But I think all of them are very powerful tools that will far exceed your needs. Contrary to what some folks think, it’s still free for hobbyists, the only real limitation is a slightly irritating limit on the number of files you can work on simultaneously. I can’t really talk to the latter three when I was in your position a couple of years back, I gave all of them a try and preferred Fusion 360. If like most of us you’re therefore only interested in apps that are free, there are quite a few out there but I think the main free ones are Fusion 360, Solid Edge, FreeCad, and Sketchup. You’ll also want to decide whether you’re willing, down the line, to pay to use the software.

(Though sooner than you think you may need both). The former are (in my view) better for making precisely dimensioned model parts, the latter for sculpted type objects. There is a junction of sorts here: the softwares are broadly either CAD, aimed at ‘engineered products’, or ‘artistic’ apps like Blender. The next step on is a key decision point, because whichever app you choose, you’ll end up investing a lot of time and effort on the learning curve. You can do quite a lot with it but will eventually run up against its limitations. Using the direct modelling approach, it allows for unlimited and frequent design changes using an intuitive set of tools. DesignSpark Mechanical enables users to solid model in a 3D environment and create files for use with 3D printers. Whatever you make can be exported as a printable. DesignSpark Mechanical is a free 3D CAD ( computer-aided design) solid modeling software. It’s extremely easy and intuitive and you’ll be making something within the hour. Tinkercad is a good way to get going quickly and if you haven’t done any 3D modelling previously I’d strongly recommend starting there.

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