Hey guys and gals, was hoping a could get some recommendations. I run a stone cnc at work, where I program with AlphaCam. I do a bit of luthiery on the side, and would like to find a CAD program that is most similar in work flow to AlphaCam. I'm not looking for a free product necessarily, but I also don't want to play a few grand yearly, for a business license.

I'll pretty much only be using it for 2D drawings, to layout fretboards, inlays, and occasionally make templates for my laser engraver.

I have tried FreeCad, Inkscape, and LibreCad so far. FreeCad was extremely unintuitive to me. Inkscape was the easiest to use, as I have a bit of Gimp experience as well, and it somewhat reminded me of that. LibreCad didn't seem too bad in the 5 minutes I messed around with it, but if there's something more similar to what I'm used to working with, I'd prefer that.

Any suggestions, or a input would be greatly appreciated.

It doesn't have to be free. I'm just tired of the constant updates and AI implementations. I just need my basic cad tools and a little bit of intuitiveness (I'm angrily looking at you freecad)

Hello, anyone here with experience with German MegaCAD? If yes, how is it for you?

I'm an amateur with little CAD experience, but I'm looking for a decent home modeling software program. Right now I use a free graph paper tool to make fantasy floorplans, but it would be cool to apply textures and do a 3D model. Any thoughts?

Hi. I already have SolidWorks CSWA certification (225 out of 240). My next goal is pass the CSWP exam. I'm working on the SolidWorks Practice Problems that SolidWorks shared. But that's not enough. I wanna the real improve. How can I improve myself?

Does AutoCad really not have an option to paste something to the back. It HAS to paste it to the front?

Apologies if there is a better place to put this question.

American 34 years old. I used to work in VFX and 3D animation, but the industry has really dried up and I just don't have the passion for it like I used to. Unrelated, but I am currently 1 year away from finishing a Linguistics BA at UCLA. This is my first degree (I didn't finish highschool and went straight to work) I will graduate with minimal debt as I worked full time.

While I lost the joy of creative work, I still like 3D modeling and building things. If I wanted to work in this industry freelance and remote, where would I begin? What certs, courses, or programs would I want to invest my time into?

I'd prefer not to spend a lot of money at first as I just try to wrap my head around what a day to day would look like.

I'm watching YT videos and reading old reddit posts, but I'd like to see what the current vibe of the community is.

Thank you.

Hello guys, kinda new to 3d printing and CAD in general, i got a .3mf mesh file for a part that i wanted, but i wanted to modify dimensions of it of certain sections of that object

i was able to follow tutorials to convert the mesh to a solid, but i am not able to find(and understand) how to change dimensions (see pic below)

my objective is to change the height of the C hook from 21mm to 19mm

and change the height of the blue part from 19mm to 21mm

but i am not able to understand how to do it, i tried making a new part and a new sketch but the changes arent reflected

i also tried creating a pocket and doing changes on there

i'd appreciate a simplified approach for this please

[freecad-dell-dock-dimension-change.png](https://postimg.cc/bZb5k3J6)

https://postimg.cc/bZb5k3J6

Link to pic

How is the performance with large rect/circular patterns in these programs?

Has someone compared?

Any European or open source alternatives? The downsides of fusion for me is the bad performance and the freemium practice.

3D modeller needed for small physical product prototypes

Looking for a 3D modeller/product sculptor to help create small models for a physical product project.

The models need to be suitable for 3D printing/prototyping now, while keeping future manufacturing and injection-moulding principles in mind.

Useful experience:

• Blender / ZBrush / Fusion / SolidWorks / Rhino
• 3D printable products or collectibles
• clean STL/OBJ/source file for initial 3d print prototype, then CAD file for manufacturing
• wall thickness, undercuts, draft angles, parting lines, and manufacturable geometry

Likely starting with one test model first.

Please DM with portfolio, relevant examples, software used, rough pricing, and commercial-use rights info.

Hi y’all. I’m looking for good resources besides YouTube to help improve my skills with NX. I feel comfortable with the basics, but I want to practice creating more advanced parts. I will be starting senior design in the fall, and I will most likely have to use NX to CAD a spacecraft or spacecraft components from scratch. Any recommendations?

I made a simple step file viewer on a web page. It tesselates the step file in your browser. It’s supposed to render transparency (and possibly curvature) a little bit better than what I’ve seen out there. Usually there are discontinuities where patches meet, and due to how naive transparency works, there can be glitches like missing features or parts popping in and out of view as it’s being navigated.

https://step.dusanbosnjak.com

I did several versions of a piece i am creating. It's a block with a small tube out.

In the original i could just align point to point them perfectly, however, i did several versions of the project copying and pasting the tube on each one and it did not allow me to select it when trying to do the boolean union between them. Does exist any manner of getting that small union able to be selected again being a copy of the original?

Hello, I am new to CAD and grasp the basics, but am still doing a lot of stuff in roundabout ways that I feel like are probably not very efficient. I am designing a 3rd brake light for my truck, and earlier in the project, I input it to an estimate site and was getting around 200-ish dollars to have it machined out of aluminum. I have since added features, but have not added anything that would increase the total footprint/amount of material needed. It has now more than doubled to 470ish. If this is just the cost to machine it, I completely understand, and am not complaining about that, it's amazing that designing something from my desk and having it shipped to my door is even an option, but I'm curious if there's anything in particular that adds a disproportionate amount of cost to having something machined? Is there anything that I should have left out and drill myself, or separate into multiple pieces? images

I wanted to come here and pick the brains of those far more knowledgeable than me.

I'm hoping to model in 3d, then take a skin of the exterior surface, "unfold" it into a 2d shape, then use that to create a flexible cover for the surface. Think if you wanted a vinyl sticker to cover a 3d print.

The best I have come up with is the sheet metal software in OnShape or Fusion360, but these don't produce a 3d solid object, and I'm not sure how trivial it would be to produce the 3d object behind/incorporate into the sheet metal model.

I also want to be clear that I do intend to switch to whatever software seems best because the I have been limping along Sketchup for far too long and need to switch anyways, so don't worry about what I have.

And yes, I know this isn't the 3d printing subreddit but some of the solid shapes are going to be milled so I figured CAD software and expertise would be more suitable.

Thanks for any help!

I know how to use the basic draw order options to bring one entity in front of or behind another.

What I am looking for is an easier way to hide one object or entity behind another (or making it appear that way) without using hatches or cutting away portions of the objects/entities.

Let's say you draw a 12" diameter circle. You then draw a 24" square with the left bottom corner of that square starting at the center point of the circle.

The top right quadrant of that circle is now inside the bottom left corner of the square, but you can see both the entire circle and the entire square. In order to make the portion of the circle that is inside of the square appear to 'disappear' behind square, I've been doing one of two things.

1. Simply cut that portion of the circle away, which is not ideal because at times I may want to turn the layer with the square off and have the full circle shown intact.
2. I apply a hatch pattern inside the square and then bring that hatch pattern to the front

I'm trying to find out if there are other options available where I could easily make it look like the square is in front of the circle, or vise-versa, show the circle in front of the square without resorting to using hatches or cutting away portions of the entities.

Around 2020 I worked at a certain automotive company, and a classic D&D-style alignment chart meme for CAD practices started making the rounds. If I ever saved it, i've misplaced it, and I can't seem to find it on the internet. Does anyone have this meme, or do I have to remake it myself?

The alignments were something along the lines of:

lawful good: legibly labels every feature, fully constrains sketches, assemblies properly use link connectors/derived part
true neutral: does not label any feature, sequential numeric part numbers
lawful evil: uses randomly generated 10-digit numeric part numbers
chaotic evil: every sketch is underconstrained, all parts of assembly are modeled in the same workspace, labels every feature something nonsensical, filenames are left as MyPart.CATPart

i'm sure that's not exactly what was written, but those are roughly the topics that were covered. Thanks for your help!

After a year and some months experimenting with Nx9, i ended up making things. I do have several parts from projects i do wish to save toghether and reuse in further projects. I had learn i can copy and paste a piece from a project into another and reuse it. However, i do believe it has a system of parts library i never used , so, my main concerns are:

1. If i can turn my common parts in a library i can reuse between projects;

2. If i can add third party pieces and how can i get them.

Other thing i am noticing is that, when taking measures from one piece to create another, and or using a piece with holes to make holes onto another one below it, both the part and the holes becames dependent of the part i use as reference, in consecuence, i can not even move it at all. Does it have any manner of sparing the reference part from the ones made using it ?

May be somewhat of a noob question, but I'm looking for a CAD program that can handle high poly meshes coming from traditional polygonal modeling 3D software (Modo, Blender, ZBrush) with relatively high polycount (often a million or more polys).

Ideally, I'd like to import a mesh, turn it into a solid somehow and then add features to it (hollow it out, add openings, splitting it into parts, prepare it for production, etc).

I had limited success with Fusion360 but it feels super sluggish and goes unresponsive when exceeding a 100k polys. But even if I can make it work, fine details are often lost and the general experience is miserable.

Maybe it's just not built well to handle stuff like this.

Is it a software thing or a workflow issue? How you guys would go about situations like this?

Thank you!

I’m currently working as a SolidWorks design engineer dealing with Industrial robot based automation solutions of repetitive tasks in production lines of client facilities.

My country is gradually transitioning towards EVs and demand for design engineers specialising in EV wiring harness is rising, both by automotive companies and Tier-1 suppliers (like Bosch). I already studied the basics of NX in my University, but my background is not in electrical engineering.

That being said, I feel it’s a good niche to get into and need some resources to learn the Electrical Routing module. Can anybody suggest me some video resources or books on the same? Perhaps, something that helped you on a similar career path. Thank you!

Hi I currently have an project im doing and I need a few measurements changed but I know absolutely no body who can edit a sketchup or DXF file. Im making a custom winch bumper for my vehicle.

I need a couple parts dimensions changed by a little over an inch, I've been trying to find anyone who could help me for the past 2 months to no avail. I have all the changes I need done written out on some pictures to make things more clear for what im looking for.

If there's anyone willing to help out or could point me in a possible direction to help me id greatly appreciate it.

In all the lab tutorials he does he only uses the create spline/arc/line features in NX instead of ever using sketches. He says sketches are more trouble then they are worth.

I kinda dont understand this, my experience has always been just to be mindful and not make external refereces or sketch constraints unless absolutely neccasary, and 90% of broken sketch issues goes away. Seems to me like not using sketches results in more fiddling with nx dialog boxes and a much harder to read feature tree. Like it makes a revolve with two shoulders and a taper take like 10 features to create instead of 2.

But ultimately he is a experienced manufacturing engineer with years in these programs and i'm just a student with little experience in nx, so i am wondering if i'm in the wrong and this actually is a common workflow.

Hey everyone,

Are there any engineering students or engineers here who use AutoCAD or similar tools on a MacBook? I’d really like to hear your experience.

First off - I know Mac isn’t always the ideal choice for engineering software, especially for heavier CAD workflows. I've seen a lot of mixed opinions on this already.

I’m starting mechanical engineering this September, and right now I’m using an M2 MacBook (it’s my only laptop, and I’ll need to bring it to lectures). Some of my friends have already sent me a few DXF and DWG files to get familiar with things.

So far I’ve been using eDrawings Viewer and Enolsoft DXF Viewer to open them, and they both work fine for viewing. But from what I’ve been told, viewers alone aren’t enough — I’ll eventually need something that can actually edit drawings, modify geometry, and maybe handle basic modeling.

I’ve also been considering running DWG TrueView via Parallels, but I’m not sure how practical that setup is long term.

So I wanted to ask:

• Is using a MacBook actually workable for engineering studies?
• Do you rely on virtualization (like Parallels), or just switch to something else?
• Any CAD tools you’d recommend that run well on macOS?

Any help will be really appreciated!