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You can morph your Genesis Character’s physical appearance in so many ways, by mixing, matching, and blending content to create unique characters ready for photo-realistic rendering. I’d recommend Daz 3D as the best free 3D modeling software overall due to its massive library of pre-built elements, allowing users to assemble amazing characters and scenes quickly. If you've got a Daz 3D Studio account, you may as well download the free modelling app, Hexagon. Developed by Eovia back in around 2001, it was acquired by Daz in 2006 and has been – very sporadically – updated ever since. Hexagon is simple subdivision surface modeller, and while Daz promotes it as a way of building clothes and props for its figure, you can use Hexagon to make anything you like.
Fusion 360
It’s particularly skilled at rendering smoke, water, fire – very intricate CAD VFX modeling. Whereas most paid CAD software such as those sold by Autodesk involve monthly payments, with Rhino you pay a one-off fee for lifetime commercial use, which many will prefer. With such an engaging and effortless interface, it’s no surprise this software has made it big in education, becoming teacher all over the world’s go-to tool for blending lessons and games. In terms of 3D modeling characters, Maya has a wide-ranging feature set that includes hair, particles, fluid simulation, solid body physics, and character animation. The latest version also comes with Bitfrost effects, allowing you to construct complex elements like snow, sand, dust storms, and explosions.
Best Free CAD Design Software for 3D Printers
You can employ virtually every modeling technique under the sun (parametric, mesh, freeform, etc) to prototype, design, and iterate for virtually any 3D printing application. SelfCAD aims to deliver a smooth and intuitive modeling experience without sacrificing advanced features so that you can confidently tackle even the most demanding projects without spending a fortune. Owned by Autodesk, Meshmixer is a great 3D printing program which not only cleans up user-designed models to print, but can also fix any 3D scans you have recently made on your 3D scanner. You can precisely create rafts and brims, especially useful for tougher filaments like Nylon and ABS, and the previewing features can pick up things you might have missed that could cause the print to fail.
Best Free CAD Software for 3D Printing – Full Round-Up
Better yet, it has integrated support structure generation tools, allowing it to blend into the 3D printing workflow very nicely indeed. You can create models by subtracting, adding, drawing, and editing shapes, with the option to draw in both 2D and 3D based on your needs. Morphi also offers a wealth of import and export options – OBJ, STL, FBX, GLTF, 3MF, and GLTF, with more on the way. The ability to manage several 3D printers simultaneously, with readily available data reports and control of files sent to each printer, makes it a huge asset as a 3D printing software for schools.

From architecture, construction, and engineering to animation, game development and interior design, 3D modeling has a wide range of really useful applications. It’s important to consider whether free 3D printer modeling software is compatible with your device – Mac, Linux, Windows, smartphone, tablet, Android, iOS. Despite what the name suggests, DesignSpark Mechanical is a potent modeling tool for 3D printing, and more specifically rapid prototyping for applications such as engineering. This makes it a potent tool for everyone from home makers to professional designers to create precision models for a huge range of applications. It’s great for modeling less geometrical parts and models, but also useful for polishing up existing STL and OBJ files ready for 3D printing.
It’s ideal as a free CAD software for 3D printing as you can easily export finished models into STL files for your 3D printer, and its easy-to-use interface makes it great for beginners and experienced makers alike. 3DS Max also has a Chamfer modifier for creating top-class procedural edge modeling details with simple yet extremely precise tools. This software offers a powerful yet flexible toolset that allows you to create stunning characters, interiors, objects, and whole worlds. For example, one of the software’s most impressive modeling tools is its advanced spline workflows, which allow you to create and animate geometry in various intuitive ways.
For beginners, TinkerCAD offers quick lessons to run you through the basics and guided free projects to hone your skills. FreeCAD is developed around the idea of parametric modeling and the creation of solid, full-precision objects and designs suited to the real world. Thanks to the proliferation of free CAD software, with little compromises compared to paid CAD programs, even cash-strapped budding bedroom designers can get their hands on one. It’s fairly easy to navigate with features that make tweaking your models — such as via sculpting, welding, cutting, bridging or bending parts — simple even for beginners.
Its cheapest version costs just a little under $2,000, but SideFX also offers an ‘Apprentice’ version for free. Houdini Apprentice allows you to access all of the features of the full version in order to develop your skills and work on personal projects. Just remember that this version is purely for non-commercial use and learning purposes. Over the years Modo has grown from a basic subdivision surface modeller into a fully-featured digital content creation app.
Some make good 3D printing software, while others are better for 3D drawing and sketching. The object construction system lends itself to creating new and interesting shapes, as much as painstakingly recreating existing objects in a 3D space. It also means you can really focus on detailed sculpting, which should come out looking great - it is, after all, some of the best 3D printing software around. Despite an initially complex and unconventional modeling and sculpting method, this arrangement does make it easier for beginners to join the fun. Wings3D also features comprehensive support for a huge range of import/export file types, including the all-important STL format for 3D printing.
Before computer software and CAD, designers and engineers had to draw their designs on paper to create new products manually. This naturally had its problems — it was much slower, more prone to human error, and less repeatable. For example, with the Remesh feature, you can redefine the topology of any area on a mesh to specify exactly where you need extra detail on your model. Developed by SideFX, this is an exceptionally high-quality program that’s widely used throughout the film and TV, game development, motion graphics, and virtual reality industries. Houdini has been used in films like Moana, the Game of Thrones TV series, and games such as Far Cry 5. Houdini is a powerful, all-in-one 3D procedural software that covers everything from modeling, rigging, and animation to rendering and VFX.
We round up the best 3D modelling software for both beginners and pros, including free and paid-for. When we test which 3D modeling software is best, we’re looking for outstanding examples of what matters to users. There are now a number of ways to create 3D models and the techniques can be split broadly into two areas. Hard surface modeling where you use 3D polygon shapes and vertices to form an object, and digital sculpting where you work with virtual clay.

Blender boasts a highly impressive 3D modelling and sculpting toolset and is considered a completely viable alternative to paid modelling programs. In recent years it's become increasingly prevalent in the pipelines of major studios. Blender was once notorious for its non-standard way of working, but a lot of these issues have been solved, so it will feel more familiar if you're moving from another app. It works in a non-standard fashion, with a workflow and user interface that can be pretty difficult for newcomers to get the hang of, so it's worth practising every day if you want to become proficient. If you're working on a project with a tight deadline or just want to experiment, you can use pre-made assets to boost your productivity and save time. You can find the best free textures and a selection of free 3D models right here.
There’s a huge variety of great files and projects here, and you also have the option to pay a small fee (usually a few dollars) for premium 3D files. Pinshape is a family-friendly STL file hosting site with mainly free 3D models, but also features premium models you’ll need to pay to download. You have far more control over the types of shapes and geometries with FreeCAD, such as in the advanced creation of curves and boundaries. Additionally, you can draw a 2D base for your eventual 3D model using their Sketcher Workbench tool, and use that blueprint to then build up your 3D design. This simplicity makes it accessible; all you need to do to get started is to drag and drop pre-designed objects, like cubes and pyramids, and adjust, rotate and resize them to create a cohesive model you want to print.
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This is a simple yet robust and powerful software that claims to make “3D modeling for everyone”, so it’s a good option for hobbyists and professionals alike. The interface is very beginner-friendly with intuitive tools for accurate sculpting, so it’s one of the easiest 3D modeling software on the market. The software’s procedural modeling techniques can be used to create complex models like cityscapes and environments while maintaining a robust construction history. It also offers direct modeling with viewport interaction, so you can easily create good surface topology that can be used interactively using a variety of polygon, NURBS, and Subdivision Surface modeling tools. There’s a huge difference in the learning curve and training required between the best free 3D print CAD software. If you want to get modeling without spending hours reading tutorials and guides, then something simple like Tinkercad or 3DSlash is recommended.
Based on the same programming language as the script-only modeler OpenSCAD, you use variables to change sizes, loops to create patterns, and build your own library of random modules. You can seamlessly interweave math, art, science, and technology lessons into this student-oriented platform. It breaks down 3D modeling to its most basic format and provides students with the fundamentals for potential careers, and builds a unique perspective of the world around them. Blender is a free and open-source tool, but it would be a disservice to this mighty software to call it just a CAD program. Designs are composed exclusively of cubes, making it difficult to make complex designs.
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Some may want a more professional 3D software tool with more advanced creation and editing, but as a free 3D printer design software for beginners, TinkerCAD is a great introduction. More complex designs can be created by connecting many smaller shapes together, so it’s an underrated tool. Best of all, it’s an open-source program with no premium tiers – all features are available. Among them are selection and modeling tools, support for assigning and editing materials/textures/colors, and a host of plugins that suit a range of applications, including 3D printing.
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