Skip to Main Content

3-D Printing Guide

.

3-D Modeling Software Overview

Free Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software is available to create 3-D models. After using the software to create a 3-D model, the model can be downloaded for printing.  Several free products are listed below. 

Blender

Tinkercad

Other vendors such as AutoCAD and SketchUp offer free trials of their 3-D software.

Websites with 3-D Models

3-D models are freely available at various websites.  Tinkercad contains a gallery of 3-D models.  The gallery items can be modified or printed.  However, not all models are perfect for printing.  Some items in the gallery are better for viewing only as the models are extremely large or impractical to print.  

Other models are available at the following websites:

Thingiverse.com

Shapeways.com

Please be advised that models obtained from websites may have copyright restrictions.  For more information regarding this topic, view the "Copyright, citations & terms of use" page located at the tab above. To learn more about 3-D printing, view the PBS video below:

3-D Modeling for Beginners

For beginners, Tinkercad, a 3-D software package from Autodesk, is a good place to start as the product is free and easy to use.  The Tinkercad website also contains many pre-created models.  The models are available with creative commons licenses so the items can be modified or printed.