
they can lock your account anytime and saying you are not a hobbi user now so if you want your models back pay the subscription :)
@@xeraoh That is simply wrong. Your models always remain your property and are able to be downloaded regardless of license type, in perpetuity.
Totally agree. There's just no reason to invest time in learning some "noname" just-born software instead of use time-tested industry standard tools. If you need CAD/industry grade skills you'd better invest in learning Alias or whatever is used by leading companies instead of wasting your time for digging into doubtful TH-cam toy
Thanks Michael, will give it a try.
Wow I just saw this app today and you come out with a video.
thanks will try it.
Definitely will be trying
Thank you so much for this. I lean way too heavily on TinkerCAD and have tried quite a few times to learn something parametric but I always end up in over my head. Maybe this can help bridge the gap. Thanks again.
I can't wait to try this
It's very similar to Design Spark Mechanical which is completely free, but it has additional features that might be worth the jump for sure.
DSM has been around for a while and is significantly more polished. The free version does lack the STEP import / export feature, though. Other than that, it’s a pretty great tool and their subscription pricing is semi acceptable; you pay by the month, which means that you can activate premium features when you need them and don’t have to commit for an entire year. I wished they had a perpetual license and a macOS version😊
+1 for DSM.. I love using it and have always thought it was the most intuitive of all the design tools I have used
For $99 I'm already sold on this. I appreciate that it's a permanent license instead of constantly paying for updates, access, or a license every year. It reminds me of Solidworks without the insane price point. I also see some similarities to AutoCad which is outstanding. I'm definitely going to support a company like this because my go-to just went the awful subscription route even though they claimed legacy customers wouldn't have to deal with that. Way to go Plasticity! I'm going to try this out and see how it may work for me. Thanks for sharing.
You pay once for 1.x versions only, so hopefully he doesn't come out with 2.x next year and 3.x the year after that and so on
@@Daniel_WR_Hartthat said, the developer wanted to make it cheaper, but he's using a very powerful and expensive solid modeling library for which he has to pay a license fee for. It wouldn't surprise me if he's able to have a lower upgrade price from 1.x to 2.x. That is if he doesn't have to pay the license fee again for the upgrade. I'm not sure how that will work out. Crossed fingers 🤞.
13:27
This is for me the best part of the video where I really realized when it could be useful to use this.
Very informative and useful. Thankyou
Awesome going to try.
I've used OpenSCAD and SolveSpace before. Was putting off learning Fusion360. Now it looks like I can get everything I need from this. Very exciting.
Thanks for the shout-out! I started using Plasticity during the beta program and bought into it. It isn't the right tool for everyone but it fits the need of a large number of users and I hope it grows far beyond what Nick intended!
Thanks for the great tutorials. Really helped me a lot.
@@TeachingTech Awesome to hear thanks!
thanks for the scratch tourial from 11 years ago just watched it
I will definitely give it a try the next time I need to create something.
Thanks for this. I am learning OnShape thanks to your great videos on it. I learned 3D Graphics programs like Maya, Blender, and AC3D - using them has always been difficult for creating accurate parts. However, those tools are great for creating 'art'. I think Plasticity falls more into the 'art' category but is still geared toward making 3d printable objects which those other 3D Graphics programs are not. Great find and interested to see how you get on with it.
Will explore this one further. It can indeed be a bridge between onshape and thinkercad. Thank you
Thanks for this video, DEFINITELY giving Plasticity a try. I won't bother with the free trial, just buy the package
I Will definitely have to give it a go. Started my journey in freecad very recently, due to buying a 3D printer.
This seems much more intuitive to me. When it comes to shapes and design i have my backgrounds in carpentry and videogames. And in FreeCAD i’m having trouble finding out how to even drag a part across any plane. Shortcuts don’t act consistently, sometimes you have two buttons that do the same thing, one throws and error and the other doesn’t 😂
I’m very much used to working with 3 dimensional objects in real life. And my workflows have always consisted of subtracting material and joining them.
So to be learning how to add visualised material, while also relearning how to actually move either my view or my object at all is very frustrating
Thank you!
I don’t know about the majority of things I design but a lot of them would be really simple in plasticity. I’m excited to try it. Even the more accurate pieces I design have a lot of elements that are very difficult to do with parametric modeling. I heard about this the other day but the dude didn’t remember what it was called. I’m gonna download it today and give it a shot.
The last shown use case is exactly where I’m currently stuck. I designed a more complex object in Fusion 360, but adding aesthetic details is a challenge. I installed Blender to maybe handle this job and closed it rather quickly again. This looks like a nice alternative, that won’t require hours over hours to learn. I will give it a try, thanks!
Really? Blender is quite reasonable, it’s easier to learn the basics than fusion in my opinion
@@Volt64bolt Blender interface and usability is awful tho, everything seems to be all over the place. I use Blender somewhat frequently so I get why someone would quit at the first usage.
The dealbreaker for me was no 3D Mouse support. As a fusion 360 user, it is now a must for moving around and rotating etc etc. I really don’t want to use a 3D CAD program that doesn’t support it.
@@smetlitzky I mean, it isn’t a cad program. It’s a creative program for artistic stuff
There are plenty of tutorials for Blender, and quite a few of them are on this very website.
I will definitely be giving this a tty!
I use Mastercam for CAD/CAM at work, 40-60 hours a week for the last decade. Ive struggled at home with Fusion360 for home use and other modeling software, and I now realize its because Mastercam is not parametric modeling. This video has helped me a ton!
Tinkercad almost completely turned me off of 3D printing... I was taught traditional orthographic projection hand drafting, and used early versions of 2D Autocad in school, and I still do my design thinking in terms of 2d projections.. I could just never get used to how Tinkercad forced you to draw objects in terms of extrude and rotate and subtract, and it's lack of basic CAD functions like fillers... The version I started off on also severely lacked controls for drawing anything with real precision and I almost completely gave up because if this was supposed to be the easy method for 3D and I couldn't wrap my head around it, even with a 2D CAD and engineering background, then the professional 3D cad tools must be even more of the same and I would never get the hang of it.. What I remembered of the first 3D add ons for Autocad back in the day also didn't do anything to encourage me... I think Onshape was the first product I saw that seemed to show that I could still use my 2D projection based CAD skills to model in 3D and I tried it for a bit but still found the tool set more limiting than I would have liked, but it was still so much better than Tinkercad, which I would hesitate to even call a CAD program anymore.. Again, being turned off by my early Autocad 3D exposure, I was reluctant to try Fusion but one of the other 3d printing channels showed a basic Fusion tutorial and it appeared even more conducive to my old school 2d projection approach, so I tried it and haven't looked back.. It's still not perfect, and doing things like complex selections are painful, but I really like being able to slice an arbitrary plane and do a 2D projection onto the plane and then extrude features from that plane just like old school projections.. Is the most efficient way to do it? Probably not, but I appreciate that the tool is flexible enough to accommodate my old school 2D CAD skills. I wish I had started with a pro 3D CAD package rather than Tinkercad, and I would never even consider recommending it to anyone today..
Tinkercad has an object named Metafillet in the shape generators. Useful for fillets and chamfers along straight edges.
Ooooh I didn´t know it, thanks!
also, using the align tool and workplane tool, would have made perfect alignment very quickly. the workaround for the two not-centered holes is to make the model in 2 parts, center the outer circles in the half parts, then group the pieces and center the center hole. The hole chamfers would be upside-down cones centered on those holes via the align tool.
The metafillet is so useful I made a 3d version called corner fillet, and someone made hyperboloid that I've used for rounded holes for containing a carabiner with fewer stress points
this looks cool, Ill give it a try
Greetings from San Francisco. Inspiring, I'll give it a go.
Coming from modeling with the now-Patreon-only software MagicaCSG and struggling to model in Blender's polygon modeling system, this is actually goated.
I’ll be giving this one a shot
This is fantastic! I’ve been looking for something to do a bunch of greebling on space ship models. Been working blender, but it’s very complicated and time consuming. This is PERFECT! Wish they had an iOS version for iPad Pro though. :)
That would be absolutely perfect, i’m crossing my fingers that it’s a possibility in the future. I normally use fusion on the laptop, but sometimes I just need a simple shape and only have the iPad. Sketchup and onshape do, so there’s a chance!
I use Shapr3D on my iPad.
I downloaded the beta of this quite the while ago but never got around to using it. Looks promising! Having a long history with CAD software from AutoCAD way way back, to SolidWorks/Edge, to some plug-ins with Blender and the once indispensable Fusion, this looks like a great program to bridge the gap that Fusion was (but affordable for us plebs) and more advanced programs without the 10K yearly license.
Great video and in case Onshape goes 'buy or good bye', I'm considering this app. It needs to add some features to be a full CAD-alternative and I hope it will improve on that.
Heck yeah! Plasticity is pretty dang magical
Thanks for this.
Happy to pay $99.00 if it can work for me. The fact of lifetime use and not needing internet connection is great. I'm thinking that the precision should be fine but it's been downplayed to not develop unreasonable expectations perhaps. Hopefully it will be compatible with my older MacBook pro and has the ability to use photos/2d drawings to reference/build a 3d model on. If it can do that and cleanly loft a shape such as an aircraft wing tip I would be thrilled.
This looks like a tool I can get used to, definitely will give the trial a try.
I am learning to model in Blender at the moment, it seems very complex however, I really hope Plasticity vill bridge to it to get the best of both worlds. Great video, thank you!
I have the same problem especially deleting vertexes etc or not filling them properly in Blender. I just bought this and looking forward to learning it.
The combination of easy parametrism known from volume based CAD like onshape or fusion 360 and the flexibility you get from surface and vertex based modelling like blender or 3ds max seems very powerful
Wow, Plasticity looks like a really cool piece of software. I'm definitely interested in trying it.
wonderful informative video as usual, i have been using onshape since it came out, i am a professional Design Engineer using Catia V6 and Siemens NX currently and i love onshape, i like Shapr3D but too expensive and does not have a true assembly product, cant mate or join components, i also use fusion 360 again really good, i tried to use plasticity but came to the same conclusion as you, good for artists not so good for engineers, shame really they are so close to having a CAD system for engineers, then i would buy it, i like to reverse engineer and improve designs i see, Fusion 360 import Mesh is really good, Onshape good too, i think i saw a video you did on this again very informative, you seem to show the correct balance between talking to newbies and people with a few decades of experience.
Ooh I love the offline model with no subscription!
Bro I have been following you since ender 3 was released. Please more smiles and some jokes. Youre a good youtuber and I learn to operate my first ender 3pro from you.
great intro! I too use Onshape for most things, but struggle when adding small details that don't require precision.
It sounds really interesting, and although I'm interested in precise parts it'd be great as a tool like you use it.
Esse software já me conquistou 👍
Based on your video, I believe that plasticity is the best beginner cad software, but I don't expect it to take over fusion, onshape or solidworks anytime soon. It doesn't have the limitations of tinkercad, and is pretty straight forward for somebody who doesn't know how to cad.
Very informative.
And just saw that it's possible to model from imported 2d drawings! This is excellent now if Plasticity is compatible with my computer I'm in business!
Plasticity looks interesting, particularly for those designing art models, miniatures, etc. I'm very happy with FreeCAD and it's gotten much better in the last year - more features and much more robust and reliable. It's capable of full parametric 3D CAD but I mostly use it in a mode similar to how TinkerCAD is used, building objects by adding and subtracting primitive shapes, chamfering, filleting, etc. I think I could draw the sample part in the video faster in FreeCAD, and resizing the hole is simply a matter of altering the parameter in the part tree and the change propagates up the tree to the finished part.
Is the learning curve coming from tinkercad steep? I really struggled with onshape
@@alycapo3391 - FreeCAD in TinkerCAD mode is probably as easy as TinkerCAD. The hard part is ignoring the 90% of the options you aren't using to find the simple primitive shapes, fillet, chamfer, cut, fusion and intersection buttons you use.
The problem is the TH-cam instructional videos. I'm currently using FreeCAD 0.20.1. FreeCAD is still far from version 1.00 but it's been much more stable the last year. Prior to that, the user interface was receiving massive updates when everything would be reorganized, making all of the instructional videos obsolete when the buttons changed and moved. It was almost like trying to learn FreeCAD by watching a Fusion360 video because the software changed so much from one minor release to the next.
The OTHER problem with the instructional videos is that they were made by someone who speaks German or Malaysian or Lithuanian, so there was no narration. It was just a rapid fire screen capture showing where to go and what to click to do something, and the video was over before you could determine what you were trying to do, much less what to click to do it... and as previously mentioned, that was five code releases ago when the buttons looked different, were in a different location, or the approach/methodology was completely different.
The other OTHER problem was the FreeCAD videos weren't teaching the TinkerCAD basics. They were teaching full power 3D parametric CAD from first principles so they'd show a 2D workspace, drawing an arbitrary shape, construction lines, constraining elements of the design until it's fully constrained, lofting or extruding into 3D, etc.
My advice is to install FreeCAD. It's fairly stable now despite the very early looking version number. Don't try to learn it by watching TH-cam videos despite that usually being a great way to learn stuff. Instead, start playing with FreeCAD. File - New. There's a new workspace. Find the 3D primitives - Cube, Sphere, Cylinder, Tube, Cone and Torus. Draw some stuff. Click on the primitives in the left side panel and the parameters appear below. Change the dimensions of the things you drew. Chamfer some cube edges. Fillet some edges. Find the Boolean operators - Cut, Union and Intersection. Play around cutting one object from another. Draw a cube to make a 100mm X 100mm X 20mm thick plate. Draw some 5mm radius cylinders, 20mm tall. Select each in turn, click Placement in the lower left panel, and edit the X and Y positions to move the cylinders into the rectangular plate to array them into a bolt hole pattern. Select all of the cylinders and use the Union button to group them together even though they aren't touching each other. Select the resulting fusion in the left panel and press F2 to rename it to BoltHoles. Select the plate to highlight it, then hold down the Ctrl key and select BoltHoles to highlight it second. Then click on the Cut button from the Boolean operators to cut the bolt holes from the plate. Select the cut object, F2 to rename it MountingPlate. FIle - SaveAs and save the project as MountingPlate.FCStd. Select MountingPlate in the left panel and the part in the right panel turns bright green. File - Export, and save the 3D geometry as MountingPlate.stl, which you can import into a slicer for 3D printing. It really is that easy.
You can do a lot more by playing with more complex aspects of Placement for each element, allowing you to tilt the components at arbitrary angles before you fuse them to other components or subtract them from other components, or create an intersection with other components. Experiment with mirroring and arraying components. Learn as you go, making more complex parts as you need them. Eventually, you may want to learn how to do *REAL* CAD stuff, so you can explore the other buttons and maybe watch specific videos to learn how to emboss text, etc.
In 30 minutes, you're using FreeCAD in TinkerCAD mode and doing productive work. That may be all you need. It's surprising how complex parts can be created from simple components. There's a definite order for the operations that you'll learn with experience. I generally like to make all of the components first, modify them into sub-assemblies (fillets, chamfers, holes, etc.), then fuse them or subtract the sub-assemblies from each other. I'll often make the various cuts (each of which can be fairly complicated) and then fuse them all together into one big Cut assembly before cutting them from the main part fairly late in the design process. It's usually better to fillet or chamfer edges sooner, when a sub-assembly is simpler. Trying to modify an edge that has complex intersections or cuts can break the geometry if you try to put a 2mm fillet on a line segment that is now only 1mm long. I save versions of the project at each stage because during the design process I'll sometimes go down a blind alley and it's faster to start again halfway through the design and go a different direction, so I might have MountingPlate01.FCStd through MountingPlate17.FCStd. I'll generally save MountingPlate.FCStd as the final working version and make the stl model from that.
You'll quickly develop a comfortable familiarity with FreeCAD and it probably won't bother you that you're ignoring 90% of the buttons, but you may decide at some point to make the effort to learn how to use FreeCAD as a real CAD operator. It's actually a completely different program and an entirely different way of approaching a design problem. You may even decide you want to use finite element analysis to model strain or heat flow in your part. FreeCAD has some incredible capabilities if you need them. Or you may decide that you only need to use FreeCAD in TinkerCAD+ mode, which is very powerful and can enable a lot of creativity and productivity for a minimum of invested time.
IMO, there is no point in having a 3D printer if you can't quickly design your own custom parts in some form of 3D CAD software. Once you can, every problem has a 3D printer solution and you'll be using your 3D printer every day to make a custom cup holder for your Japanese mini truck, no-mar feet for your Mom's walker, a little bathroom shelf, a rubbery TPU mount for a universal fuel pump and a fuel line plug to make it easier and safer to swap the fuel pump, conduit holders to convert a free standing shelving unit so your wife can hang her clothes....
Blender and Shapr3D had a baby! Yes and its one time purchase, too good man too good.
Blender is the worst ever 3D software I ever experienced during my professional VFX/3D/Animation career :) It's made by developers for developers. If you feel like Plasticity is "better" it's just 'cause your standards are embarrassingly low. :)) Just compare this to Alias StudioTools i.e. or Modo or any industry standard CAD/design modelling tools.
That plasticity workflow reminds me *a lot* of the original SketchUp workflow, just with the math for solids added on.
That's a good thing, imo.
This is a perfect solution for people who create models. Cars, trains, planes, etc. Being able to quickly add detail without adding a ton of sketches.
7:01 Shift-R in Tinkercad toggles dimension display between object centers and object edges. There's another way to do it but it's been so long since I've used that I've forgotten what it is.
This looks like almost exactly what I want. I've tried learning some new programs, but I always default back to tinkercad for its simplicity. Yet, at the same time, I always feel really limited in having to use work arounds for any detail, like in your fillet example. The main hold up for me though is the lack of stl importing as my main tinkercad use remains adjusting or fixing (for my purposes) others models I find. Shape files are more common now, but it's still very common to only have an stl to work off of. Do you know if there are any plans to add stl importing in the future? This would be the clincher for me to purchase and make my main program.
TinkerCAD has a predefined shape called metafillet to round corners ! exactly like u did it
There is lots of good CAD options out there, it's so good to see the market improving. I just wish everyone would use Catia-style mouse/view navigation. It's so easy and capable!
That's pretty cool. I don't really make anything but functional parts so I don't think it would be applicable for me but I could definitely see this being a good middle step between tinkercad and true parametric design.
Thanks for the info, I have been using tinker cad for a year, and I can get it too make simple things. Boxes, enclosures even some more complex shapes, I think it's time to get into something more advanced, but don't want to pay 500+ a year to do that. I know fusion 360 is free for non commercial use, but I think I will give this a try.
If I recall correctly, there’s already a user-created shape you can use to make fillets in TinkerCad. It saves the step of subtracting a cylinder from a rectanguloid. There are also some shapes with radius corners you could start with. Still, it’s bit of a process.
I’m mostly designing in Shapr3D these days, because I like designing on my iPad with an Apple Pencil and touch controls. If you have an iPad, I’d like to hear your thoughts on it.
When I was using it I used to save objects as tools myself. I had a whole library. Tknkercad is fascinating in how insanely limited it is, and the work arounds that result. It's a great learning tool because it forces you to find creative ways to do things.
I don't have an iPad but I do have a 16" drawing screen/monitor that let's me use my pen in fusion 360, I think I'd be lost without. So much easier than dragging a clunky mouse around the table. I know.. first world problems 😅