Do I *need* to learn a 3D modeling software? - eviltoast

So, I’m trying to print some older models from thingiverse and I have discovered that basically all the files I want to print have glaring flaws in them.

Internal free floating structures, connector pieces and holes that are the exact same size… So on and so forth…

Do I need to learn a software like CAD or Blender to fix these? I seem to be able to do some basic stuff in Orca Slicer but it honestly seems like as much of a pain to modify the parts there as it would be to use a real software.

Is there one that’s easier? I think I messed around with SketchUp once upon a time.

I am worried this feels like opening a can of worms just so that I can make a thing that already exists in a dozen forms better.

  • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.world
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    1 month ago

    I prefer parametric SCAD models. Maybe because I’m more of a developer than a designer.

    SCAD allows for really cool things like I did with a parametric calendar model - you just input the year and it automatically calculates the first day of the year using a clever algorithm. It also works with leap years automatically, which is less cool but still very convenient.

      • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.world
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        1 month ago

        I mean, OpenSCAD has primitives which you use to create your own shapes. It does have chamfers, if you add a module for that. Or download someone else’s code.