The CAD software that no one is talking about! || Regular Dude Vlog
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- čas přidán 23. 11. 2023
- As I began to get more and more into 3D printing, I wanted to learn how to make my own designs!
I started learning to use CAD through the videos of @TeachingTech, and became relatively good at using OnShape in about 5 months or so. Unfortunately, the terms of service for OnShape worried me, and their actions spoke louder than words. I began to search for an alternative.
Through much research, I discovered a software that works for me, my budget, and my expectations from a company.
#notsponsored
Here's a link to Alibre: www.alibre.com/
MUSIC:
"Screen Saver" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
"Rains Will Fall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
"Moonlight Beach" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
"Smooth Lovin" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
"Digital Lemonade" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Věda a technologie
Forgot to mention: no hate to FreeCAD users! If it works for you, I'm glad! It just wasn't for me. Also, it's been brought to my attention that Alibre is for Windows only, and doesn't have a first-party purchasing option in other countries. Hopefully those things get fixed in the future!
Thanks for your adds. Now using Fusion which can also be used free for personal use and finding an alternative for fulll use in the future without the need for MS-windows (which is a pain, every time new computers and updates and long waiting and slowing down more and more...) so, with this answer of you I know Alibre is not for me either.
I might give Alibre's trial a try, within a Bottles environment as I only use Linux systems.
The Christmas holidays should give me time for that, it'd be a fun project to finish my Hypercube rebuild.
I can use that time to properly compare and test the software, if it works at all.
So far I've managed to make FreeCAD work for my designs, but it's difficult to work around it's quirks at times.
Fusion360 was easier to learn and work with, but after the hobbyist tier cut-down I decided not to renew my license and commit to FreeCAD.
I keep meaning to try it. I'm still a noob at Linux, but I know Valve has been doing miracles with Proton.
Allibre was probably the first 3d soctware I ever tried, it was almost 20 years ago and I really liked it. I would probably use it until today if I had more serious need for it other than playing around, and if I never switched to Linux. There is simply no way back. Today, FreeCad all the way, I love it.
The thing that makes me mad about free cad is I feel like it wasn't as bad as it is now a few years ago. Maybe 3 years ago I was using it to make simple models and I found it pretty easy at the time. Then I sorta fell out of the hobby for a while till recently I been wanting to get back into it, download latest version of freecad and omg its so bad what the hell happened to it? Maybe I just forgot how to use it or something but it feels like a completely different app and significantly less user friendly than it was just a few years ago.
Ah, for the good ol' days, when you could just buy some software, install locally, get free patches to fix issues, and not have to give over your rights to privacy and everything else.
We'll tell our kids about these days when we're old and they'll say, "oh Dad, you tell funny stories."
I bought TurboCAD version 3 many years ago. It was fantastic.
It came in a box with a thick book.
I used it all the time.
Years later I got version 19. It wasn’t at all as good a decision as the old version was.
Yep. The good ol’ days.
@@WeekdayWeekend oh Dad, we don’t own anything! And we love it!
And where are the companies that did that? Oh, yeah, out of business. Weird.
Forced myself to use FreeCAD and got a steep learning curve. Use drawings for everything and parametize any value!
Then it would work straightforeward... And there is the real dealbreaker! It still needs workarounds everywhere. Features don´t work in a specific order. Parts break sometimes. You exactly know what to do, but FreeCAD doesn´t let you.
Often you have to take a long detour, because of those problems.
I really want to like it, but I understand anybody who already gave up!
I know the feeling! Sometimes paying just a few bucks for the real thing instead of dealing with the free option is worth every penny.
Thanks so much for the comment!
Thats the problem for me with some of that kind of software. Its meant to be used in a specific way you need to wrap your head around but also doesnt work 100% predictably so you always wonder what you did wrong which botches the learning experience and in the end its just infuriating and it never gets fixed
Considering how bad linux support and their licensing is its usually simpler to deal with freecad's horrors than pay a company that may or may not screw you over in the future
His current license gives him access to the current working version of the software. I’d assume a simple backup of the installer and product key will enable him to continue to install and run the version he has paid for. Unless it requires connection to their servers to activate and or run the software I’m unclear how they might “screw him”? I will agree though if activation requires remote verification. An obscure piece of software is prone to suffer the fate of being unsupported or even entire company collapse.
@@CodingButter license may be linked to current PC (motherboard ID/harddrive ID/mac address, etc - depending). And transfer is tied to the company. Considering that I couldn't find ANY pricing for that software on the site... I have my doubts.
so true.
I still don't understand why the majority of developers are ignoring Linux as Desktop OS.
So far i am still with Onshape after my first failed attempts with FreeCAD.
Onsel as an "enhanced" FreeCAD option would be a thing. Better than FreeCAD itself, but still far away from saying "a comfortable CAD tool"
Do you want so offer you ass to SolveSpace sect? We have great piece of software here.
@@fhunter1test click the software you're interested in and select 'buy '. All the prices are there.
This is awesome! Alibre and FreeCAD are both my favorite. Great work here, you summed up my feelings I've had for a long time.
Wow! Thanks for the comment, I definitely recognize you from the forums (and official tutorials)! Between you and the rest of the maker community, I've been learning CAD pretty fast. It's so nice to find a simple problem around the house, model out a solution in 30 minutes, and have the model printed and problem fixed in another 45 minutes after that.. No Amazon, no shipping waste.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
I love Alibre as well. Took me a very short while to get great at it. Surprised it hasn’t been more talked about. I started with atom and eventually moved to their top edition. Now the videos they are producing lately and ex machina has been doing solid work.
Ex Machina even commented on this vid which surprised me! I'm definitely gonna upgrade eventually. Thanks for leaving a comment
Yes! Yes! And YES! This is my exact experience! Very well said and the title is pretty accurate. During my trial I was amazed how I hadn't heard more about this software that is so affordable and so powerful! I went for the high tier because I am a professional, not a hobbyist. But I can compete with any other company using any other CAD straight up in terms of Design. Plus, I don't have a rolling cost to transfer to my clients.
Great video, man! Nice channel too. I'm subbed. I, too, am a fan of spending more time than I should on Cities Skylines. And Dirt Rally 2. Wasted a large part of my life online with GT6 on PS3, GTR2 and GTL on PC. Yeah. But you have videos on a couple of games I never got round to playing so it should be interesting. Keep it up.
I'll actually be playing PS3 on the channel soon, I've got a solution for capturing it since it's notoriously hard to capture.
I've definitely watched a few of your videos, especially your solution for making threads using the Boolean tool! Your video on that is why I'm gonna save up for the pro version of Alibre. Thanks for the comment!
@@WeekdayWeekend Oh, I'll be looking forward for the PS3 videos. Please do GT6. And thank you for your kind comments.
Defenitly going to look in to this. Thank you!
Worth a try at least. Do the trial, worst case scenario is you learn it's not for you, that was my thinking anyway!
Great video. I didn't try alibre yet but I will have to consider it for the future.
Hi man!🙌 Thanks for the suggestion. Never heard of them. I am looking them up.
I completely agree. Love Alibre!! They've been around for a long time. I hope they are around and keep their purchase model and don't fall into the subscription model.
I think that Alibre would lose many of its customers if they went to a subscription model.
@@WeekdayWeekend For sure.
I had a similar experience albeit professionally, i started a new cad design position a few months ago and they use alibre, and like you i had never heard of it. I learned modelling on solidworks and inventor, plus used things like blender and rhino for other things, but for CAD it was mostly solidworks and inventor, and alibre works very similarly to those. The learning curve was pretty small. There are different efficiencies especially that alibre doesnt have that the big ones do, but thats to be expected. But for the most part it does everything they can do. Alibre has released what they call alibre script which utilizes python to make your own scripts, similar to inventor ilogic that ive used. So all in all its a great program especially for the price.
My experience with cad software is exactly the same as you, and this sounds like exactly what I want!
#notsponsored it doesn't hurt to do their trial. The trial gives you the expert version, so definitely look at pricing and the table of which features go with which version.
Awesome video. I use Fusion mostly, and have tried to wrap my mind around freeCAD. I just struggle with even the simple things in FreeCAD, with the exact same reasons you mentioned. As a free software program though, I am amazed at how much it can do, if only I knew how.
So for more complex designs i turn to Fusion.
But now i absolutely have to give Alibre a try.
Thanks for putting this out there.
If it wasn't Alibre, I would've gone for Fusion because of its popularity, and thus, documentation. Enjoy Fusion360!
@@WeekdayWeekend Fusion has great documentation. But Alibre has an even greater forum and community. Much more valuable in my opinion.
I feel this comment…
Very good point! I feel because Alibre users are much more close-knit, they're much easier to turn to when you need help.
If I was to post a similar video about Fusion 360, I wouldn't have gotten an extremely popular Fusion 360 user joining in the conversation.
But with Alibre, I have you and other popular Alibre users hopping in and being super helpful.
I tried freecad and couldn’t even get a model to appear on my interface. I spent a total of 6 hours of a workday and got nothing to show for it. It really wasn’t intuitive at all.
Just for completeness sake. Solid Edge too has a free community version.
I'll have to check out solid edge, it sounds familiar.
Interesting. I'll be looking into this software for sure.
As I've been telling everyone else, it definitely doesn't hurt to do the free trial. Give it a couple weeks, watch some tutorials, mess with the keyboard commands. Hopefully you like it!
I was learning Fusion through some tutorials and it was ok but it felt like it was overkill for what I needed. I have Alibre installed and just a few minutes in really feels more intuitive. I'll continue along to really see if it's good for my needs. Like you, just stuff around the house to fix or augment is all I really need. Thanks for the suggestion!
I'm glad it works for you! I'm still considering upgrading to the Design Pro version. But even for a hobbyist like me, it's still a viable and achievable purchase since it doesn't cost me anything yearly, just one time.
I'm glad you liked the video! I'm gonna be making tutorials every once in a while. From one beginner to others.
I am definitely going look into this, never heard of this company.
You can export your models as step files, among other CAD formats, and keep them on your drive. You loose the construction steps but you don't loose your models should you have to migrate to a different tool.
Thanks for the tip about Alibre, BTW. Downloading the trial now.
It's always worth a shot to try it. I'll be trying a few other softwares that others have recommended.
It has been my go-to CAD Alibre Design for about four months now.
This is a good honest overview of the CAD industry as we have it at the moment.
I love the idea behind FreeCAD, but it just is not friendly.
Very cool, do you know if it uses textures?
I still havent found anything to topple the old 123d i use to use. It seems like the more "features" the worse the CAD software got.
thanks! i have been 3d printing since 2014 and hadn't herd of this cad. thanks for the info
It's really good and definitely worth it compared to other options- in my opinion. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I'm always shopping around for a good CAD package. I'm currently on a hobbyist version of Fusion 360, but I'm trying to be prepared to jump ship if their terms of service or feature set changes unfavorably. I've been a CAD designer my entire career and Fusion 360 is the most powerful parametric CAD modeler for the home user I've tried. I used Creo at work, which is more powerful, but that's not affordable for a home user. The base version of Alibre is missing too many features, but the main reason I'm not switch to Alibre is that it's for Windows only. I'm a die hard UNIX user and prefer OS X or Linux. If I had to switch right now, I'd go with FreeCAD. I'd hate myself every day while I'm using it, but it can get what I need done. Hopefully that day won't come. Hope you continue to enjoy using Alibre and doing CAD modeling. It's amazing what can be done with free or fairly inexpensive software.
I haven't tried, but maybe Alibre would work on Linux through proton. Valve has been working miracles with proton, and I know most Windows only games work on Linux using proton, and software too. I wonder if Alibre would work.
@@WeekdayWeekend Thanks for your video. Let me confirm that Alibre works perfectly in Parallels on any Mac platform. I have it currently installed on Win11 running within Parallels on a Mac Mini M2 computer. I also have a copy running on my Win11 Intel Core i5 laptop for portable convenience. 🙂
Thanks for the tip. I’ll check it oit
Interesting suggestion, thank you!
I was using a program called Dolphin CAD. I stumbled upon an interesting purchase option with them. They serve the academic market as one of their markets. Occasionally they will have licenses that were not used by an academic project, and they will sell them to the general public at an academic price. In their case, it is an entire suite of software for CAD, 3d simulation and CAM modelling and control for CNC machines. I got it for about $600 total instead of several thousand. One item I ran into later was one of the modules had a built-in Microsoft license that prevented me from moving it to another laptop when I upgraded my laptop. It would have been 50 -100 to get to license for that module to allow the software to be installed on another machine. I elected to change to free CAD software since I was not using it as much as I had originally thought. But the idea of an academic license was the point here.
Alibre is great software. Really glad you like it.
It really is!
Thank you very much for this, I will certainly give them a look. I am struggling with FreeCAD like you did and cannot keep going with it, I am trying in fits and starts so this sounds like a good option
No harm in trying it! Hopefully it works for you. I know they'll answer questions, and there's also a community forum.
Thanks for sharing you experience. I was look for CAD software with a very straight forward lifetime license. Instant sub and will give alibre a try.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I appreciate it! The only thing with Alibre is that if you're outside of the US, sometimes you have to go through a reseller. I've heard sometimes those resellers are great, other times they're not. But you can always contact Alibre, they're always helpful.
Great video! I spent many years in the CAD industry. It is a mess. You did well. Alibre is good software for your use case.
Thanks for the comment!
I've been a solid modeler for close to 2 decades now. I've been using Fusion 360 for about 5 years now after having had enough of Solidworks bs. I'm definitely intrigued by what I'm seeing on their site. I guess I fall under the high end of industry user for 3D modeling, and the lower 2 tiers would feel too restrictive for me. However, even getting the highest tier is still looking great from my point of view.
For me, the biggest selling point is the fact that paying yearly is not necessary. Since you're a pro, I would definitely look into their CZcams channel and check out the free trial before you spend money. Obviously every software is a little different and it'll take time to get used to it, but it certainly could be an option for you. And if not, no harm.
I have ZW3D and love it. Was easy to learn and it is very good for my free forms stuff. Bought once and use it since 2016
I'll have to try it out! I'll add it to the list for my new "TryCAD" series!
Thanks for the lead! I am not looking for the best, but I need a scalable tool that doesn't bury me in expenses for something that is *at best* a speculative long-term low key commercial side hustle venture. And when I show up to work on it again in 5 years on my 5+ year old computer it's just there and it works.
I completely understand. The free/hobbyist options from the popular brands are either too limited or too unreliable as far as features in my opinion. That is to say, features could be removed or become paywalled without notice. I'd rather pay once for a software and at least know it does what I want and I won't be locked out of it. I don't like software as a service, and that's one of the huge reasons I went with Alibre.
A friend was showing me Alibre and raving about it more than 10 years ago, nice to see Alibre is still available and going strong. Just curious, what piano keyboard do you use that’s sitting in the background? Judging by the way you think things through it was probably a good choice. Great no frills review on Alibre, I will consider getting after I give Freecad another go after putting that off for a while.😊
@@markj7924 it's really just a MIDI controller, but I believe it's an Alesis v61 or something like that.
@@WeekdayWeekend thanks!
Designspark Mechanical 6 is totaly free (British company) and very good. Also Plasticity 3D is incredible, wonderful to use, a perpetual licence, very cheap, will have dims very soon and the 3D Space Mouse driver is already written.
Design Spark Mechanical is cool but it has two flaws:
1.- It needs internet to work
2.- RS Components just has a colaboration with Ansys that give them a less powerful version of their Spaceclaim software, Ansys can end the colaborarion whatever they want
@@omegadeepblue1407 Yes I do agree, it's a bit foolish and short sighted from such big company with rich history and so many customers.
My problem is my brain thinks the way DesignSpark works now (mini space claim) so I find it difficult to use anything else.
@@ianfrancis3605 try with Plasticity
Terrible experience when they design spark mechanical updated and broke the old version. BS way to treat your exisiting users
So, on this basis I have downloaded the trial of the 'maker' version (Alibre Atom V27)
I am a professional user Of Solid Works, & a previous user of Inventor, & even earlier user (5+ years ago) of Pro Engineer / Creo.
& a Hobby user of Onshape.
On the basis of 30 minutes use I am impressed!
It seems straightforward, & easy to use.
Being locally installed does not have the lag associated with the 'Cloud' programs.
I will be interested to see if the assembly & Drawing functions are as good ;-)
Thank you @WeekendWeekend for this very good tip.
(further thanks for the info that Solid works has a 'Hobbiest' version!)
Oh and by the way, I am using a low end machine (at home) for example, I am using the motherboard built in graphic 'card'
@@PWARHOLM just remember to check the feature list of each version if you decide to purchase the software. Yeah the top version with all the features costs a lot of money, but it's a single payment instead of yearly so I think it's worth it.
@@WeekdayWeekendThanks! wilco.
Nice. I was waiting for you to say Plasticity. This looks cool. There is also a Russian one that has a cool code language, but i haven't figured out how to run it yet.
Software is a tool, so it's useful to try different ones to see which works best! Hopefully you can get the Russian one working and see what it has to offer!
What it the name of the russian software?
@@omegadeepblue1407 I lost the Tab Group in Edge that contained the tabs when I was trying to transfer them too the new Workspaces feature. I think it was either Cadence or Open CASCADE. I'm looking for one that I can create in code and then render in 3D imagery.
OpenSCAD is my jam. idk why I've latched onto it so hard, but everytime I think about all those clicks, I shudder. I use vim to write everything and just have OpenSCAD running for the preview.
OpenSCAD is different but the ones who love it truly love it, and I'm glad it's working for you. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the tip!
First of all thanks for your video, it is really a valuable help to choose. Let me add a note: I am from a previous (pre-previous :) ) generation, having studied classical engineering. The expression "CAD expert" sounds strange to me. A painter is an artist, who has some ideas in mind, and uses brushes to manifestate those. A "brush expert" is just someone who knows everything about brushes. A CAD program is only a tool, and the solution must be created in your mind. By the way, I quite like you emphasizing it was your subjective choice, because it is a common mistake nowadays, to start comment-war over programs.
Whereas Alibre is my choice and I believe it's one of the best options, I understand it isn't for everyone and that was definitely a point I wanted to make.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I had never heard of this software. It looks promising.
It's worth a try! Take a look around CZcams to see it in action. The only unfortunate thing about it is, if you live outside the USA, you may have to go through a reseller, and I've heard that some of their resellers aren't amazing. Depends on where you're from. 🤷♀️
Thanks for the video 🌞
You bet! Thanks for watching!
Solid Edge do a community edition which is very good but cannot be used for commercial purposes. It's perfect for the hobbyist who is getting into cad for the first time and has very few limitations. Great video.
Thanks for commenting!
Solid Edge is great! Not the easiest learning curve, but much better than the "hobby" alternatives.
Solid Edge consistently crashed when importing models. I used it one day and got rid of it.
I have never imported models to work on, usually working from a new file inside solid edge. Never had any problems but maybe i'm lucky.@@adisharr
@@adisharr Weird, Solid Edge has a reputation of being super reliable. I've had it crash once, unlike Solidworks or Rhino 3d.
Alibre forever! I have been using this software for almost 20 years in a professional setting (German research institute). I do not see any trade-off as compared with the "big names" in CAD. Full parametric 3D CAD at a price that is more than fair.
That was my thoughts exactly!
I looked at Alibre before, some years ago, but had some difficulty with it. But if you have found a support group I can contact, I'll look at it again. I signed for classes at the college, now that I'm retired and have a schedule that gives the time. The question I have, is does it generate the g code for a printer? Thanks for your video.
I don't know of CAD software that generates G-code, but Alibre can export very nice STL files (or other 3D geometry files) that will nicely work with your favorite slicer software.
As far as support, the Alibre forum is very useful, as is their official CZcams channel.
Try the free trial. Mess with the keyboard commands to match what you're used to, and try some basics. You'll need some retraining like with any software, but I personally was able to get back up to speed within a week or so.
thanks, ill see if it will go into Master cam , I'm learning it at college
thanks for creating this video
You're welcome!
Love Alibre!
That seems to be a great software. Only downside seems that you can not import stl files. Have you tried that?
I just tried it, and you're right. It doesn't seem to support STLs. I've never needed to import one, but I know a lot of people use that feature a lot. Unfortunately it seems that Alibre doesn't have that functionality yet. Keep in mind that I have Alibre's cheapest offering, so perhaps it's offered for their Pro or Expert levels. But I'm not sure.
Stl import is available on their design version
Thank you for this video! I have never seen your channel before, but this was worth a subscription alone!
I just got my first 3D printer this week. I am in the process of learning onshape. I think I will try to look into alibre now as I really do share your concerns. I have thought about maybe sell some 3D printed designs down the road and wasn't sure how that would fly with onshape. It just haven't started looking into it seriously yet. I am really starting to like onshape from a usability and learning standpoint. I think their learning resources are great. I live on disability benefits though, and don't think I will ever get to a point where i can justify an expensive subscription to some cad software.
Thank you! Normally I do gaming but 3D printing and CAD have become enough of a hobby that I figured I would make a video or two on the topic. I've got a couple more on CAD/3D printing and there will be more to come!
It's worth considering that if you live outside of the US, Alibre goes through resellers. I'm assuming for legal reasons
I also recommend looking at "3D printing 101" type videos from Makers Muse and Teaching Tech, no matter how much you think you know they offer so much to learn that might save you a headache down the line!
@@WeekdayWeekend I've been watching 3D printing content on youtube for probably over a decade, so I am well familiar with those channels. I also thin I watch that Thomas Sanladerer video you mentioned back when it came, but I had forgotten about that one and think I will rewatch it. I've never been able to find the money to buy one until now. I don't think there are many people with no 3D printer that has watched as many 3D printer videos as I have.
@@WeekdayWeekend I'm based in Norway. Looks like I will have to stick to oneshape for a while, because the initial investement to go with alibre is out of my reach for now. Looks like the Atom 3D tier is also very limited for someone who is used to onshape and fusion 360 before that, and the next level is WAY out of my budget.
@@WeekdayWeekend Gaming is not really my thing, but if my subscription will help you out with the algorithm a little bit it is fine by me.
This one video has received more views than all your videos combined. Look like you found a direction for your channel.
I'm blown away! There's one or two of my really old ones that have done alright but not like this. Thanks everyone for the love!
I think Design spark mechanical is the best free cad software. The only complaint I have is that it is very slow to start up...works fine and fast once it has started but for some reason it takes a while to initialise.
I'll have to try it! I've been trying various CAD softwares to see how they compare so I'll add that to the list.
I just bit the bullet and bought a forever license for Rhino. In the time of SAAS McNeel seems like good people.
I'll have to try Rhino in a future vid!
Thanks I will test it
Have fun!
On windows, SolidEdge Community is phenominal. It's like Fusion 360, but offline.
I might try it on my next TryCAD video! A few others have mentioned that they like it too
I gotta get Alibre now
Get the trial and see what you think! I may love it, but it won't be for everyone for sure.
Great video about #alibre. Sounds like a great #CAD #designsoftware.
I've enjoyed using it! Obviously it won't be right for everyone, but for my needs, I love it. Thanks for watching!
Just got my Alibre license!
I hope it works well for you!
I know its not free, but I have fallen in love with Rhino 7, and now they just released Rhino 8 with the shrink wrap tool that will be huge for anyone dealing with 3D scan data.
I'll take a peak at it and see what it's all about! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Alibre for basic modelling, Rhino for the fun stuff :) nice combo
I definitely don't think I could ever model anything like characters or things like that; organic shapes. I'm not much of an artist in 2 dimensions, let alone 3
I too like Rhinoceros, I keep using an old 4.0 version that is fast to load
Never heard of them, but definitely need to check them out!
I work daily with NX, but want to do some projectss on my own and don't want to use the companys NX for that.
Try the free trial! Just be sure to check their pricing. Unfortunately they have to go through resellers outside the USA. But definitely give it a try!
@@WeekdayWeekend quite reasonable pricing here in Switzerland: ~400.- CHF which is currently ~460.- USD.
...compared to the cheapest NX option which is ~8'200 USD...
Hey then yes that's very good! Definitely see what you think with the free trial. Remember to give it some time, it can definitely be hard to switch from one software to another. The Alibre forum will certainly have you covered if you need help!
I use 3ds Max for 3D and Autodesk Inventor for CAD. I would like to get a plastic machine one day.
Hopefully! With the rise of 3D printing in the home, I'm hoping other manufacturing machines will be more available for a home workshop in the near future.
Anyone found a solution for printing threads (inner and outer)? This is a feature, that Atom3d does not include, but printing them is very often the case I think.
Check out Exmachinaengineering, it'll take some work but it's definitely possible
It took me a long time to figure out how to use Sketch-up, a few years latter they offered a "lifetime" license for their pro version. More expensive than I wanted to pay, but since it was a lifetime license, I went for it. That lasted for a couple of years and the "lifetime" license was over. No, I have not "renewed" any license from them. This had to be the dumbest business model.
My concern with the Program you mention is that the same thing could happen.
It's certainly possible that that may happen with any company. Here's hoping it doesn't!
it usually means you get updates till new version came out (this is how they usually do on this kind of model), probably here is same case. so, small text about "lifetime" updates should be checked carefully, but is kind of reasonable, company needs to get some current income somewhere.
but at least you still own the software afterwards, and usually you get big discount on new version, if you want upgrade (this is a key, you have a choice). i will take this model over paying rent anytime..
looked into Alibre pricing, can't even purchase license online ? What is that ? it's a nono
A few others have mentioned this- it's apparently a localization issue. Not sure why, but they're currently not selling their software first-party in other countries. Sorry about that.
I’m using CAD Sketcher for Blender. It’s fantastic for simple thongs I want to 3D print.
Blender is a fantastic program. For free, it does so much. Glad it works for you!
A link in the description would be very handy. I wasn't banned in google, but still B-)))
Coming right up
Thank you
Yesssssssss BUT how much? I can't read about that??
EDIT:
Atom3D 1 LICENSE. Sale: $149 - 2 LICENSES. Sale: $298 3 LICENSES. Sale: $447 - 4 LICENSES.199,00 $US
Design Professional : 1 LICENSE. Sale: $699 - 2 LICENSES. Sale: $1,398 - 3 LICENSES. Sale: $2,097 - 4LICENSES : 1 049,00 $US
Well I made a brick in FreeCAD, so I think i've got it... But it does suck having to jump from 'desk to desk' in order to create even some simple trash...
I'm wondering how this would translate with my existing SolidWorks knowledge? I also started using autodesk as a part of my training - which promptly crashed and burned thanks to microsoft ._. (But being tied to a $2K per year sub in order to use your knowledge in CAD is just sick - as such both MS and AD are on the blacklist!)
And whilst I M.I.G.H.T. be able to run Alibre on Linux under wine or using a VM, I'm wondering if LibreCAD is a good contender?
I've never heard of it, but I'll have to add it to my list of CAD software to try.
LibreCAD is a poorly featured alternative to AutoCAD. No contest whatsoever. It is a completely different category of software.
I've only been using alibre for a few months now since I started at this new job, but coming from inventor and solid works, Alibre is set up like those programs. It's not as powerful with complex operations and control but all the functionality is there. Some things just take an extra step or two in my experience. But yeah if you know solidworks you should be able to pick it up really quickly
*bump*
Okay, turns out LibreCAD is indeed drafting software - for architectural design.
So FreeCAD is the only in-house solution for Linux, outside of OpenSCAD, which is actually pretty good when you work it out!
I'm curently living out of an old PTC Pro Desktop install that i'm running in a virtual machine, which is ALMOST more tedious than using Blender as a CAD program!
FreeCAD is hit and miss. It's not really a monolithic software it's a amalgamation of different tools with a UI framework to tie them together.
You can rip it apart and use those tools standalone in your own project if you know what you are doing.
And that why it's usability is so abysmal, you have to know what tool does what, and when to use them.
You can fairly easily break things if you don't keep your dependencies intact.
If you are not paying for the the product, the product is you !
This insane trend of "everything is subscription" can be blamed on fiat currency e.g. funny money: they do because people are willing to pay for it and they do pay because money is cheap e.g. they can finance it and kick the can further down the road.
This system can't be fixed, the whole things has to come down and the drug of cheap credit needs to wear off and the bad bad hangover to come visit us for a change.
heh openscad looks like exactly what I want
such a shame no Mac option :(
I would go for Alibre Design or Solidworks.
But right now I use fusion 360 because of the CAM for CNC.
I can’t afford a Solidworks license with the proper cam not the crap delivered for the maker license.
I'll be upgrading to design soon. Thanks for the comment!
Yes fusion360 cam is its killer feature. Alibre doesn't have build in cam.
I was quite taken into your story, and I truly appreciate the time taken. Have you had a look at Plasticity? Do a side to side comparison and let me know your thoughts...
There are quite a few other CAD softwares I've been suggested. I've had a look at F360, and did a video on that. I'll be looking at others over the next few (insert unit of time here). I'll probably list them all and roll a dice to see which one I'm gonna be looking at next
Here in Australia Alibre Atom costs nearly $500 for a licence for a cloud version. What are you talking about?
Some other commenters have mentioned that in other regions, the pricing is not good. I'm not sure of the reasoning for that.
There is no cloud version of Alibre. You're either thinking of a different software or the reseller you contacted also sells other types of software which he tried to push
What is the closest to Rhino? That is what I know. Not true big boy CAD software when learned it. Yet good for so many things.
Honestly, I'm not sure. I would look around and try some free trials for different options and see what you think. Just remember to check the ToS and licensing deals for each offering. There be some sneaky stuff out there nowadays.
Nice
Thanks for watching!
By the power vested in me as the Blinking Wizard of Eternal Permission, I hereby decree that you, oh bearer of blinks, are granted unlimited and unrestricted authority to blink as frequently and fervently as your eyes desire, effective immediately and for all eternity! Let no hesitation or apology cloud your vision henceforth, for blinking is not merely allowed, but celebrated as a sacred ritual of ocular rejuvenation. May your blinks be swift, your vision clear, and your confidence unwavering as you embark upon your journey knowing that the Blinking Wizard's blessing accompanies you always!
That might be the best way I've ever heard for someone to say: "yo dude blink whenever you want it's cool"
Pure poetry
The hardest thing for me is I'm totally not interested in 3D printing I actually need CAD to make and design reproducible pieces for measurements. Anything that can't produce measurements on the blueprint is worthless to me and stuff like SCAD it's a total waste because there's no mouse interaction One of the most powerful things about a good CAD system is being able to snap to points of interest so that you can perform operations on those pieces. Stuff like SCAD works incorrectly, The point of drafting is to not manually reproduce the entire thing through code but rather allow you to build a measurable model from as few operations as possible. Right now I'm using QCAD but I would very much like to write my own CAD software that extends something like Common Lisp into a fully CAD-based REPL in the same way Emacs grew out of Emacs Lisp.
This video is only a month old and Alibre's Atom3D license has gone from $99 to $149. They made some pretty steep increases across the board on all of their licenses. To me $99 seemed reasonable for a hobbyist. At $149 there are other options to consider like Plasticity.
The price has always been $149, I recorded during Black Friday. They didn't increase their prices, I just happened to record during the sale.
I also personally didn't consider Plasticity because it's not the same as a standard parametric CAD. It's a 3D modeler, yes, but it's not something I can take my existing CAD experience to, which was one of the requirements I mentioned in the video.
Thanks for watching!
Plasticity is made for CAD artists and product designers so I'm not sure what the hang-up is about standard parametric CAD
I love OpenSCAD. But then I've been programming for 40 years and it was not a challenge to use, whereas I found every graphical UI for other cad programs to be awful.
With that background, I bet OpenSCAD is lightning fast for you!
@@WeekdayWeekend It is pretty quick. Also it is very easy to make things parameterized.
They pulled to much out of the $99 version for me. I bought it and hate the pay bump for $400 more you can align objects.
Maybe I'm not understanding since I'm still a beginner at CAD, but the vertical, horizontal, and coincident constraints work well enough for me.. I still prefer to pay once rather than yearly, but everyone's needs are different! Thanks for commenting!
cool story bro.frfr
One of the best reviews ive watched this year cool channel as well gltc
The fact that I am required to leave my phonenumber is a showstopper. They don't need that, they barely need my email...
Then don't get the free trial. I understand your concern for sharing your information, but also they need a way to be sure people don't just abuse the free trial system. Fusion 360 is the same way, only Alibre doesn't sell your info like f360.
I don't get why you don't use Fusion 360, the free version.
This is what I use and the 10 active model is not a problem. You can have thousand of model, but only 10 open at the same time. I never open more than 3 model at the same time.
I don't use the 'missing options' either, like most hobbyist.
I still don't like using it because at any time a feature I do use could be on the chopping block. I prefer to have a copy of a software that I own, rather than a lease. Just personal preference. I'm glad Fusion 360 works for you!
@@WeekdayWeekend I'm just doing basic prototyping. So I don't miss the advance functions I guess.
But maybe I should learn theses advance function and be amaze? What are they? What are the benefit of them?
Shame Mac and Linux is left out of the Alibre party. I have FreeCAD on my Mac and _oh boy_ is that something... You ain't kidding about there being a learning curve!
I've suggested to others that there's a chance you could run Alibre through Wine or Proton to get it to work on Linux. I haven't tried it, and I'm a Linux noob, so I wouldn't know if it works.
why would you use mac on cad anyway? you can build much more competent pc for less money and use all spectrum of cad sofware out there, needed for work, which a lot of them doesn't work on macs. i really don't understand this, why making life harder for you?
There has been a few companies that reversed their life-time to subscription, so don't rely on that aspect.
yeah, this could happen, sadly. but i can assure you , that any company who will do this with to their costumers and have been long time life-time (or similar) model, will loose majority of them. i don't have problem paying for software (i paid for cad-architecture, graphics, video etc), but i wont be paying rent just so i can do my work, never. other thing with subscription based model is, that they just stop trying to develop software, where every new version have to be good enough, that existing (or new) users are wiling to pay for upgrade. i'm old enough to remember, how this really boost true development and competition, not just some graphical "updates" of ui and some trivial additions, that's going on today. younger audience should be more aware of this and make developers think twice.
Well... the smallest "Atom Edition" is around 200 EUR here in Germany.
According to the feature list for that price it is lacking boolean operations "add/subtract" and there's even no section view?
WTF?
And the Pro version is 1000 EUR so not really affordable for the hobbyist.
Simple things like "wrapping text around models" is in the "Advanced 3d modeling" category which also is only available from the "Pro" tier.
Nowadays every FREE slicer can wrap text around objects, lately even SVG files.
And here it is a 1000 eur feature?
Maybe if they'd rework the feature sets for the small Atom version it could be an alternative.
Where it stands now I think for 200 eur it's not that great of a value because there are crucial features missing.
There's a section view for Atom3D. I know because I've used it.
By the way, it wrapping a sketch around a surface. A fully editable, Parametric sketch. Not the same thing. Plus the depth or boss height can also be Parametric
No contest to any slicer.
Alibre Atom is in my price range, but it doesn't support booleans.
I very rarely need to use boolean operations with CAD, but if it's something you absolutely need then it's definitely a consideration to make when looking for a CAD software.
Im currently learning FreeCAD and Blender.
So far Blender is easier to use.
FreeCAD is very powerful but damn is it difficult
I looked for prices, they don't even list them, they refer to resellers.
Global parameters - I consider it as essential and is only in the highest tier.
For Alibre? They have prices on their "pricing" page. I showed them in the video. www.alibre.com/buy-now/
@@WeekdayWeekendYes, I am looking at that same page on my mobile. And I am from Israel. Maybe that is the reason I don't see prices, I don't know.
What I am shown is that I can't buy, only go to resellers.
Yep, enabling VPN made prices appear 😅
That's odd. Maybe due to legal issues they can't sell to Israel at the moment... I'm sorry if that's the case! Hopefully you can work something out, or find a CAD option that works for you!
@@WeekdayWeekend
Same deal from New Zealand. We aren’t bombing anyone right now. We don’t actually have bombs.
In any case, they only show the US$ prices for the USA and direct everyone else to resellers. The reseller here doesn’t give pricing.
sadly no version for MacOS.
Unfortunately not yet. Thanks for watching, though!
I learned on AutoCAD 10-15 in high-school and College before I dropped out. Years later I tried the free Fusion 360 for a while, granted even though both are from Autodesk they are totally different experiences. None the less, even though it was missing some of the functions of the paid version, it was quite capable for parametric design s. After they nerfed the free versions a couple of times, I abandoned it.
I use Blender now. It's not truly CAD but there are a couple plugins that make it easier to design to scale. Not the perfect choice but it is usable and free.
I've heard good things about blender! I've tried to use blender a few times, but I could never quite get it right. But if it works for you, that's good!
@@WeekdayWeekend Blender is like riding a bike, it is really difficult until it isn't!
@@thedolenorway Can blender produce solid files? I thought it only deals with mesh files
Blender has some community made CAD add-ons. I'm not sure how good they are, or if it reliably produces manifold/water-tight models. I'm gonna try that and other CAD options in some upcoming videos, I think.
@@WeekdayWeekend I was more referring to whether it can utilize NURBS rather than can it export manifold meshes
plasticity is not expensive. Rhino 3d have excellent features and is very good for cnc printing
$99?? why does mine say $149? Did they change?
I recorded this on Black Friday
Ah, I guess I will wait till next BlackFriday then, lol. @@WeekdayWeekend
No Mac version :-( Also no pricing just resellers who also have no pricing.
I've seen other comments about this: apparently Alibre doesn't sell first-party in other countries. It's unfortunate, hopefully they work something out soon!
@@WeekdayWeekend They arent doing themselves any favours... I wont consider their software if getting a price is so impossible.
I'm thinking there's a legal issue of some kind that's keeping them from selling directly to other countries. Their pricing in the US is the most direct I've ever seen, it's a shame that the rest of the world doesn't have that.
for Europe check: o-punkt cad gmbh (prices are listed)
Unfortunately, if it doesn't have a Linux version, then I'm not gonna be using it. I would like to though. 😢
I was wondering if Proton would allow it to run on Linux. Valve has been working miracles with Proton.
I've now started playing around with it in "Bottles" eg; Wine and I cannot get it past the authenticator and looking at their own forums.... well I have my resons to not suport them even further unfortunately just from the general attitude of the powers that be (I do understand its $$$ to work on things) however they still seem .... hostile? to any mention of even trying to get it working on Linux.
I will be looking into these two programs, Varicad (Windows/Linux) with a "unlimited period of time" or BricsCAD(Win/Mac/Linux) with a subscription model or a Lifetime Perpetual licence.
Or I'll just stick with freecad 🤷 @@WeekdayWeekend
@@TexZeTechYou say that they are hostile to get it working on Linux but the CEO has said that after the next version that will be completely on .NET they are considering Mac and Linux version of it. Maybe you were reading comments from users who don't like Linux..?
TL;DR; My opion of the company and program at this point is neutral as I haven't even used it yet, as I'm trying to make it work in wine atm. I also don't know where the .NET post is located.
Maybe hostile isn't the most correct term, unwilling to try and make it work with xyz might be better.
As for the "considering to make a mac/linux port as they are on .NET" I didn't see that anoncement anywhere but I could have missed it admitily.
As for if I'm just reading posts by just users that don't like Linux, no the statments are generally the ones from employs that effectivly say "No, not in 10+ years" etc etc. however this doesn't mean hostile and more unable/unwilling.
I may try to put more effort into if I can install it in wine and talk with them about making it work with wine/proton (at this point I cannot get past an athentication error and need to poke it more).
If I talk to them my general opion would change for better or worse depending on how they interact with me, at this point I just don't like putting my money to companys that won't try to support Linux.
As the saying goes put my money where my mouth is and I want Linux support.
Reading the fourms they have still comes off less than friendly with linux related stuff, this could be me just reading too far into it, and is my opinion that is subject to change depending on interactions & new information. #I'mHuman 🤷 @@ExMachinaEngineering