Best easiest 3D modeling software?

[astrylixx]

I'm gonna make a custom pc case, but I've been told I have to make a full 3d model of the case to send to the glass shop as well as the fab for the metal anad the 3d printer. I'm a student in mainland china (yes all the stereotypes are true) so i need the easiest and most braindead free 3d modeling software that i can master in like 30 mins. I dont need anything fancy, just being able to make the panel shapes, as well as add an interlocking mechanism for side panels. Anything with premade templates I can use for measurement as well as to just use (ie motherboard standoff placement, pcie slots, fan mounts etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Also any recommendations for interlocking mechanisms for panels will be greatly appreciated.

[BetteBalterZen]

Don't underestimate picking a well known 3D modeling software and then use ChatGPT or Copilot for assistance with what to do and click. 

[apoyusiken]

Fusion360 could do well with the project

[astrylixx]

15 minutes ago, apoyusiken said:

Fusion360 could do well with the project

How easy is it? I have no prior CAD experernce at all

[Millios]

Start with blender and a few tutorials and call it a day I'd say 

[astrylixx]

1 minute ago, Millios said:

Start with blender and a few tutorials and call it a day I'd say 

Do you have any toutorials to reccomend? How long will it take? Where should I get premade templates I can use for measurement as well as to just use (ie motherboard standoff placement, pcie slots, fan mounts etc)

[Avocado Diaboli]

Just now, astrylixx said:

How easy is it? I have no prior CAD experernce at all

It's not something you can master in 30 minutes. But then again, nothing halfway decent ever will be. It's kinda funny how you try to bite off such a sophisticated project but then brazenly demonstrate your unwillingness to take a few days to learn how to do something the proper way. Fusion is probably the simplest, most forgiving and (compared to FOSS alternatives) most user friendly of the CAD apps out there. And it's your best bet for something that's more along the lines of actual product development, whereas stuff like Blender is more for animation and games, not CAD.

 

1 minute ago, astrylixx said:

Where should I get premade templates I can use for measurement as well as to just use (ie motherboard standoff placement, pcie slots, fan mounts etc)

Here's a resources the most basic Google search brought me. https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/tech-talk/wh11_008

[Millios]

3 minutes ago, astrylixx said:

Do you have any toutorials to reccomend? How long will it take? Where should I get premade templates I can use for measurement as well as to just use (ie motherboard standoff placement, pcie slots, fan mounts etc)

Tutorials to recommend?

Start off with the easiest being the donut tutorial.

A guy in yt makes one for every version walking you through the basics (and a lil more) by making a donut. (Can't recall his name currently).

As for templates, that'll depend on what templates you want but @Avocado Diaboli gave a good one imo

[apoyusiken]

9 minutes ago, astrylixx said:

How easy is it? I have no prior CAD experernce at all

normally i think its kinda complicated but the reason is it is precise and it allows 2d to 3d pretty easily so for your use case i think it will be simple

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, astrylixx said:

I'm gonna make a custom pc case, but I've been told I have to make a full 3d model of the case to send to the glass shop as well as the fab for the metal anad the 3d printer. I'm a student in mainland china (yes all the stereotypes are true) so i need the easiest and most braindead free 3d modeling software that i can master in like 30 mins. I dont need anything fancy, just being able to make the panel shapes, as well as add an interlocking mechanism for side panels. Anything with premade templates I can use for measurement as well as to just use (ie motherboard standoff placement, pcie slots, fan mounts etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Also any recommendations for interlocking mechanisms for panels will be greatly appreciated.

Fusion360. It is pretty easy and can spit out a variety of files that I've had luck with in regards to Chinese CAD shops being able to open and use. I've had two case panels done, and a dozen 3d prints done from taobao shops.

 

(curious about the stereotypes that you run into)

[podkall]

44 minutes ago, Millios said:

Tutorials to recommend?

Start off with the easiest being the donut tutorial.

You do realize such tutorial is a jumpstart that can take an entire month to complete (for some people), which teaches whole bunch of things not necessary for their use case.

 

Like the use of lights, materials and aesthetic modifiers. Not to mention 90% of the time you're not using any precise measurements and almost everything is "measured" "by the eye"?

 

58 minutes ago, astrylixx said:

How easy is it? I have no prior CAD experernce at all

47 minutes ago, apoyusiken said:

normally i think its kinda complicated but the reason is it is precise and it allows 2d to 3d pretty easily so for your use case i think it will be simple

Since engineers use CAD, it's one of the few options that can be precise, which is exactly what you want.

 

Because you want motherboard standoff screws to align right, or the motherboard itself to fit correctly, because you need the I/O side of motherboard to align right without comprimizing the ability to screw the motherboard on the standoffs which are on the case.

[astrylixx]

44 minutes ago, Blue4130 said:

 

 

(curious about the stereotypes that you run into)

thanks! i think everyones just going with fusion 360 so ig ill go with that. 

 

as for the stereotypes,its just the classics, my ass gets off school at 5:30 every day (i start at 7:45) i spend till like 9 doing hw, then I have a class at 6AM so I need something thats quick cause i have like no time. ( I know alot of my classmates do homework till like 11-12 but I dont have friends Bullying is pretty bad, cause the teachers turn a blind eye unless some really bad shit happens (fortunately i dont get bullied anymore), all my classmates sweat their asses off in studying, and they all either play the piano or violin (im not joking in my class of30 people its only me and this other italian kid who doesnt play an instrument) studying is really hard, and i came from a canadian school where i got full A's in everything, to basically getting A's in only english and history and like C's in everything else cause its hard asf. and i dont even attent a public school. ts is just one of the "easier" bilinugal schools

[apoyusiken]

35 minutes ago, astrylixx said:

thanks! i think everyones just going with fusion 360 so ig ill go with that. 

 

as for the stereotypes,its just the classics, my ass gets off school at 5:30 every day (i start at 7:45) i spend till like 9 doing hw, then I have a class at 6AM so I need something thats quick cause i have like no time. ( I know alot of my classmates do homework till like 11-12 but I dont have friends Bullying is pretty bad, cause the teachers turn a blind eye unless some really bad shit happens (fortunately i dont get bullied anymore), all my classmates sweat their asses off in studying, and they all either play the piano or violin (im not joking in my class of30 people its only me and this other italian kid who doesnt play an instrument) studying is really hard, and i came from a canadian school where i got full A's in everything, to basically getting A's in only english and history and like C's in everything else cause its hard asf. and i dont even attent a public school. ts is just one of the "easier" bilinugal schools

well good luck bro.

 

I was thinking of going to china for uni and looks like i made a right call by abandoning that. Chinese is so fucking hard too.

[Millios]

2 hours ago, podkall said:

You do realize such tutorial is a jumpstart that can take an entire month to complete (for some people), which teaches whole bunch of things not necessary for their use case.

The reason I recommend it is cause you can skip the parts you don't really need. Such as lights and aesthetic modifiers.

I find it to be the easiest to understand and the most comprehensive even if you wanna learn just parts of what it covers.

That's just my 2 cents tho

[podkall]

12 hours ago, Millios said:

The reason I recommend it is cause you can skip the parts you don't really need. Such as lights and aesthetic modifiers.

I find it to be the easiest to understand and the most comprehensive even if you wanna learn just parts of what it covers.

That's just my 2 cents tho

but the parts reference and add up onto each other, can't really skip half of it...