Cad programs in 2026

[slowngreen]

Been trying a couple different ones, tinker and freecad but I'm dumb and can't really get what I'm wanting to do done.
Is fusion beginning friendly? I saw in another thread alot of you using it.

 

[HPIguy]

Lloyd!! Good to see you around man. I had started learning on TinkerCAD it when we bought our printer about a year ago, then got busy and never got back to it. Now it's warm weather, so it'll have to wait for the cold when I'm trapped indoors and bored.

 

[slowngreen]

Lloyd!! Good to see you around man. I had started learning on TinkerCAD it when we bought our printer about a year ago, then got busy and never got back to it. Now it's warm weather, so it'll have to wait for the cold when I'm trapped indoors and bored.

I still lurk haha. Wife and I have a couple cralwers I'm wanting to do a chassis for.

 

[Doom!]

Fusion is great, but like any new software there is a learning curve.

 

[HPIguy]

I still lurk haha. Wife and I have a couple cralwers I'm wanting to do a chassis for.

Unless you're wanting something very specific, if it's a popular rig there may already be free files for the chassis.

 

[slowngreen]

Is there anything with zero learning curve? Lol.
@HPIguy unfortunately there isnt really much yet. We have the redcat apex...still can't believe I would ever buy a Redcat but actually very good. I was hoping to try and do a version of my old MOA chassis I had with eem.

 

[HPIguy]

Is there anything with zero learning curve? Lol.
@HPIguy unfortunately there isnt really much yet. We have the redcat apex...still can't believe I would ever buy a Redcat but actually very good. I was hoping to try and do a version of my old MOA chassis I had with eem.

Redcat has a come a LONG way since back in the day. I've eyeballed that same rig myself. It looks super capable right out of the box.

 

[WickedFog]

@slowngreen

Fusion 360 is very powerful. So it can be a bit cornfusing. But if you want, we can pick a time and I can remote into your computer and show you how to use it. We can either hop in a phone call or discord as well so it will be like I'msitting right there with ya. Just let me know if you want to try that.

There are also a lot of tutorials on YouTube. Lars Christensen has a very good beginner tutorial series here. But it is old and the software has changed a bit. Then there is a Learn Fusion 360 in 30 Days series here.

Any other questions, just pm me or grab my phone number from the staff contact info and call me anytime. Ya might text first to let me know who it is.

 

[James A. Doty]

I'd been using AutoCAD from 1993 until the end of 2024. I retired at the end of November in 2024 and lost access to AutoCAD, so I switched to Fusion. Very little of what I know about AutoCAD translated over to Fusion.

I don't know what the learning curve is like for Fusion, but I can say that I still find myself having to look up how to do something from time to time.

 

[Doom!]

I'd been using AutoCAD from 1993 until the end of 2024. I retired at the end of November in 2024 and lost access to AutoCAD, so I switched to Fusion. Very little of what I know about AutoCAD translated over to Fusion.

I don't know what the learning curve is like for Fusion, but I can say that I still find myself having to look up how to do something from time to time.

It's hard when you use a program long enought to become second nature, and then switch to a new one.

 

[WickedFog]

I'd been using AutoCAD from 1993 until the end of 2024. I retired at the end of November in 2024 and lost access to AutoCAD, so I switched to Fusion. Very little of what I know about AutoCAD translated over to Fusion.

I don't know what the learning curve is like for Fusion, but I can say that I still find myself having to look up how to do something from time to time.

There are a few really good tutorial series on YT that will get you a really good start, and they aren't boring to follow along with. Really, the only part that takes some getting used to is parametric modeling if you've not done it before. It's like you have to pay attention to what order you do things. But it's cool. If your first sketch is of a 6"x6" base plate with 6 holes, and later on you need to make it 8"x8" with some more holes, simply update the first sketch and everything updates. But it can also get you really F'd up too when you go back and change things.

 

[James A. Doty]

There are a few really good tutorial series on YT that will get you a really good start, and they aren't boring to follow along with. Really, the only part that takes some getting used to is parametric modeling if you've not done it before. It's like you have to pay attention to what order you do things. But it's cool. If your first sketch is of a 6"x6" base plate with 6 holes, and later on you need to make it 8"x8" with some more holes, simply update the first sketch and everything updates. But it can also get you really F'd up too when you go back and change things.

I love being able to do that.

Also, two days ago I learned something about Fusion I didn't know before. I can send print jobs to my slicing software from Fusion. That's a great feature.