Looking for a *simple* free 3D modeling program

When I say simple, I mean dead simple. For context, I tried Autodesk SketchUp, which everyone says is basically built for dummies—but honestly? Even that feels way too complicated for me. I just mess around with basic shapes. Ideally, I’d love a program where I could just draw up a floor plan or some elevations and have it automatically generate a 3D model.

Am I asking for too much, or does something like that actually exist?

http://www.blender.org/

It's free of charge, though I'm not entirely certain how intuitive it might feel for your specific workflow...😉

slyrider16 said:I gave Autodesk SketchUp 6 a shot

Look, SketchUp is literally built for this. Just dive in and learn it—it’s actually pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it. Honestly, if you don't pick up SketchUp, I hate to break it to you, but you're gonna struggle big time with heavy-duty Architecture software (assuming you can even find any decent free versions out there). Back when version 5 was out, they had this killer tutorial that basically walked you through all the fundamentals. Put in a little sweat equity, stick with it, and I promise you'll be stoked with the results.

slyrider16 said:When I say simple, I mean truly easy to use. For context, I tried Autodesk SketchUp, which plenty of people claim is basically made for beginners—but honestly, even that feels overcomplicated to me. I stick to basic shapes. Ideally, I'd love a program where I just draw a floor plan or a side profile and it automatically generates a 3D model from those lines.

Am I asking for too much, or does something like that actually exist?

A program like that doesn't exist, and it really couldn't work because those three views don't define a single, unambiguous 3D object. And yeah, SketchUp is definitely the easiest modeling software out there, even if its capabilities are pretty limited.

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Maybe nobody’s actually bothered to code something like this yet because there wasn't much demand, but honestly, it shouldn't be that hard to whip up a script that takes three 2D images—each showing a square—and turns them into a cube. I mean, that's usually what people want when they're modeling, right? Unless they have some other weird idea, then you could just program those options too. Sure, getting complex shapes or anything with internal geometry is a nightmare... but I'm only looking for basic stuff... just need to map out the outer shell of an object.

I mean, come on—is there seriously nothing more basic or straightforward than Autodesk SketchUp? 😢

slyrider16 said:Maybe nobody actually wrote a program to handle that—mostly because there wasn't much demand for it—but it definitely shouldn't be a massive coding hurdle to build something that takes three 2D images of a square and guesses the creator wants to model a cube. I mean, if they don't, well, you could always program other options. Sure, trying to pull off complex geometries or those god-awful shapes with internal structures is a nightmare... but honestly, I’d just stick to basic shapes. All I really need is to model the outer shell of an object.

I mean, seriously—is there anything more primitive or stripped-down than Autodesk SketchUp? 😢

The reason nobody built that is because everyone works based on a single cross-section line, and like you said, a program like that would be pretty much useless for anything other than basic primitives.

To be honest, I’ve never even installed SketchUp. Just to wrap my head around this thread, I watched a quick video review over on CNET and I gotta say, it looks so deceptively simple that it's practically useless by design. 🙂

Maybe you'd have better luck with something a bit more precise? Grab a trial of 3ds Max, turn on all your snaps, and just import a floor plan image—or better yet, export a layout from one of those vector formats it supports—then just extrude it to the wall height. 🙂 Or, you know, you can just "sketch" things out using primitives, where snapping actually helps for once. Once you get the hang of the basics, you can move up to Blender or hunt down an old LT version of the original Max.

If you want something free that actually works: http://www.alibre.com/ You can grab a free 3D modeler that’ll be more than enough for whatever you're trying to pull off. Plus, they have plenty of video tutorials out there, so you shouldn't have any trouble teaching yourself the ropes. And honestly, don't listen to those self-proclaimed "experts" claiming that floor plans, elevations, or sections don't define a 3D model—they clearly have no clue what they're talking about. Every decent technical 3D program on the market features modules designed specifically to turn those 2D drawings into a 3D model. Usually, it involves converting old 2D files from AutoCAD (or even just old scanned 2D blueprints) directly into 3D. The only real downside to that kind of conversion is that the model lacks parametricity, which makes any subsequent tweaks to the design a massive headache. I was actually watching a presentation for SolidWorks recently that focused specifically on this exact workflow. 🙂

silentgardener2 said:It’s free and actually decent: http://www.alibre.com/ You’ve got a free 3D modeler there that should be more than enough for you. Plus, they have video tutorials, so learning the ropes shouldn't be much of a headache. And honestly? Don't listen to those "experts" claiming that floor plans, elevations, and sections don't define a 3D model—they clearly haven't a clue. Besides, pretty much all the high-end technical 3D software out there has modules designed specifically to turn those 2D drawings into a 3D model.

Look, I didn't say they don't define it—I said there isn't a program out there that just takes three cross-sections and automatically spits out a finished 3D model. If you're so sure, please, send me links to these "modules" so I can pass them along to all my Architecture students who are currently stuck manually drawing axonometric projections.🙂

Sean Edwards said:Look, I didn't say they don't define it, I said there isn't a single program out there that can take three cross-sections and automatically spit out a finished 3D model, so if you've got these "modules" you're talking about, please send over some links so I can give my architecture students something useful to actually practice axonometric drawing with.🙂

http://www.solidworks.com/pages/onli...d_to_3d_v2.cfm

And don't try to sell me on the idea that all it takes is a few extra mouse clicks...

http://www.ptc.com/products/packages...ildz/index.htm

You'll be doing more "clicking" here, sure, but you can actually end up with a parametric model if you even have the slightest clue what that means...

("The Hub of American 3D Artists" - Is everyone here really this clueless? Hahahaha....)

silentgardener2 said:Just don't try to sell me that line about needing a bunch of mouse clicks...

Fair point, I'll take the hit—it's not just a few clicks, and it's nowhere near automated, but the concept "exists." It's basically like snapping things together in 2D and then extruding... wait, what was I saying a few posts back? 🙂

Let me try my "few clicks" approach here. I'll take these A and B cross-sections and turn them into a 3D model—give me a second, surely the software sees everything and knows what to do:
http://wigginsarchitect.com/images/PlanArt.jpg
Or does a program that builds a model automatically from three different drawings actually not exist? Guess it needs a plugin or something.

silentgardener2 said:http://www.ptc.com/products/packages...ildz/index.htm
With this, you've got more "clicking," sure, but you can actually get a parametric model if you even know what that means...

Enlighten me then. 🙂

silentgardener2 said:("3DHR.net - The Heart of American 3D Artists" - Are you all really like this? Hahaha....)

Go ahead, copy-paste your replies over there and see how it goes. 👍

🤣 I'm not even going to bother trying to comment on this

The Dude:
Look... SketchUp is hands down the easiest option out there, plus it's free. SolidWorks is decent and definitely packs a punch in certain areas, but it's way more complicated than SketchUp. Sure, it automates a lot of stuff, but it isn't perfect... honestly, sometimes you end up wasting more time fixing its messed-up models than it would actually take to just build the damn thing from scratch using polygon modeling.

If you're a total newbie to 3D, go with SketchUp, period. And just one correction: there's nothing "simpler" than SketchUp, because in the 3D world, there's no such thing as "two clicks and you're done." Deal with it. 3D is complicated, demanding, and takes forever, no matter how "simple" the software claims to be... but most importantly, 3D is freaking fun!!😍
Here are some links for SketchUp tutorials (pro tip: video tutorials are the best way to learn):
http://download.sketchup.com/downloa...Tutorials.html
http://sketchup.google.com/vtutorials.html
http://www.caddtutorialsonline.com/s...tutorials.html

And now for silentgardener2 (by the way, your attitude is something else!)
Man, you could be 50 years old, but when someone acts the way you do, you're just a kid to me. If you're really as smart and all-knowing as you think you are, then please—back up that "massive" experience and 3D knowledge with an actual, concrete example.

👍envisioneer_express_3_0
This software is even smoother than before!!!!!

neonharbor10 said:And now, a quick word for silentgardener2 (by the way, you're awesome!)[/B]
Look, man, you could be fifty years old, but when someone acts the way you do, you're just a kid to me, and if you're really as brilliant and all-knowing as you claim, then please, go ahead and back up all that "vast" experience and 3D expertise with an actual, concrete example.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5z6l6if

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5x7c9kp

Here are a few shots for our resident "expert," though I’d suggest saving insults like calling people kids for your own parents.

I also owe a huge "thank you" to the admin for deleting my response to that absolute clown Sean Edwards. It's just more proof that this place favors mediocrity by protecting people who just churn out endless, useless comments. Pathetic...

I just grabbed the ZBrush 3.1 update—does anyone happen to have a link or know where I can find a crack for this latest version?
Thanks! 👍

neonharbor10 said:Look, man, you could be fifty years old, but when you act this immature, you're just a kid to me, so if you're really such a genius who knows everything, why don't you actually back up all that "extensive" experience and 3D knowledge with a single concrete example?

Well, I was actually expecting a "scientific" breakdown of my "vast" expertise from a true "EXPERT" (and yes, those quotes were intentional), naturally accompanied by some heartfelt assistance from another moderator...