If you’re interested in getting started with CAD (Computer Aided Design), join the club!
I have experimented with all sorts of CAD programs over many years. I’ve never spent enough time with any of them to be any good, but I have learned a few things that might help you out.
When I got my 3-D printer, that’s when I started getting more serious about CAD.
If you’re interested in 3-D printing, you can download a lot of pre-done project templates from sites like Thingiverse. But I think you’ll soon find that you want to either modify those templates, or you’ll want to design your own from scratch.
That’s when you’ll need to start learning CAD for yourself. A couple of CAD programs I found were way too sophisticated for what I wanted to do at first. Then I discovered Tinkercad 3D Designs. It’s intended mostly for a young audience but is really great for adult beginners who want to use a building block type of program. It makes some things very easy to design. It’s a ways away from being a perfect solution, but I would recommend you give it a look.
A few other CAD programs I like are Sketchup, Audodesk Fusion 360, and Onshape. Sketchup is more basic, and Fusion 360 and Onshape take you into the more sophisticated world of design. As I have been getting a little more advanced with CAD, I have pretty much settled on Onshape for my own use. All of them have free versions, so check them all out and see what you think!
Here a few CAD parts I created in Tinkercad and Onshape, and printed with my 3D printer.
