One question we get all the time is: What’s the best way to learn how to 3D design? Did you learn the tools and processes in an academic setting like school? Did you teach yourself though experimenting? Did you watch tutorials or take online classes?
Experiments with MagicaVoxel software
We posed these questions to our community on the Shapeways forums and got some amazing responses. Here are some of these learnings that could serve as a great guide for others interested in starting their journey in digital manufacturing.
“I have always loved to draw with pencil and paper as a hobby. But I am a Mechanical Engineer and I started my professional career as a CATIA application engineer at IBM in 1992, and did that for more than 15 years. I had taken several CATIA training classes and spent many hours studying by myself. ” – Shapeways Shop owner Glehn
In the forums, our community has a range of backgrounds, from fine arts to science to engineering. Most reported learning the design software themselves from online tutorials and YouTube. They were creative prior to learning 3D design, and had begun their journey earlier with other hobbies like drawing and model building.
Many started learning before academic classes in 3D design were available. Personal digital manufacturing is still in its infancy and the educational infrastructure around it is still forming. Those who taught themselves are leading the charge to start educating the next generation of designers.
Most importantly, community members have learned to come to design with a creative, can-do mentality. By working on specific problems, like wanting to create a necklace or a robot, they’ve experimented with the tools at hand — and found solutions. Design always requires a combination of patience, problem-solving, and elbow grease. They’ve learned to value hard work, and that making something yourself pays off.
“My parents instilled in me the belief that it’s better if possible to craft something on your own than to buy it pre-built. 3d printing just gives me better construction tools” – Shapeways shop owner Stony Smith
How did you learn to 3D design? Did you learn in school or pick it up yourself? Let us know in the comments below.
The voxel moon is very probably inspired by this work from July 2016:
https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/949/023/large/metin-seven-metin-seven-3d-pixel-artist-voxels-astronaut-cubic-moon.jpg?1467659684
Nope: hadn’t seen that before but great minds think alike!
Self-taught, first with Hexagon and then Solidworks. The great thing about 3D is that you can just have a go, and if it doesn’t work, try again
I self-taught Sketchup online- I put in huge effort as I was preparing to become a trainer. I now show others how to do amazing stuff with Sketchup and 3D printing.
I taught myself 123D Design, SketchUp and TinkerCad. Then I joined up with a Blender specialist, Patrick Clec’h, and we, with another friend, Cece Ji, formed a training company that teaches 3D modeling for 3D printing. We are 3D Roundhouse and because we have our own families with young children, we want to spread the idea that Families can Enjoy 3D Printing!
I am self taught (autodidact). I did assemble models since childhood, and was an illustrator/fine artist for 30+ years. Now I teach 3D modeling in a k-8 school (although I teach 3D modeling to the pre-school students using the Thingmaker app on iOs as well) and a graduate credit course at Castleton University in VT. I am currently versed in the use of Tinkercad, 3D Design Something, Sculptris, SculptGL, Maya, 123DCatch, Doodle3D Transform, Archepelis Designer,
Blender and a few others. I personally believe that learning how to create your model in one of these programs is a great first step, it is very important that students learn how to properly finish their print to look like the item they are making, not simply a plastic toy.
No formal classes. Dove head first into Blender last year, after getting interested in 3D printing. I’ve watched a lot of videos, and haven’t stopped learning. I’m finding that building manifold meshes is fairly easy, compared to creating realistic images of my models (materials, UV mapping, lighting). I started out years ago with knife making. Built a small forge, taught myself to use a tabletop milling machine.