I see where you are coming from with this video and while I totally understand the people who are objecting to your presentation of Plasticity as a full replacement for Fusion 360, I understand what you mean. You're like me - wanting a good INTUITIVE 3d modeler to use for your 3d printing projects. Yes, parametric is a wonderful tool to go back and revise things, but some of us love Direct Modeling so much and are so fast with it that the negative of being unable to go back in time and tweak a parameter are outweighed by just the sheer quickness we can model with Direct Modeling. I have been searching and waiting for something like Plasticity for literally YEARS. The combination of direct modeling with precision, low price for OWNERSHIP of the software (not a effing subscription), and rapid improvement (and responsiveness!) of the author make it a winner *for me*. It doesn't need to be a full CAD/CAM package *for my situation*. I can just model it up in Plasticity, export, and do all the analysis/kinematics/etc. I want in another package like FreeCad (also waiting impatiently for FreeCAD 1.0 to release, fixing the main problem with that software: the dreaded topology naming bug). Anyway, carry on with the making and showing! I'm subscribing to your channel. :)
Thank you, and this has to be the best comment I have received (especially from all the negativity and people basically calling me a shill when I was just trying to tell my experience using these software's). You nailed it, though, and I couldn't have said it better myself; that is exactly how I feel about it for my situation. I don't think plasticity is a complete replacement for Fusion 360 (because it's not parametric), but like you said, it's just so intuitive and fun to use. Not to mention, it runs so much better on my PC, plus there is no limit when it comes to how much revenue you can make with it. Anyway, I'm ranting a bit, but thank you for your kind comment.
As a CAD nerd I am super excited about Plasticity. Alibre Design Pro (or your choice) + Plasticity for surfacing blows anything I've tried out there for home use. I can drop a plasticity surface right into Alibre and get to work with parametric history. People have to adjust the traditional CAD workflow a bit. If people see Plasticity as a tool package to complement a CAD package then you can do most of what the expensive packages like NX can do. Plasticity uses the same geometric kernel as NX by the way! If you have to work with dumb solids from other CAD packages, Plasticity is also great for repairing bad geometry, even being able to undo fillets in a lot of circumstances.
@@kevbot. I think its because its cloud based.. I got a super computer and I gave up on fusion 360 since my internet connection is crazily slow, and the pricing is kinda insane for hobbyists. I’ve been using freecad a bit, but I have problems assembling big stuff and its such a messy workflow.. its ok for small parts. Appreciate the video, I’ll try it.
@@eyestonemontanus6377 Only storage is cloud based, and every couple of weeks they check your subscription. The software itself runs locally on your hardware. The only times you can experience lagging is maybe when it's trying to update the software while you work, or when you have complex sketches. Not sure what problem you had, but it wasn't what you think. Maybe compatibility issues?
lol wish i would have scrolled down and saw your comment before watching this entire video. I can usually make it through these pretty easy but man. This one was rough haha.
For beginners who aren't sure if they need parametric or not, consider this example: I recently had to design an accessory part for industrial machinery. This part needed to exist in 15 different lengths. Depending on the length of the part, it needed to have a different number of threaded holes. Instead of creating 15 different models, I created only 1 and assigned variables to some of the dimensions, and I entered a simple formula based on those dimensions for some of the features like the number of holes. When my design was ready, I only needed to enter all 15 lengths in a data table and the software generated all 15 variants of the same part for me, computing and drawing the correct number of holes in the right places. If I needed to make a change, it was automatically applied to all variants. That's the power of parametric.
Well, i am using direct modeling CAD for years and you can also add formulas to drive the model OR it is so quick at designing the 15 models can be created as fast as it takes to setup the parametric table. That is the true power of direct modeling!
@@francismarcoux1985 there's a really good reason that pretty much every single engineering design company out there uses parametric design software as the backbone of their physical product development processes. It's because they are more EFFICIENT by a long stretch, than direct modeling; especially when dimensional modifications to the original design are required.
@@francismarcoux1985I used parametric Alibre until the new owner drove it into a ditch then tried a direct modeling program. NOPE. Once you use parametric, direct modeling feels like kindergarten playing with clay.
Thanks for answering my question. No CAM is a deal breaker. I'll stick with Fusion. I spent way to many years working with CAD and CAM software that was from two different companies. It was very kludgy, cumbersome, and you had to remember so many required tweaks to get anything functional. Fusions built in CAM solved all that and I'm not about to go back to the old ways.
@@francismarcoux1985Formulas are not a substitute for parameters they are an adjunct. Good software practice means that anyone should be able to look at the model and figure out whats going on - even yourself in a year or 2. Parameters with descriptive names help. If you are only making quick throw away models for yourself then anything goes I guess.
@@francismarcoux1985not for prototyping though. Parametric modeling is almost completely necessary for prototyping. When you need to make adjustments that rely on other dimensions, there’s nothing better.
@@jaymuffinz idk how much of a difference it makes but my approach when dealing with parts that need to conform to another part I would just model the part in question and then Boolean.
@@ipodtouchiscoollol yeah but that’s super basic. When creating a shell for electronics for instance (such as the imaged joystick in the video), you can adjust your dimensions to change dynamically. Every adjustment builds off previous steps allowimg you to create alternate models very quickly that abide by the rules given to it. If you needed it to change it to fit a different sized hand. Then you can quickly change a few variables and the new model would adjust according to your steps. This is especially really important if there’s certain tolerances, or regulations, standards, etc that always need to be adhered to. You can operate within those rules while also quickly making alternate options.
Former Autodesk employee here: They will not fix it. They will patch the critical stuff, but their interest is in their tokens and credits to get you paying per use. The price ONLY goes up, as well. It's a big thing in every all-hands meeting about how they want to project the profits, and talk about how they feel each iteration is worth more money because they acquired some developer and rolled their software's functions into fusion. Autodesk is BIG on acquisitions. Honestly, they're just like every other big tech company in that they do not give a shit about you, the consumer. I encourage everyone to use literally anything else but their software, because price will only drop if demand drops, since supply is not actually a thing with subscription based software.
What’s a good alternative? I have a CNC Machine running Mach3 or 4 I can’t remember right now. I liked that Fusion360 could do the tool paths for it but they charge $400 if I want to use tool changing. It’s a hobby I’m learning and all I’ve done is spend money lol. I haven’t made $1 haha. Trying to find something that lets me model and does Mach tool paths with tool changing. I’d be ok if I needed a second piece of software to do the tool pathing.
They always have been this way. Its nothing new. They, like Oracle, are all about getting large orgs hooked on their products and to provide universities and schools less expensive options to help feed that in an ongoing solution. I remember my Mom using a product for drafting homes (ArchiCad) that required a parallel port dongle to be installed on her PC before she could use the product, this dongle managed her licensing and likely total hours of usage, etc. So this industry in general has been all about squeezing money out of the creatives for as long as possible.
@@severpop8699 awesome, I’ll give it a shot and see. It’s not like I was great in fusion anyways so I’m learning one way or another. I’m just sick of paying $400 a year when I’m barely using my machine. I want to be able to use the tool changer when I am ready to go though. So much better than trying to do things with one endmill.
It is a shame that Autodesk has that view. But then again, they don4t give a shit about me feeling shame LOL. I needed a "tab and pocket" feauture just this week. After searching the net high and low, I found a thread that has been logged 6 years ago, requesting that tool. To date, it still hasn't been implemented! I am looking at Solidworks now for a potential replacement. But dreading the learning curve. Oh, BTW, I'm a hobbyist too. To create those tabs manually is a right pain in the arse. Unless there is another software that can do it? Or even better still, edit a IAM file to add tabs (highly unlikely right?)
Engineers have struggled to adapt to new ways of doing things, just like it happened for paper drawings, CAD (to paper), model based definition (PMI). I can find many use cases where it may not fit the fillet machining mode we're used to. In standard cases yes, but free-form surfacing doesn't necessarily lend itself to requiring model history. Typically, only constraints are required. I'd hate to be the Hasbro tooling engineer working with Zbrush models! Plasticity is not an engineering tool either, but it is a very powerful tool to complement others.
But I feel like as an industrial designer. It is a very nice tool for a first ideation modeling that allow some basic prototyping, dimension fixing, etc as a first step before pushing into a complete CAD on SolidWorks.
Exactly. Parametric modelling isn't just for correcting mistakes like he says, it is for being able to tweak and alter the model as you need to. Without parametric modelling and a timeline if you need to change anything in the model you either need to keep altering it with direct modelling which just leads to issues or you need to completely remodel it.
@@modelenginerding6996 This is not a case of engineers struggling to adapt to new things at all, it all depends on what you are actually doing. For the vast majority of engineers that use CAD, changing to a direct modelling program like Plasticity is not a good idea and would make their jobs harder. Changing from paper drawings to CAD is not the same as switching to a direct modelling software with no history or timeline, switching from paper to CAD had a lot of benefits, changing to Plasticity or other direct modelling software doesn't for the majority of engineers.
Very bold title. Plasticity was developed for hard surface artists and is not a full CAD Software like Fusion 360. No CAM, parametric modeling or FEM analysis. Which software is better just boils down to your individual usecase.
Only a few people need FEM add on and parametric is way over rated. Modifying existing in Plasticity is generally much easier than traditional CAD. The Blender bridge is the icing on the cake IMHO
Does Plasticity allow you to model profile and then extract it along a path or follow a path? I am in the process of downgrading from my full version of Autocad to AutocadLt. A major reason is the lack of FBX extension support which they stopped after the 2018 version. You literally limited to which other programs you could export your 3D models to. So I'm planning to get the AutocadLt/RevitLt Suite and then just add another 3D modeling program. Which will work out to less than the $2,000 /year that I will be paying. I have had Autocad for many years but Autodesk is just getting too greedy, literally forcing me to get another of their prog5just so I can have the FBX feature. There is no reason whatsoever for them to have removed it from Autocad. So I am looking at Sketchup and now will be looking at Plasticity and Shapr3D. Hadn't heard of them until you mentioned them.
@@s.patterson5698 You can use the 'sweep' command to extract along a path. Profiles can be extracted but sheets can be used to extract to a solid.. It's pretty intuitive.
@@weplaywax it's always suspicious when some previously unknown piece of software is suddenly recommended by youtubers and you still never hear of the software outside of the youtube videos. Could just be that the TH-camrs discovered it before the rest of us but most of the time it isn't. Onshape is a good example, all of a sudden a lot of youtubers were using it, they didn't hide that it was sponsored though but they did miss out on one major detail, everything you make with a free account is public, anyone else using onshape can copy and use your models.
@@carlperkins1812 If he was paid for it or receives a benefit for making the video, yes, he has to indicate that. It is a requirement of the FTC Endorsement Guidelines. He explicitly states that he was not paid for the video though.
@@carlperkins1812 The whole "Oh no I'm going to hit the artificial $1000 a year limit, whatever will I do" thing makes this video very clearly have a hidden agenda. The $1000 a year thing can be safely ignored by small time creators and AutoDesk must be well aware of this fact.
He acknowledged that it doesn't do everything that Fusion 360 can. It is just a different tool to do the work he does. Painters use different tools brushes, rollers, or sprayers. They choose what does the job at hand the best. I used to use SketchUp to create visuals, there was a large user base with numerous user made plugins that allowed incredible shapes to be created. It was great until they changed the terms, and killed the free version. Maybe plastic can fill that niche.
I use FreeCAD. I like the fact that it is open source and is parametric. Im not trying to model articulated and complex models, so it satisfies my needs greatly. There is a bit of a learning curve, but once you start getting the hang of it it is SO easy to model things.
I believe they have people that look for websites and other company related things to get an idea of what you might take in. Then flag you if they think you are over. Also if you use it too many hours per year they will ask you to buy it. Which I would say is fair. They have the most fair license schema of any I have used. If you make money, we want a cut for using our tools.
FreeCad is excellent, it's what we adopted, too bad he didn't give it a go.. There is a learning curve with the sketching, etc, but if you have some experience with another software, you'll have most of the basic concepts and there are lots of good videos to help you. It's literally free, and you can export your models for production or to take into blender for modeling right away. We've send production parts overseas for milling and 3d printing, it's flawless...
Have you seen how ridiculously expensive onshape is? More than double the cost per year. And as far as the free tier goes you'd be better of just sticking with F360
@testboga5991 It depends on your use case. Plasticity is targeted towards artists who are primarily interested in just making something that's visually appealing, and Plasticity is great for that. You can make a cool model very quickly and efficiently. It combines tools from other CAD softwares like Moi, Fusion, Rhino, etc but offers them at a much cheaper price and typically with better functionality. There's a fuck ton of things that Plasticity does better than other CAD somftwares, like direct face/edge editing and faster calculations to name a couple, but it isn't perfect. Again, it depends on your use case. For example, Plasticity sucks for precision modelling, so if you're making models that are intended to be manufactured or used functionally, stick to something like Fusion or Solidworks.
Onshape looks great but having to choose between all your designs being public and paying $1,500/year ("best for individuals" lol) is kind of ridiculous. I wish they'd offer an affordable plan, like a "maker" price for people who are willing to pay a bit but aren't making money from their designs.
@@tratzum I had that same feeling when I started. My break through came when I decided not to use dimensions, or use them as little as possible, and only place items using constraints. Click! Then it seems I was able to use the constraint system without issue.
I'm a CAD designer of about 25 years. I'd be willing to bet that Plasticity eventually goes parametric (Just like FreeCAD used to not be, but is now). A tip for your viewers: You can get a solidworks makers license if paid up front for a year, for $48 for the year. If you pay monthly, it would be $15 per month, so it's worth paying up front. You do have a similar stipulation on how much you can make per year. I believe it's $2,000, so there is that. Solidworks is pretty good. I'm a CATIA user and love it, but solidworks is a capable software that has a huge user base and I do have the maker's license that I use at home and for designing things to 3D print. I'll definitely keep my eye on plasticity and see how it develops over the years. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing. I always thought Solidworks was very expensive; its awesome to hear that they have a maker license now (especially only being $48 a year). Also, you are definitely right. I'm sure plasticity will go parametric at some point.
Hello , i am an Tattoo Artist and i want to sculpt 3d printed Alienembryos , paint it and put it in a Glass , can you give me a top which Peogram i can use ?
@@mikekuner2647 I would start with Blender since it's Free and since it's more geared towards "sculpting" figures, etc.. Maybe watch some tutorials and see if it makes sense to you before you invest too much time. Blender is a different kind of modeling, but if you're just starting out, it might make it easier to learn. But....If Blender seems weird and not how you would envision modeling, then I would look at maybe getting a more traditional CAD Modeling software like the Solidworks Makers License, however your final project plan of an Alien embryo seems like it would be better suite with something like Blender anyway.
As an engineer I’ve used waaay too many CAD softwares and my go to at home is SOLIDWORKS. (I have lifelong access to my university email so I’ve been able to access the student edition for years now 😂 )
Makers license isn’t great. My son bought it and created some models. Later he went back in to show someone what he created but it broke and wouldn’t let him log in. At this point I saw support was terrible as they just said buy another subscription. They weren’t interested in getting his work back. Hope this helps.
F360 has been in a downward spiral for years. The price keeps going up, new features are being locked into "extensions" that cost multiple times that of the software itself, stability and performance are afterthoughts at best, etc. If at any point Solidworks makes its way to the mac, I'm ditching Fusion without even thinking twice.
It comes and goes, some features made included, some moved to $1200/yr packs, and some to a credit based process for simulation and rendering. It works for my business because it has a bit of everything and about 95% or what we need even for strange projects. Oh also, the electronic pack included? It's pretty good, I just spent $12k on altium designer, and that's a lot of cash in comparison for we already had included. Nice breakdown!
I've been using OPENSCAD for about 12 years now. It's purely script which means you can edit separate parts of your objects, reuse code etc very easily. Only complaint I have with it that it doesn't have 3D fileting. Despite that though, I use it for everything. Scripted vases, cogs, home and work related stuff and for friends. Latest one is a hydrofoil mast where I did 3D fileting between a foil section and a plate by unioning a series of scripted resized foil sections in pairs to create the mathematical curves I wanted. If you're good at scripting it's a great choice and it's free. If I;m designing something I start with measuring up the environment it's fitting in to, record these in comments and then start implementing.
In that vain, you could also be looking at Build123d, which is a bit more complicated but more powerful / faster to run. I started out with openscad, moved to cadquery and now moved to build123d.
This is where cadquery and build123d come in, they export to step / brep which can be used in other software. They also support asemblies and work reasonably well for more complex models.
for people who dont know what parametric modelling is, lets say i had a square with a hole, if i made the square smaller, parametric modelling wouldnt make the hole smaller but only the square around it will, without parametric modelling the circle will go smaller with the square
I use a $10k commercial version at work for mechanical design, but Solid Edge has a totally free Community Version. Free forever. It's exactly the same version I use at work, the only caveat is that anything created or saved in the community version can never again be opened in the commercial version. It can be fully parametric, or run in what they call a synchronous environment. A single part can have features in both environments simultaneously. It has a reverse-engineering feature set that will allow importing surface (like STL models) and convert them to solid models. If you use step files, you can edit them directly, like add or delete features, move or resize holes, or the entire entire model. There's also a 3D printing tool set, but I normally just export step to my slicing tool. It can do true surfacing as well, but it's great for more prismatic mechanical parts. I like it a lot better than Fusion 360. But I'm going to try Plasticity out too.
@@henrytikka3315 It is different just some of its features arrent very apparent and some major ones are coming out soon. but i can see why you say that, your definitely not wrong where on the surface it does seem pretty similar to fusion.
Anyone watching this, I have one thing to say..... Make it. Make it out of steel, aluminum, plastic. Get ahold of an actual mill\lathe (CNC or Manual) and make it. Drawing graphics is one thing. Making it into an actual product is another. Great video!
I have one question about Plasticity: How easy is it to code add-ons or modifications for it? I love automating repetitive tasks and hate actually repeating tasks manually, to the point that I am one of those "If you have to do it twice, code it as a subroutine" people, so ease of coding things such as automating any sort of thing where you have to "Do the same thing over again, but in a different place" is key if I want to use this software. Sufficiently detailed access to the internal workings of this software (via an API constructed by the makers of Plasticity) could, with sufficient effort invested, actually add the ability to do parametric modelling. I can actually already think of a way to make that work with mostly things I saw in this video, specifically the Blender connection thing. Blender allows you to do a limited amount of parametric modeling, so if the connection between Plasticity and Blender were simply made bidirectional (any changes in one update the other, rather than only changes in Plasticity updating the view in Blender), you would have a subset of parametric modeling by default. Back on the subject of automating repetitive tasks, I have a few examples: Putting gear teeth on a gear. Drafting a series of connected lines and splines, selecting them all, converting them to a set of datums, and then telling it to put threaded holes evenly spaced and centered on that selection of datums. Now for the heavy lifting one: Hair tufts. These require a certain degree of randomness in their length, as well as probably a way to define a length gradient mapped to a curved surface such as the head of a modeled character, that way the hair of the character would have the intended style simply by defining the tuft length as some range of values centered on the strength of the gradient at any given location. Basically, there's all kinds of things that are possible if there is sufficient access to the internal workings of the software, and all of it depends on the presence (and feature set) of the API.
So, what is this high spec computer? I have been using Fusion for the better part of 5 years, also in it's Beta stage, and I have no crash issues or performance drops even in huge models.
Same and I have what would be considered a low to mid range PC (CPU is Ryzen 5 2600 with 32 GB of Ram and at the start an rx580 for the GPU, with slow internet (30 mbps)) and fusion has always worked fine for me as has solidworks.
I'm investing in Rhino. I've started recently and found it really amazing for industrial design in general. With Grasshopper, it's unbeatable! Also, perpetual licenses are really important to me, so it was no brainer.
The problem for me is that there isn't a license that fits my needs. I'm not commercial - a hobby user only with no sales at all. I'm not a student (old retired guy here) so that license doesn't apply. At around $1k for a commercial license, I just can't afford it. I prefer software that I actually pay for. However, the cost has to fit how often I use it and given that I rarely have to actually design something, I just don't see it being for me. Sketchup (which I use for basic woodworking design) has the same problem.
SW has a hobby license too. It was ~$10/month and it ran super smooth when I tried it l. I’m guessing you can ignore the income limits as this seems unenforceable for small business - but that is some degree of personal risk never the less…. Maybe you can subtract your time, electric bill and other home office costs from your profits to make yourself feel better? Idk… In the end I’m back to F360 because I learned so many little tricks and don’t want to spend the time to find those tricks in SW. I need to rip off the bandaid though…
SolidEdge has a hobby license for 0$ which make me sad because I really like SolidWorks. But SolidEdge offer way more thing and even give you Generative Design (Only Flexion optimisation in the community edition, the free one)
I'll be honest, I'm new to the 3D printing world. Even so, I can't imaging not having the ability to input solid measurments. Without that ability, when making parts that require precision, do you print out multiple variants until you find the one print that works? That would seem extremely wasteful (time, money, and material). Please explain this for me as I'm looking for the best software to use with my new 3D printer. Thanks!
I am missing a bit of the point about what you wanna do, you compare CAD software with vfx software here, this is like comparing your car with a Formula 1 car, both are cars but they are meant for very different purposes. Blender, Maya, Houdini, etc... are meant to be used for vfx. Precision, building instruction, part lists, and all that stuff that does not matter for those software packages. shapre3d is a software created for a machine called Shaper Origin, yes it is a CAD software but the only focus really is to work with their machine. Plasticity is using cad technology but is also meant for vfx this is why the focus is more on modeling and feels like software to create models for vfx. And that is really not clear to me from this video what is your intent, do you wanna make movies, do you need 3d models for printing, do you do rapid prototyping are you drawing instructions for your workshop? those are the things that will define which software you use.
Shapr3D has absolutely nothing to do with Shaper Origin or the Shaper Tools company. It's a 3D CAD software first made for iPad and now with history-based parametric tool set, available for Windows, Mac and iOS. Blender, Maya, Plasticity, etc. can be used for anything. But they're not CAD. The same way Adobe Illustrator, while an amazing vector illustration tool, is not 2D CAD at all. My recommendation to anyone consider Blender is to also look at Moment of Inspiration (MoI - absolutely stupid name that's holding it back). It has a lot of promise, even if development is super (super!) slow.
Well if you checked the thumbnails of his videos on his channel you'd see that he's selling 3d printed models which is why I can see why he'd want something cheaper than Fusion and Plastictiy is good enough for 3D printing projects
I can't remember what it was, but there was something about the editability of the software that threw me off of Plasticity. I think once you join you can't adjust. Something like that. Really hurt my workflow, and saving a bunch of shadow groups is just clunky and weird. If they fix that - I'll jump back to them ASAP.
They don't. They have no inherent way of knowing or tracking how much you make with your files and it would likely cost them more to hire people to try and catch people making over the limit.
i used a lot inventor proffessional to design in my small workshop but is no longer a free licence so i need another soft when be able to design separated pieces and then put it togheter to make an asembly, did u have some idea about some out there?
How does it compare with Rhino? Grasshopper is a pretty big attraction to Rhino which I haven't seen in other CADs. The lack of parametric on both is a big problem for me though.
You said you have a high end computer and Fusion 360 struggles on it. Can you share the specs you have for your computer? I'm curious what cpu, gpu and how much RAM you have. Also, curious how much dedicated RAM your GPU has.
I run fusion on a 1000$ laptop with no issue. I know 1000$ isnt "cheap" but it is on the lower end of things as far as computers go. Its an asus tuf16 gaming laptop. No issues at all for modeling, i dont do alot of rendering so im not sure how it would handle a huge render but the basic ones i do work fine.
@@conorstewart2214 I have never had crash on when rendering. But I have had 2500 crashes in Fusion. It crashes when you are trying to do something innovative or hard or simply convert bigger scanned STL into solid body.
I love f360.. ya it has its drawbacks but I’ll happily pay for it. You can make pretty awesome organic looking models in f360 if you know what you’re doing.
Originally I learned 3d studio Max 3.1, completely from two hugely thick bibles, plus a smaller book for character studio. Back in 1998 we relied on excellent manuals, with a small written tutorial section. Now we have amazingly connected communities, that can give you answers to extremely specific questions. So written tutorials are still king, but from that you can create a community greater than the parts that make it up. 🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😑🍀😊☮️😂
I went to Taft Union High in California, and I too took 3ds Max in 2000 and 2001, and had the hugest bible's to carry around. Printer was probably half the cost of the school too. lol
@@kevbot. I remember downloading and printing the book about 3d max in aprox. 1995. I spent like whole day printing the book on the loudest matrix printer. That was wild.
Reading your comment took me back 😂 i remember those bibles. My dad was a reseller for autocad and 3dstudio (Dos version). I still have my manuals for max 3.1 and softimage 3d extreeme and XSI
Yea I thought that license was for full version updates of Plasticity to. That is until 8 months into my subscription and 2.0 came out and I was told if I wanted to upgrade to it I had to pay for another year and I was not even offered to get a break for the 4 months I still had left on my current subscription. So NO you do not get a free upgrade to a major release, that is a LIE!
Fun to see my shapr3D bottle design tutorial shown here;) For what you model fusion360 is overboard - it is a mechanical tool. Plasticity is a Freeform modeler that also offers DM and possibly soon will have a history / interactive modeling. For the price it is a top tool. There is also for cad freeCad. For what you model blender isn’t suitable or look at the mesh machine add-on.
@@kevbot. yeah I make many of the Shapr tutorials. They have that German accent voice;) Shapr is pretty amazing but I think as you found out Plasticity will honestly we your best tool.
I love those tutorials, man; they are great! I do like shapr a lot, but plasticity's price was more appealing to me at the moment. I may end up using shapr though, if I'm making a prototype that will need lots of revisions.
Internet connection is the bottleneck with Fusion as it is cloud based. Solidworks when I switched required decent computer power, a year later they went all Autodesk on us so I moved to Freecad. No it isn't the old local install Solidworks, but it is a genuine local install with no bloody cloud. I don't regret switching to Freecad, you don't have to fight it like Fusion and it is mostly more stable. Taking hours to solve the Windows 10 / Fusion update rock, paper, scissors debacle a couple of times a month became untenable even before the price gouging started. Version 0.22 should cut a lot of time from designs especially the dimensioning going more like Solidworks. TH-cam resources are becoming good, try Mango Jelly Solutions for instance.
May I add another gripe re: F360? It was solely because AD INSISTED on my moving to Windoze 10 that I finally knuckled under. WHAT A BLEEPIN NIGHTMARE! DOG - slow for EVERYTHING now, not JUST F360! Boils my BLOOD!
Fusion was my intro then blender. Them having a baby is a good analogy. Fusion feels so rigid it's stifling. Plasticity feels right. It's smooth, uncluttered, intuitive. I feel connected. The lack of history is my sole problem with it. It's so important. Many hours spent redoing something instead of being able to change in real time. The creator put a vid out yesterday and that was mentioned as a future feature. Also, there are some shapes that fusion can do which plasticity can't though that could've been a flawed approach from me or an earlier, less capable version.
Plasticity has history, it's just linear. Once youre used you a non parametric modeling history, it's not bad at all. You just have to keep your splines and you can easier edit and recreate most things. Parametric would be better of course, but it would also limit the flow and usability it has.
The youtube equivalent of the chick that has a blog and goes through her post-divorce vacation in italy where she reinvented herself over 17 paragraphs before giving you the fucking apple pie recipe you came for. Skip to 6:00. And then you realize it's a cheesecake (non parametric design)
You are comparing apples and pairs here. The Design Part is only like 25% of what Fusion can do. It is also a fully capable CAM software, you can do generative design with force calculations and a new feature is it can automatically generate manufacturing drawings. So yea if you are just using the cad portion it might be expensive. But your title that plasticity is much better than Fusion is just plain wrong.
What is steering you from Solidworks? I’m experienced in Fusion, Creo, and Solidworks and Solidworks is definitely my favorite. Unfortunately I can’t run it on my Mac :/
@@kevbot. you will have no issues using it it is very similar to Fusion, less laggy, but price…I get academic license, I’m not sure what their other offerings are
@@aai2962 First...He said he recently listed them for sale...i take that to mean the last few months so if he made $1000 in the last few months he would be closer to 4k per year. Now he may be treating recently as an entirely different timeline and he can interject if he wants to correct my assumption. Second, Anything beyond the cost to produce something is profit. Since you have no idea how much it cost him to produce his individual designs and how much the individual designs have made him you have no way to say what is and is not profit. Third, His digital designs do not have ongoing costs which means all of them given enough time will produce nothing but profit and the more designs he posts the more profit he will bring in. With all that said, yes i think it is perfectly reasonable for him to spend $700 a year on a more powerful CAD software that he is already familiar with and his designs stored in.
Non-parametric for Plasticity? WTF? Who would even spend time programming such a backwards system? Do they have plans to make it parametric in the future? Even 10-year-old versions of FreeCAD would be better atm.
How do you get the Fusion 360 hobby license anyway? It seems the "free" version had a ton of features limited to a point where you really have to get the standard license?
Shapr is parametric now and feels like that sweet spot between almost fully featured CAD software for product designers and hobbyists wanting to design and print things at home. Definitely worth the price.
Does it work on Linux? Fusion doesn’t, and I used the trial version of that forever but a change in computer made me realize that the change to Linux was giving another hiccup.
Just a quick note here. Not sure if you have evaluated Rhino3D or Rhinoceros 8. It's a good value and does have a learning curve but once you learn where everything is you can get a lot done. Makes reverse engineering a breeze for me. I need Fusion 360 for toolpathing.
There is an option to export models in high quality on the free version of sharp3D. Also added the ability to see the history of actions and corrections. The only limitation is 2 projects at a time
I gave it a go and I like it but it is difficult to modify things if you wanna tweak something. Is there a software similar to this but allows a bit more parametric style editing?
I have about 200-500 crashes a year in Autodesk Fusion on iMac. I have learned to save often, but when the model gets large, that is frustrating too since saving can easily take minute and you can’t do anything while it saves. I have professional licence. I only do solid modeling about 1000 hours a year for fifth year, still cant understand how the surface and other witchcraftery works in it so I avoid them.
I’m using shapr right now but I won’t be able to swing another $300+ a year for it. How are you liking plasticity and would you say it’s similar learning curve to shapr?
Its very similar to Shapr except it has some extra features or tools that can help you design. You will pick up plasticity very quickly if you try it. The big downside, though, is that it is not parametric like Shaper. Which is a deal breaker for most people. I just love how easy it is to design things with plasticity, even without it being parametric. I do wish Shapr was cheaper, though, because I would happily use that software as well.
If Fusion is crash when using complex models, you might not have enough ram. The when starting back up fusion does things in the background with the large model (preloading/uploading to cloud) that makes it hang.
I never have issues with F360 crashing or lagging? I use it on a gaming PC without issues but even on my old laptop it works fine with simple models. I feel like you have a driver issue or other issue with Windows.
You are right. I looked more into it, and apparently there was a background process/ driver that could cause issues. I disabled it, and now Fusion is running better but still not perfect.
I played around with Shapr3d it's ok maybe even great, but lacks important features required for me to take it seriously. No built in tap & thread features is a big deal when you are making equipment and assemblies.
i started learning fusion360 today. Went in with 30mins of Product Design Online video and then youtube recommends this to me :( Tell me what should i do ? I am yet to receive my first 3d printer a1 mini in 3 days.
Stick with fusion if you aren't selling your designs. Its free to use and fairly easy to learn. If you end up not liking it, you can always try plasticity or something else. The skills you learn in fusion will translate over to most of the other CAD software's.
how about cam and pcb design? i know paying so much sucks but its far cheaper than fe solidworks.. i hate it when it shuts down too but solidworks fucked up all the time so...hm..
I see where you are coming from with this video and while I totally understand the people who are objecting to your presentation of Plasticity as a full replacement for Fusion 360, I understand what you mean. You're like me - wanting a good INTUITIVE 3d modeler to use for your 3d printing projects. Yes, parametric is a wonderful tool to go back and revise things, but some of us love Direct Modeling so much and are so fast with it that the negative of being unable to go back in time and tweak a parameter are outweighed by just the sheer quickness we can model with Direct Modeling. I have been searching and waiting for something like Plasticity for literally YEARS. The combination of direct modeling with precision, low price for OWNERSHIP of the software (not a effing subscription), and rapid improvement (and responsiveness!) of the author make it a winner *for me*. It doesn't need to be a full CAD/CAM package *for my situation*. I can just model it up in Plasticity, export, and do all the analysis/kinematics/etc. I want in another package like FreeCad (also waiting impatiently for FreeCAD 1.0 to release, fixing the main problem with that software: the dreaded topology naming bug). Anyway, carry on with the making and showing! I'm subscribing to your channel. :)
Thank you, and this has to be the best comment I have received (especially from all the negativity and people basically calling me a shill when I was just trying to tell my experience using these software's). You nailed it, though, and I couldn't have said it better myself; that is exactly how I feel about it for my situation. I don't think plasticity is a complete replacement for Fusion 360 (because it's not parametric), but like you said, it's just so intuitive and fun to use. Not to mention, it runs so much better on my PC, plus there is no limit when it comes to how much revenue you can make with it. Anyway, I'm ranting a bit, but thank you for your kind comment.
As a CAD nerd I am super excited about Plasticity. Alibre Design Pro (or your choice) + Plasticity for surfacing blows anything I've tried out there for home use. I can drop a plasticity surface right into Alibre and get to work with parametric history. People have to adjust the traditional CAD workflow a bit. If people see Plasticity as a tool package to complement a CAD package then you can do most of what the expensive packages like NX can do. Plasticity uses the same geometric kernel as NX by the way! If you have to work with dumb solids from other CAD packages, Plasticity is also great for repairing bad geometry, even being able to undo fillets in a lot of circumstances.
Ugh. That topology naming bug is the bane of my existence.
@@kevbot. I think its because its cloud based.. I got a super computer and I gave up on fusion 360 since my internet connection is crazily slow, and the pricing is kinda insane for hobbyists. I’ve been using freecad a bit, but I have problems assembling big stuff and its such a messy workflow.. its ok for small parts. Appreciate the video, I’ll try it.
@@eyestonemontanus6377 Only storage is cloud based, and every couple of weeks they check your subscription. The software itself runs locally on your hardware. The only times you can experience lagging is maybe when it's trying to update the software while you work, or when you have complex sketches. Not sure what problem you had, but it wasn't what you think. Maybe compatibility issues?
the video starts at 6:07
lol wish i would have scrolled down and saw your comment before watching this entire video. I can usually make it through these pretty easy but man. This one was rough haha.
Thank you.
Thanks man
Thanks~
Thank you, I was skipping around trying to figure when the story part ended
For beginners who aren't sure if they need parametric or not, consider this example: I recently had to design an accessory part for industrial machinery. This part needed to exist in 15 different lengths. Depending on the length of the part, it needed to have a different number of threaded holes. Instead of creating 15 different models, I created only 1 and assigned variables to some of the dimensions, and I entered a simple formula based on those dimensions for some of the features like the number of holes. When my design was ready, I only needed to enter all 15 lengths in a data table and the software generated all 15 variants of the same part for me, computing and drawing the correct number of holes in the right places. If I needed to make a change, it was automatically applied to all variants. That's the power of parametric.
Well, i am using direct modeling CAD for years and you can also add formulas to drive the model OR it is so quick at designing the 15 models can be created as fast as it takes to setup the parametric table. That is the true power of direct modeling!
@@francismarcoux1985 there's a really good reason that pretty much every single engineering design company out there uses parametric design software as the backbone of their physical product development processes. It's because they are more EFFICIENT by a long stretch, than direct modeling; especially when dimensional modifications to the original design are required.
@@francismarcoux1985I used parametric Alibre until the new owner drove it into a ditch then tried a direct modeling program. NOPE. Once you use parametric, direct modeling feels like kindergarten playing with clay.
Thanks for answering my question. No CAM is a deal breaker. I'll stick with Fusion. I spent way to many years working with CAD and CAM software that was from two different companies. It was very kludgy, cumbersome, and you had to remember so many required tweaks to get anything functional. Fusions built in CAM solved all that and I'm not about to go back to the old ways.
@@francismarcoux1985Formulas are not a substitute for parameters they are an adjunct. Good software practice means that anyone should be able to look at the model and figure out whats going on - even yourself in a year or 2. Parameters with descriptive names help. If you are only making quick throw away models for yourself then anything goes I guess.
The lack of parametric modeling for anything that requires prototyping is a big deal breaker.
Totally agree, it definitely makes prototyping way more difficult.
I disagree. I ve been using direct modeling CAD softwre for years and it is quicker and very simple editing 3D models. It is a different approach
@@francismarcoux1985not for prototyping though. Parametric modeling is almost completely necessary for prototyping. When you need to make adjustments that rely on other dimensions, there’s nothing better.
@@jaymuffinz idk how much of a difference it makes but my approach when dealing with parts that need to conform to another part I would just model the part in question and then Boolean.
@@ipodtouchiscoollol yeah but that’s super basic. When creating a shell for electronics for instance (such as the imaged joystick in the video), you can adjust your dimensions to change dynamically. Every adjustment builds off previous steps allowimg you to create alternate models very quickly that abide by the rules given to it. If you needed it to change it to fit a different sized hand. Then you can quickly change a few variables and the new model would adjust according to your steps. This is especially really important if there’s certain tolerances, or regulations, standards, etc that always need to be adhered to. You can operate within those rules while also quickly making alternate options.
If you don't want to watch everything. The software is plasticity and the price was the reason why he switched. The Video starts from 6:07
@@nebula9117 because you know $150 is a much better price than free
extra tip. use 1.5 speed
I love you
Not just the price, also the performance, Fusion 360 was too slow
THANK YOU
Former Autodesk employee here:
They will not fix it. They will patch the critical stuff, but their interest is in their tokens and credits to get you paying per use. The price ONLY goes up, as well. It's a big thing in every all-hands meeting about how they want to project the profits, and talk about how they feel each iteration is worth more money because they acquired some developer and rolled their software's functions into fusion. Autodesk is BIG on acquisitions.
Honestly, they're just like every other big tech company in that they do not give a shit about you, the consumer. I encourage everyone to use literally anything else but their software, because price will only drop if demand drops, since supply is not actually a thing with subscription based software.
What’s a good alternative? I have a CNC Machine running Mach3 or 4 I can’t remember right now. I liked that Fusion360 could do the tool paths for it but they charge $400 if I want to use tool changing. It’s a hobby I’m learning and all I’ve done is spend money lol. I haven’t made $1 haha. Trying to find something that lets me model and does Mach tool paths with tool changing. I’d be ok if I needed a second piece of software to do the tool pathing.
They always have been this way. Its nothing new. They, like Oracle, are all about getting large orgs hooked on their products and to provide universities and schools less expensive options to help feed that in an ongoing solution. I remember my Mom using a product for drafting homes (ArchiCad) that required a parallel port dongle to be installed on her PC before she could use the product, this dongle managed her licensing and likely total hours of usage, etc. So this industry in general has been all about squeezing money out of the creatives for as long as possible.
@@scooteracersFreeCad is what you want, steep learning curve I agree, but in one year you will be looking for me to bring me that beer.
@@severpop8699 awesome, I’ll give it a shot and see. It’s not like I was great in fusion anyways so I’m learning one way or another. I’m just sick of paying $400 a year when I’m barely using my machine. I want to be able to use the tool changer when I am ready to go though. So much better than trying to do things with one endmill.
It is a shame that Autodesk has that view. But then again, they don4t give a shit about me feeling shame LOL.
I needed a "tab and pocket" feauture just this week. After searching the net high and low, I found a thread that has been logged 6 years ago, requesting that tool. To date, it still hasn't been implemented! I am looking at Solidworks now for a potential replacement. But dreading the learning curve. Oh, BTW, I'm a hobbyist too. To create those tabs manually is a right pain in the arse.
Unless there is another software that can do it? Or even better still, edit a IAM file to add tabs (highly unlikely right?)
I’m an engineer. Non parametric is absolutely no go.
yes absolutely correct...😅
Engineers have struggled to adapt to new ways of doing things, just like it happened for paper drawings, CAD (to paper), model based definition (PMI). I can find many use cases where it may not fit the fillet machining mode we're used to. In standard cases yes, but free-form surfacing doesn't necessarily lend itself to requiring model history. Typically, only constraints are required. I'd hate to be the Hasbro tooling engineer working with Zbrush models! Plasticity is not an engineering tool either, but it is a very powerful tool to complement others.
But I feel like as an industrial designer. It is a very nice tool for a first ideation modeling that allow some basic prototyping, dimension fixing, etc as a first step before pushing into a complete CAD on SolidWorks.
Exactly. Parametric modelling isn't just for correcting mistakes like he says, it is for being able to tweak and alter the model as you need to. Without parametric modelling and a timeline if you need to change anything in the model you either need to keep altering it with direct modelling which just leads to issues or you need to completely remodel it.
@@modelenginerding6996 This is not a case of engineers struggling to adapt to new things at all, it all depends on what you are actually doing. For the vast majority of engineers that use CAD, changing to a direct modelling program like Plasticity is not a good idea and would make their jobs harder. Changing from paper drawings to CAD is not the same as switching to a direct modelling software with no history or timeline, switching from paper to CAD had a lot of benefits, changing to Plasticity or other direct modelling software doesn't for the majority of engineers.
Very bold title. Plasticity was developed for hard surface artists and is not a full CAD Software like Fusion 360. No CAM, parametric modeling or FEM analysis. Which software is better just boils down to your individual usecase.
I agree. It definitely depends on what you do. Plasticity is just working better for me as of late.
Only a few people need FEM add on and parametric is way over rated. Modifying existing in Plasticity is generally much easier than traditional CAD. The Blender bridge is the icing on the cake IMHO
definitely click bait
Does Plasticity allow you to model profile and then extract it along a path or follow a path? I am in the process of downgrading from my full version of Autocad to AutocadLt. A major reason is the lack of FBX extension support which they stopped after the 2018 version. You literally limited to which other programs you could export your 3D models to. So I'm planning to get the AutocadLt/RevitLt Suite and then just add another 3D modeling program. Which will work out to less than the $2,000 /year that I will be paying. I have had Autocad for many years but Autodesk is just getting too greedy, literally forcing me to get another of their prog5just so I can have the FBX feature. There is no reason whatsoever for them to have removed it from Autocad.
So I am looking at Sketchup and now will be looking at Plasticity and Shapr3D. Hadn't heard of them until you mentioned them.
@@s.patterson5698 You can use the 'sweep' command to extract along a path. Profiles can be extracted but sheets can be used to extract to a solid.. It's pretty intuitive.
A perfect example of comparing apples with oranges
@@weplaywax it's always suspicious when some previously unknown piece of software is suddenly recommended by youtubers and you still never hear of the software outside of the youtube videos. Could just be that the TH-camrs discovered it before the rest of us but most of the time it isn't.
Onshape is a good example, all of a sudden a lot of youtubers were using it, they didn't hide that it was sponsored though but they did miss out on one major detail, everything you make with a free account is public, anyone else using onshape can copy and use your models.
@@weplaywax yeah its surprising how many influencers suddenly dont need parametric CAD. Shouldnt he have to declare hes been asked to do this.
@@carlperkins1812 If he was paid for it or receives a benefit for making the video, yes, he has to indicate that. It is a requirement of the FTC Endorsement Guidelines. He explicitly states that he was not paid for the video though.
@@carlperkins1812 The whole "Oh no I'm going to hit the artificial $1000 a year limit, whatever will I do" thing makes this video very clearly have a hidden agenda. The $1000 a year thing can be safely ignored by small time creators and AutoDesk must be well aware of this fact.
He acknowledged that it doesn't do everything that Fusion 360 can. It is just a different tool to do the work he does. Painters use different tools brushes, rollers, or sprayers. They choose what does the job at hand the best. I used to use SketchUp to create visuals, there was a large user base with numerous user made plugins that allowed incredible shapes to be created. It was great until they changed the terms, and killed the free version. Maybe plastic can fill that niche.
I use FreeCAD. I like the fact that it is open source and is parametric. Im not trying to model articulated and complex models, so it satisfies my needs greatly.
There is a bit of a learning curve, but once you start getting the hang of it it is SO easy to model things.
How does Fusion 360 know the user sold over $1000? is that on the honor system?
I was wondering the same.
I believe they have people that look for websites and other company related things to get an idea of what you might take in. Then flag you if they think you are over. Also if you use it too many hours per year they will ask you to buy it. Which I would say is fair. They have the most fair license schema of any I have used. If you make money, we want a cut for using our tools.
@court2379 thank you
they cant tell. had members of their team try to email and call me. just dont answer questions and they go away
@@anthonyvescio5311 I have a friend they cut off. Based in on how often he used it.
FreeCAD is now pretty good full parametric real cad and does milling gcode and printing all while being free
FreeCad is excellent, it's what we adopted, too bad he didn't give it a go.. There is a learning curve with the sketching, etc, but if you have some experience with another software, you'll have most of the basic concepts and there are lots of good videos to help you. It's literally free, and you can export your models for production or to take into blender for modeling right away. We've send production parts overseas for milling and 3d printing, it's flawless...
FreeCAD is horrible.
There is a reason that most people avoid FreeCAD. It is a good idea but it isn't there yet.
@@conorstewart2214 It is there. Works very well
@@conorstewart2214”most people” meaning you and a few people you know.
Fusion360: You're making $1,000 per year, pay us $680.00. F no way.
just dont tell them the income amount lol
it's not even making $1000 a year, it's the revenue so it will be far less since you'll have a lot more costs as just the software license.
You can just pay for a single month if the designs dont change over time
Yeah well in the UK the price is £85 GBP a month hahaha. Because every currency is the same. I bet they charge ¥85 per month.
😂
What about Onshape? Have you consideret it?
Have you seen how ridiculously expensive onshape is? More than double the cost per year. And as far as the free tier goes you'd be better of just sticking with F360
👎
Why does this video have 4 minutes of self promotion and only 2 minutes of content?
because its an ad
Still 2 minutes left 😂
Bro thinks he is trouble😂
i try plasticity for 1min and i dont see import option for SVG files, for me usless
The new update added the option to import SVG files 👍
Another plasticity ad..........
Thank you for saving 8 minutes of my life
I wish I seen this before watching..
Plasticity is garbage. I don't understand the hype.
@testboga5991 It depends on your use case. Plasticity is targeted towards artists who are primarily interested in just making something that's visually appealing, and Plasticity is great for that. You can make a cool model very quickly and efficiently. It combines tools from other CAD softwares like Moi, Fusion, Rhino, etc but offers them at a much cheaper price and typically with better functionality. There's a fuck ton of things that Plasticity does better than other CAD somftwares, like direct face/edge editing and faster calculations to name a couple, but it isn't perfect. Again, it depends on your use case. For example, Plasticity sucks for precision modelling, so if you're making models that are intended to be manufactured or used functionally, stick to something like Fusion or Solidworks.
@@LeoD.J FreeCAD
I swapped to onshape and have zero complaints so far.
Me too
1500$/y for commercial use....
Onshape looks great but having to choose between all your designs being public and paying $1,500/year ("best for individuals" lol) is kind of ridiculous. I wish they'd offer an affordable plan, like a "maker" price for people who are willing to pay a bit but aren't making money from their designs.
On shape is good but the constraints boggles my comprehension
@@tratzum I had that same feeling when I started. My break through came when I decided not to use dimensions, or use them as little as possible, and only place items using constraints. Click! Then it seems I was able to use the constraint system without issue.
I got RhinoCAD 8, its not cheap but its super powerful with the grasshopper toolset and I own it forever with one purchase.
Hmm I'll have to look into it. Thanks.
Can confirm Rhino is a powerhouse for CAD modelling and super fast
Interesting
Sverchok in Blender is supposed to work in a similar way to Grasshopper. It was originally based on the Grasshopper workflow.
Rhino with Grashopper is great but can crash with complex shapes or lattice structures.
I'm a CAD designer of about 25 years.
I'd be willing to bet that Plasticity eventually goes parametric (Just like FreeCAD used to not be, but is now).
A tip for your viewers:
You can get a solidworks makers license if paid up front for a year, for $48 for the year. If you pay monthly, it would be $15 per month, so it's worth paying up front. You do have a similar stipulation on how much you can make per year. I believe it's $2,000, so there is that.
Solidworks is pretty good. I'm a CATIA user and love it, but solidworks is a capable software that has a huge user base and I do have the maker's license that I use at home and for designing things to 3D print.
I'll definitely keep my eye on plasticity and see how it develops over the years.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing. I always thought Solidworks was very expensive; its awesome to hear that they have a maker license now (especially only being $48 a year). Also, you are definitely right. I'm sure plasticity will go parametric at some point.
Hello , i am an Tattoo Artist and i want to sculpt 3d printed Alienembryos , paint it and put it in a Glass , can you give me a top which Peogram i can use ?
@@mikekuner2647 I would start with Blender since it's Free and since it's more geared towards "sculpting" figures, etc.. Maybe watch some tutorials and see if it makes sense to you before you invest too much time. Blender is a different kind of modeling, but if you're just starting out, it might make it easier to learn. But....If Blender seems weird and not how you would envision modeling, then I would look at maybe getting a more traditional CAD Modeling software like the Solidworks Makers License, however your final project plan of an Alien embryo seems like it would be better suite with something like Blender anyway.
As an engineer I’ve used waaay too many CAD softwares and my go to at home is SOLIDWORKS. (I have lifelong access to my university email so I’ve been able to access the student edition for years now 😂 )
Makers license isn’t great. My son bought it and created some models. Later he went back in to show someone what he created but it broke and wouldn’t let him log in. At this point I saw support was terrible as they just said buy another subscription. They weren’t interested in getting his work back. Hope this helps.
So after 12 months i will need to pay full price again to keep the software up to date?
The software will always be up to date.
If it works, why do you need an update?
F360 has been in a downward spiral for years. The price keeps going up, new features are being locked into "extensions" that cost multiple times that of the software itself, stability and performance are afterthoughts at best, etc. If at any point Solidworks makes its way to the mac, I'm ditching Fusion without even thinking twice.
I agree it seems like Autodesk is dragging their feet when it comes to keeping fusion 360 relevant.
It comes and goes, some features made included, some moved to $1200/yr packs, and some to a credit based process for simulation and rendering. It works for my business because it has a bit of everything and about 95% or what we need even for strange projects. Oh also, the electronic pack included? It's pretty good, I just spent $12k on altium designer, and that's a lot of cash in comparison for we already had included. Nice breakdown!
You given onshape a go? I think a few people from solidworks broke off to make it. It’s expanding in utility rather quickly.
Autodesk Modus Operandi, sadly.
Blender when CAM
Does it offer toolpathing for CNC machines with tool swappping?
No, it's not a CAM software.
I've been using OPENSCAD for about 12 years now. It's purely script which means you can edit separate parts of your objects, reuse code etc very easily. Only complaint I have with it that it doesn't have 3D fileting. Despite that though, I use it for everything. Scripted vases, cogs, home and work related stuff and for friends. Latest one is a hydrofoil mast where I did 3D fileting between a foil section and a plate by unioning a series of scripted resized foil sections in pairs to create the mathematical curves I wanted. If you're good at scripting it's a great choice and it's free. If I;m designing something I start with measuring up the environment it's fitting in to, record these in comments and then start implementing.
Try my pathbuilder for OpenSCAD, you get SVG path commands to build a path with the addition of fillets and chamfers. It's 2D though.
DSLCAD is an option that does have filets, though it is a bit more barebones
In that vain, you could also be looking at Build123d, which is a bit more complicated but more powerful / faster to run.
I started out with openscad, moved to cadquery and now moved to build123d.
Yeah, but it's no good for complex models and assemblies, and there's no CAM output.
This is where cadquery and build123d come in, they export to step / brep which can be used in other software. They also support asemblies and work reasonably well for more complex models.
Can you recommend Rhino also? If not, then what are the limitations? Please explain
Why aren't you using or even mentioning Onshape? That would be anyone's obvious choice.
for people who dont know what parametric modelling is, lets say i had a square with a hole, if i made the square smaller, parametric modelling wouldnt make the hole smaller but only the square around it will, without parametric modelling the circle will go smaller with the square
excellent explaination
I use a $10k commercial version at work for mechanical design, but Solid Edge has a totally free Community Version. Free forever. It's exactly the same version I use at work, the only caveat is that anything created or saved in the community version can never again be opened in the commercial version. It can be fully parametric, or run in what they call a synchronous environment. A single part can have features in both environments simultaneously. It has a reverse-engineering feature set that will allow importing surface (like STL models) and convert them to solid models. If you use step files, you can edit them directly, like add or delete features, move or resize holes, or the entire entire model. There's also a 3D printing tool set, but I normally just export step to my slicing tool. It can do true surfacing as well, but it's great for more prismatic mechanical parts. I like it a lot better than Fusion 360. But I'm going to try Plasticity out too.
A few more to consider: Alibre Atom 3D, FreeCAD, Onshape, SolveSpace, Vectary.
Thanks
Alibre is the way I went. Perpetual license, no forced upgrades. My only regret is not learning CAD twenty years ago.
Onshape just feels like a cheap copy of Fusion360
@@henrytikka3315 It is different just some of its features arrent very apparent and some major ones are coming out soon. but i can see why you say that, your definitely not wrong where on the surface it does seem pretty similar to fusion.
openSCAD
Anyone watching this, I have one thing to say..... Make it. Make it out of steel, aluminum, plastic. Get ahold of an actual mill\lathe (CNC or Manual) and make it. Drawing graphics is one thing. Making it into an actual product is another. Great video!
I have one question about Plasticity:
How easy is it to code add-ons or modifications for it?
I love automating repetitive tasks and hate actually repeating tasks manually, to the point that I am one of those "If you have to do it twice, code it as a subroutine" people, so ease of coding things such as automating any sort of thing where you have to "Do the same thing over again, but in a different place" is key if I want to use this software.
Sufficiently detailed access to the internal workings of this software (via an API constructed by the makers of Plasticity) could, with sufficient effort invested, actually add the ability to do parametric modelling.
I can actually already think of a way to make that work with mostly things I saw in this video, specifically the Blender connection thing. Blender allows you to do a limited amount of parametric modeling, so if the connection between Plasticity and Blender were simply made bidirectional (any changes in one update the other, rather than only changes in Plasticity updating the view in Blender), you would have a subset of parametric modeling by default.
Back on the subject of automating repetitive tasks, I have a few examples:
Putting gear teeth on a gear.
Drafting a series of connected lines and splines, selecting them all, converting them to a set of datums, and then telling it to put threaded holes evenly spaced and centered on that selection of datums.
Now for the heavy lifting one: Hair tufts. These require a certain degree of randomness in their length, as well as probably a way to define a length gradient mapped to a curved surface such as the head of a modeled character, that way the hair of the character would have the intended style simply by defining the tuft length as some range of values centered on the strength of the gradient at any given location.
Basically, there's all kinds of things that are possible if there is sufficient access to the internal workings of the software, and all of it depends on the presence (and feature set) of the API.
So, what is this high spec computer? I have been using Fusion for the better part of 5 years, also in it's Beta stage, and I have no crash issues or performance drops even in huge models.
Same and I have what would be considered a low to mid range PC (CPU is Ryzen 5 2600 with 32 GB of Ram and at the start an rx580 for the GPU, with slow internet (30 mbps)) and fusion has always worked fine for me as has solidworks.
I'm investing in Rhino. I've started recently and found it really amazing for industrial design in general. With Grasshopper, it's unbeatable! Also, perpetual licenses are really important to me, so it was no brainer.
The problem for me is that there isn't a license that fits my needs. I'm not commercial - a hobby user only with no sales at all. I'm not a student (old retired guy here) so that license doesn't apply. At around $1k for a commercial license, I just can't afford it. I prefer software that I actually pay for. However, the cost has to fit how often I use it and given that I rarely have to actually design something, I just don't see it being for me. Sketchup (which I use for basic woodworking design) has the same problem.
Grasshopper is complex af unfortunately
SW has a hobby license too. It was ~$10/month and it ran super smooth when I tried it l. I’m guessing you can ignore the income limits as this seems unenforceable for small business - but that is some degree of personal risk never the less…. Maybe you can subtract your time, electric bill and other home office costs from your profits to make yourself feel better? Idk…
In the end I’m back to F360 because I learned so many little tricks and don’t want to spend the time to find those tricks in SW. I need to rip off the bandaid though…
SolidEdge has a hobby license for 0$ which make me sad because I really like SolidWorks. But SolidEdge offer way more thing and even give you Generative Design (Only Flexion optimisation in the community edition, the free one)
Solidworks for makers is $48/yr or $15/month. You can make up to $2000 on that license.
I'll be honest, I'm new to the 3D printing world. Even so, I can't imaging not having the ability to input solid measurments. Without that ability, when making parts that require precision, do you print out multiple variants until you find the one print that works? That would seem extremely wasteful (time, money, and material). Please explain this for me as I'm looking for the best software to use with my new 3D printer. Thanks!
@@Myfyrbyrd1 You can input exact measurements on most cad softwares including plasticity and fusion. Which is fantastic 👌
Before i use DeepExploration CAD? now what the same interface DeepExploration CAD?
I am missing a bit of the point about what you wanna do, you compare CAD software with vfx software here, this is like comparing your car with a Formula 1 car, both are cars but they are meant for very different purposes.
Blender, Maya, Houdini, etc... are meant to be used for vfx. Precision, building instruction, part lists, and all that stuff that does not matter for those software packages.
shapre3d is a software created for a machine called Shaper Origin, yes it is a CAD software but the only focus really is to work with their machine.
Plasticity is using cad technology but is also meant for vfx this is why the focus is more on modeling and feels like software to create models for vfx.
And that is really not clear to me from this video what is your intent, do you wanna make movies, do you need 3d models for printing, do you do rapid prototyping are you drawing instructions for your workshop? those are the things that will define which software you use.
Shapr3D has absolutely nothing to do with Shaper Origin or the Shaper Tools company. It's a 3D CAD software first made for iPad and now with history-based parametric tool set, available for Windows, Mac and iOS.
Blender, Maya, Plasticity, etc. can be used for anything. But they're not CAD. The same way Adobe Illustrator, while an amazing vector illustration tool, is not 2D CAD at all.
My recommendation to anyone consider Blender is to also look at Moment of Inspiration (MoI - absolutely stupid name that's holding it back). It has a lot of promise, even if development is super (super!) slow.
Well if you checked the thumbnails of his videos on his channel you'd see that he's selling 3d printed models which is why I can see why he'd want something cheaper than Fusion and Plastictiy is good enough for 3D printing projects
I can't remember what it was, but there was something about the editability of the software that threw me off of Plasticity. I think once you join you can't adjust. Something like that. Really hurt my workflow, and saving a bunch of shadow groups is just clunky and weird. If they fix that - I'll jump back to them ASAP.
So how does fusion 360 knows how much money are you making???
@KevBot. I am here with same question? How is that calculated? I want to know limits of use
the honor system
They don't. They have no inherent way of knowing or tracking how much you make with your files and it would likely cost them more to hire people to try and catch people making over the limit.
i used a lot inventor proffessional to design in my small workshop but is no longer a free licence so i need another soft when be able to design separated pieces and then put it togheter to make an asembly, did u have some idea about some out there?
How does it compare with Rhino? Grasshopper is a pretty big attraction to Rhino which I haven't seen in other CADs. The lack of parametric on both is a big problem for me though.
You said you have a high end computer and Fusion 360 struggles on it. Can you share the specs you have for your computer? I'm curious what cpu, gpu and how much RAM you have. Also, curious how much dedicated RAM your GPU has.
all CAD software I know greatly benifit from a good single core performance, more than 16 core 32 thread CPU's.
I run fusion on a 1000$ laptop with no issue. I know 1000$ isnt "cheap" but it is on the lower end of things as far as computers go. Its an asus tuf16 gaming laptop. No issues at all for modeling, i dont do alot of rendering so im not sure how it would handle a huge render but the basic ones i do work fine.
Fusion always ran fine for me on a low to mid PC (Ryzen 5 2600, 32 GB of ram and an rx580), I ran into no issues or crashes even when rendering.
@@conorstewart2214 I have never had crash on when rendering. But I have had 2500 crashes in Fusion. It crashes when you are trying to do something innovative or hard or simply convert bigger scanned STL into solid body.
I love f360.. ya it has its drawbacks but I’ll happily pay for it.
You can make pretty awesome organic looking models in f360 if you know what you’re doing.
I use F360 on a 5 year old laptop. Never had a performance issue. True though that the price is getting out of control.
Than you are only doing very simple objects. F360 is slow af.
I've created all sorts of complex stuff in fusion. Never had a performance issue.
It's way too slow. I won't use it anymore at any price.
Why no SolidWork in your list? Please compare that with your previous apps...
I've heard good things about solid works, I definitely need to check it out.
What's the best for mold tool modeling?
Welcome to the amazing, fun & exciting Plasticity universe 🚀
Thank you Nikita! I love your videos by the way, they are fantastic! I've learned a lot from you 🙏
Thanks, I appreciate it!:)@@kevbot.
Originally I learned 3d studio Max 3.1, completely from two hugely thick bibles, plus a smaller book for character studio.
Back in 1998 we relied on excellent manuals, with a small written tutorial section.
Now we have amazingly connected communities, that can give you answers to extremely specific questions.
So written tutorials are still king, but from that you can create a community greater than the parts that make it up.
🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😑🍀😊☮️😂
My hat is off to you. I can't imagine learning it from two thick bibles lol. Things have definitely come a long way.
I went to Taft Union High in California, and I too took 3ds Max in 2000 and 2001, and had the hugest bible's to carry around. Printer was probably half the cost of the school too. lol
@@kevbot. I remember downloading and printing the book about 3d max in aprox. 1995. I spent like whole day printing the book on the loudest matrix printer. That was wild.
Reading your comment took me back 😂 i remember those bibles. My dad was a reseller for autocad and 3dstudio (Dos version). I still have my manuals for max 3.1 and softimage 3d extreeme and XSI
@@TheParelius I tossed a coin between 3dsmax and Lightwave. Then learned that from a massive book. Then Maya came onto the scene.
500 links in the description and not a single one to the mentioned software in the video.. lekker
Yea I thought that license was for full version updates of Plasticity to. That is until 8 months into my subscription and 2.0 came out and I was told if I wanted to upgrade to it I had to pay for another year and I was not even offered to get a break for the 4 months I still had left on my current subscription. So NO you do not get a free upgrade to a major release, that is a LIE!
Great info! Thanks, Kev! It's been 9 months now, so are you still happy with the new Plasticity?
Thank you! Also, yes, I'm still happy with Plasticity. I really enjoy using it. 👌
@@kevbot. Thanks for the update! Much appreciated. I think I'll try it!
Fun to see my shapr3D bottle design tutorial shown here;)
For what you model fusion360 is overboard - it is a mechanical tool.
Plasticity is a Freeform modeler that also offers DM and possibly soon will have a history / interactive modeling.
For the price it is a top tool.
There is also for cad freeCad.
For what you model blender isn’t suitable or look at the mesh machine add-on.
Was that your bottle design!!? No way that's awesome!
@@kevbot. yeah I make many of the Shapr tutorials. They have that German accent voice;)
Shapr is pretty amazing but I think as you found out Plasticity will honestly we your best tool.
I love those tutorials, man; they are great! I do like shapr a lot, but plasticity's price was more appealing to me at the moment. I may end up using shapr though, if I'm making a prototype that will need lots of revisions.
Freecad is an absolute pain in the ass compared to each everyone of those
THANK YOU for confirming that its not my computer that sucks, its fusion 360 that has the issue.
😄
A low-end Mac notebook makes Fusion fly. Just saying.
Internet connection is the bottleneck with Fusion as it is cloud based.
Solidworks when I switched required decent computer power, a year later they went all Autodesk on us so I moved to Freecad.
No it isn't the old local install Solidworks, but it is a genuine local install with no bloody cloud.
I don't regret switching to Freecad, you don't have to fight it like Fusion and it is mostly more stable.
Taking hours to solve the Windows 10 / Fusion update rock, paper, scissors debacle a couple of times a month became untenable even before the price gouging started.
Version 0.22 should cut a lot of time from designs especially the dimensioning going more like Solidworks.
TH-cam resources are becoming good, try Mango Jelly Solutions for instance.
May I add another gripe re: F360? It was solely because AD INSISTED on my moving to Windoze 10 that I finally knuckled under. WHAT A BLEEPIN NIGHTMARE! DOG - slow for EVERYTHING now, not JUST F360! Boils my BLOOD!
Fusion was my intro then blender. Them having a baby is a good analogy.
Fusion feels so rigid it's stifling. Plasticity feels right. It's smooth, uncluttered, intuitive. I feel connected.
The lack of history is my sole problem with it. It's so important. Many hours spent redoing something instead of being able to change in real time.
The creator put a vid out yesterday and that was mentioned as a future feature.
Also, there are some shapes that fusion can do which plasticity can't though that could've been a flawed approach from me or an earlier, less capable version.
Plasticity has history, it's just linear.
Once youre used you a non parametric modeling history, it's not bad at all.
You just have to keep your splines and you can easier edit and recreate most things. Parametric would be better of course, but it would also limit the flow and usability it has.
If you need to use it to drive a CNC machine though, you're out of luck.
You didn't try FreeCAD or Ondsel (freecad fork)?
Question. Can you model with subdivision surfaces (T-Splines) in Plasticity like you can in Fusion 360?
The youtube equivalent of the chick that has a blog and goes through her post-divorce vacation in italy where she reinvented herself over 17 paragraphs before giving you the fucking apple pie recipe you came for. Skip to 6:00. And then you realize it's a cheesecake (non parametric design)
I think what you mean to say was "thank you-- for your hard work that helped me out."
@@SensibleChuckle you think wrong. Not only it didn't help me, it wasted my time with a clickbait title.
@@Andrei5656 Yes you are here spending your time complaining in the comments. Even more so when you come back to answer me LOL
You are comparing apples and pairs here. The Design Part is only like 25% of what Fusion can do. It is also a fully capable CAM software, you can do generative design with force calculations and a new feature is it can automatically generate manufacturing drawings. So yea if you are just using the cad portion it might be expensive. But your title that plasticity is much better than Fusion is just plain wrong.
PAIRS? That's a FUNNY way to spell ORANGES!
@@palewriter1856 Or pears. LOL
Only sigmas use TinkerCAD like me
What is steering you from Solidworks? I’m experienced in Fusion, Creo, and Solidworks and Solidworks is definitely my favorite. Unfortunately I can’t run it on my Mac :/
Is it really? I really want to try it now because there has been a flood of people suggesting it. Thank you for sharing!
@@kevbot. you will have no issues using it it is very similar to Fusion, less laggy, but price…I get academic license, I’m not sure what their other offerings are
@@kevbot. it's only $99/year for a Maker license, but if you use it for business, it's thousands of $'s... per year...
@kevbot. if you’re interested in trying SolidWorks, I’ll teach you for free. Legit offer
For me it's a mix between Solidworks and Siemens NX. Never really got into Fusion
Have you tryed solidworks?
If you recently posted your models and have nearly reached $1000 then it sounds like you are making enough money to justify fusion360.
He's making close to a 1000$/year and you expect him to buy a yearly license for 680$/y... That's insane. And the 1000$ is the revenue not the profit
@@aai2962 First...He said he recently listed them for sale...i take that to mean the last few months so if he made $1000 in the last few months he would be closer to 4k per year. Now he may be treating recently as an entirely different timeline and he can interject if he wants to correct my assumption.
Second, Anything beyond the cost to produce something is profit. Since you have no idea how much it cost him to produce his individual designs and how much the individual designs have made him you have no way to say what is and is not profit.
Third, His digital designs do not have ongoing costs which means all of them given enough time will produce nothing but profit and the more designs he posts the more profit he will bring in.
With all that said, yes i think it is perfectly reasonable for him to spend $700 a year on a more powerful CAD software that he is already familiar with and his designs stored in.
@@aai2962well this is exactly how the goverment and lefties in the Netherlands think. Where are they based? 😂
Non-parametric for Plasticity? WTF? Who would even spend time programming such a backwards system? Do they have plans to make it parametric in the future? Even 10-year-old versions of FreeCAD would be better atm.
How on earth is Autodesk going to know if you start making more than 1k in sales? Genuinely, they won't.
F around and find out, Oracle-style.
How do you get the Fusion 360 hobby license anyway? It seems the "free" version had a ton of features limited to a point where you really have to get the standard license?
Shapr is parametric now and feels like that sweet spot between almost fully featured CAD software for product designers and hobbyists wanting to design and print things at home. Definitely worth the price.
Shapr is an awesome piece of software.
Onshape Gang 😎
What do you like about Onshape?
Not parametric dont care.
At least you know what you want.
Freecad is better option
Have you tried Rhinoceros 3D? The best NURBS (CAD) modeling program for me?
Does it work on Linux? Fusion doesn’t, and I used the trial version of that forever but a change in computer made me realize that the change to Linux was giving another hiccup.
you would be shocked when you will discover Rhino
Rhino can't do parametric modeling and even with grasshopper it's still pathetic compared to actual CAD used in production.
No mention of the FreeCad ? Free software Files kept on you computer ,regular updates, learning curve like any software.
Just a quick note here. Not sure if you have evaluated Rhino3D or Rhinoceros 8.
It's a good value and does have a learning curve but once you learn where everything is you can get a lot done. Makes reverse engineering a breeze for me. I need Fusion 360 for toolpathing.
Where can I find the joystick in the cover photo?
Is there any machining option in your new cad ?
There is an option to export models in high quality on the free version of sharp3D. Also added the ability to see the history of actions and corrections. The only limitation is 2 projects at a time
I gave it a go and I like it but it is difficult to modify things if you wanna tweak something. Is there a software similar to this but allows a bit more parametric style editing?
I tried implementing Shapr 3D with students. It's still WAY too new and buggy.
Hypothetically what would happen if you made more than a 1000 and used fusion free version?
Probably nothing, unless you post stuff on social media like me.
Kev, what's your view on MOi 3D?
I have not tried it yet but I have heard good things.
Thank you for this informative video. I needed to see this.
I’m a noob but how does it know if you’ve hit the $1000 threshold? Or am I missing something ?
What happens if you keep using the free version of autodesk when you earn more than 1000????
I have about 200-500 crashes a year in Autodesk Fusion on iMac. I have learned to save often, but when the model gets large, that is frustrating too since saving can easily take minute and you can’t do anything while it saves. I have professional licence. I only do solid modeling about 1000 hours a year for fifth year, still cant understand how the surface and other witchcraftery works in it so I avoid them.
Why didn't you consider SOlid Edge by Siemens? You have also the free version and it's really great CAD
What about Onshape? Did you try it?
fusion 360 vs shapr3d with payment which one is better
If you need parametric modeling then why not get FreeCAD?
I’m using shapr right now but I won’t be able to swing another $300+ a year for it. How are you liking plasticity and would you say it’s similar learning curve to shapr?
Its very similar to Shapr except it has some extra features or tools that can help you design. You will pick up plasticity very quickly if you try it. The big downside, though, is that it is not parametric like Shaper. Which is a deal breaker for most people.
I just love how easy it is to design things with plasticity, even without it being parametric. I do wish Shapr was cheaper, though, because I would happily use that software as well.
@@kevbot. awesome thank you! Maybe I’ll try it out, I’m not even sure what parametric is, I’m still pretty new to this stuff
Speaking of steep learning curves, I noticed you had FreeCAD. How was your experience with that?
Hey mate, just asking between the two of us. How would they know you're making more than 1k monthly?
I'm not sure they would, to be honest. But since I post videos online showing my designs and how much I make.....I don't want to push my luck lol
@@kevbot. Fair enough lmao.
What, no SketchUp? You can also use it for building a house or a chair.
If Fusion is crash when using complex models, you might not have enough ram. The when starting back up fusion does things in the background with the large model (preloading/uploading to cloud) that makes it hang.
what about Freecad, it can do parametric modeling
I never have issues with F360 crashing or lagging? I use it on a gaming PC without issues but even on my old laptop it works fine with simple models. I feel like you have a driver issue or other issue with Windows.
You are right. I looked more into it, and apparently there was a background process/ driver that could cause issues. I disabled it, and now Fusion is running better but still not perfect.
I played around with Shapr3d it's ok maybe even great, but lacks important features required for me to take it seriously. No built in tap & thread features is a big deal when you are making equipment and assemblies.
i started learning fusion360 today. Went in with 30mins of Product Design Online video and then youtube recommends this to me :(
Tell me what should i do ?
I am yet to receive my first 3d printer a1 mini in 3 days.
Stick with fusion if you aren't selling your designs. Its free to use and fairly easy to learn. If you end up not liking it, you can always try plasticity or something else. The skills you learn in fusion will translate over to most of the other CAD software's.
how about cam and pcb design? i know paying so much sucks but its far cheaper than fe solidworks.. i hate it when it shuts down too but solidworks fucked up all the time so...hm..
Good stuff buddy!! Love the video and over all quality too, what did you use to film and do your audio? it was very well done!!!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! All my equipment is listed in the description of the video if you are curious.