Make your own STL models for your 3D printer using blender, link here http://www.blender.org/  or use Google sketchup. Download free and use free.:D

I found some good tutorial videos for blender.
http://cgcookie.com/blender/get-started-with-blender/
They start off very basic.  It looks like you can do what Sketchup does, but much more, and in a totally different style.  Plus you can animate in 3D. I like that you can download the zip file and just run an executable rather than install the program.  I'll be giving it a whirl.  

Here's the first video from the link above:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqpJ51HEzus

Quote from firepinto on February 7th, 2012, 01:15 PM

I found some good tutorial videos for blender.
http://cgcookie.com/blender/get-started-with-blender/
They start off very basic.  It looks like you can do what Sketchup does, but much more, and in a totally different style.  Plus you can animate in 3D. I like that you can download the zip file and just run an executable rather than install the program.  I'll be giving it a whirl.  

Here's the first video from the link above:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqpJ51HEzus

Glad you like it Nate, Hackerspace in San Antonio is giving a free class this Saturday, I think I will attend.

Quote from Jeff Nading on February 7th, 2012, 02:38 PM

Quote from firepinto on February 7th, 2012, 01:15 PM

I found some good tutorial videos for blender.
http://cgcookie.com/blender/get-started-with-blender/
They start off very basic.  It looks like you can do what Sketchup does, but much more, and in a totally different style.  Plus you can animate in 3D. I like that you can download the zip file and just run an executable rather than install the program.  I'll be giving it a whirl.  

Here's the first video from the link above:

Glad you like it Nate, Hackerspace in San Antonio is giving a free class this Saturday, I think I will attend.

Hey that's awesome, wish I was closer. lol  Learning Sketchup was frustrating enough at first on my own.  But now that I got the basics down, it might be harder to learn something new.  Definatley giving blender a try though, I want to do 3D animations for Rodin math stuff.  With all the stunts google is pulling lately, i feel dirty using sketchup.:dodgy:

Nate

Went to the Blender class at the Hackerspace 10bit works location in SA, downloaded Blender, got to play with it a little, class was just very basic , but I did get a list of links for tutorials which I think will help, here they are,:D:cool:
http://www.blendernation.com/
http://cgcookie.com/blender/
http://www.blenderguru.com/

Quote from Jeff Nading on February 12th, 2012, 02:41 PM

Went to the Blender class at the Hackerspace 10bit works location in SA, downloaded Blender, got to play with it a little, class was just very basic , but I did get a list of links for tutorials which I think will help, here they are,:D:cool:
http://www.blendernation.com/
http://cgcookie.com/blender/
http://www.blenderguru.com/

Cool Jeff,
I still haven't tried blender long enough to create a model.  Sketchup seems to have me hooked for now. lol

So did they just make you watch tuturials or actually have you make something?

Nate

Quote from firepinto on February 12th, 2012, 06:19 PM

Quote from Jeff Nading on February 12th, 2012, 02:41 PM

Went to the Blender class at the Hackerspace 10bit works location in SA, downloaded Blender, got to play with it a little, class was just very basic , but I did get a list of links for tutorials which I think will help, here they are,:D:cool:
http://www.blendernation.com/
http://cgcookie.com/blender/
http://www.blenderguru.com/

Cool Jeff,
I still haven't tried blender long enough to create a model.  Sketchup seems to have me hooked for now. lol

So did they just make you watch tuturials or actually have you make something?

Nate

We did both, they went through it so fast though I don't remember much :blush: . They had also built the Prusa printer, these guys are so far above my computer skills :huh: , but they had seen my youtube channel [one guy said he had watched every video I made]:P they were amazed about all that I had done, my aluminum casting and my Prusa, there must have been 5 guys just standing there asking me how I did this and that, then showed me the Prusa they had built, they had it running but needed allot more work done to it. Program they were using was red snapper. One guy there had built a maker bot and brought in some parts he had printed, parts were perfect,:cool: he also wants me to cast some aluminum parts for a robot they are building. There is going to be a show at the Witte Museum in SA they were invited to show their Prusa, they want me to bring mine and show it off, so I might and make a video of it, I think it would be fun :D.

Quote from Jeff Nading on February 12th, 2012, 07:24 PM

Quote from firepinto on February 12th, 2012, 06:19 PM

Quote from Jeff Nading on February 12th, 2012, 02:41 PM

Went to the Blender class at the Hackerspace 10bit works location in SA, downloaded Blender, got to play with it a little, class was just very basic , but I did get a list of links for tutorials which I think will help, here they are,:D:cool:
http://www.blendernation.com/
http://cgcookie.com/blender/
http://www.blenderguru.com/

Cool Jeff,
I still haven't tried blender long enough to create a model.  Sketchup seems to have me hooked for now. lol

So did they just make you watch tuturials or actually have you make something?

Nate

We did both, they went through it so fast though I don't remember much :blush: . They had also built the Prusa printer, these guys are so far above my computer skills :huh: , but they had seen my youtube channel [one guy said he had watched every video I made]:P they were amazed about all that I had done, my aluminum casting and my Prusa, there must have been 5 guys just standing there asking me how I did this and that, then showed me the Prusa they had built, they had it running but needed allot more work done to it. Program they were using was red snapper. One guy there had built a maker bot and brought in some parts he had printed, parts were perfect,:cool: he also wants me to cast some aluminum parts for a robot they are building. There is going to be a show at the Witte Museum in SA they were invited to show their Prusa, they want me to bring mine and show it off, so I might and make a video of it, I think it would be fun :D.

Wow thats awesome Jeff!  My prusa kit was printed on a makerbot too.  They do look better than anything I've printed so far, but they break easy. lol  Thats cool they are having you cast robot parts.  :)  A video of the show would be great.

Nate

Hey everyone, I see some stuff surrounding the use of blender.  If I may be of assistance, I know Blender fairly well.  Any diagrams that needs to be made into a 3D model could be past through me to model them and then I can send them on to the person who's printing them.  :D

Additionally, I can do rigging, animation, skinning, rendering....  I just hope for some favors in return. :)

-JF

BTW, you don't have to do favors for me, I'm just hoping to help.  (I was new here.)