Mar. 4, 2015 | By Simon
Ask any hobbyist 3D printer without previous CAD experience what one of their biggest hurdles in creating new objects is and it’s likely to involve 3D modeling. While existing CAD programs including SolidWorks and Rhino offer professional-level CAD tools designed for creating real-world products, they can easily cost over $1,000 and even up to $10,000 depending on add-ons and other features.
For the common 3D printing hobbyist or young STEM student without immediate access to a pre-equipped school computer, this is likely overkill. While existing slimmed-down CAD programs including Autodesk’s Fusion 360 and Google Sketchup are excellent segway programs, they can still be too cumbersome for those who want to create or remix simple 3D models for 3D printing.
For those looking for a simple Cloud-based solution that can be operated from both desktops and mobile devices, 3Dcreative.ly might just be the solution.
Created by 3Dponics Inc, 3Dcreative.ly is a next-generation 3D modeling tool that features a variety of functionalities for users to gain complete control over their digital 3D model files for 3D printing.
The company, which was founded in Ottawa, Canada and has since expanded to San Francisco, California is also the creator of the first 3D printable hydroponics indoor garden system, which began on Kickstarter after a successful crowdfunding campaign. Since their Kickstarter campaign, the company has grown to become a leader in the 3D printing marketplace with a focus on connecting urban farmers to additive manufacturing.
Using their existing 3Dponics Customizer platform, the company created 3Dcreative.ly so that users can easily upload and remix static digital files directly from 3D files sharing marketplaces including MakerBot’s popular Thingiverse. Additionally, the program also allows users to create their own 3D models from scratch using a variety of shapes and structures that are preloaded in the app’s Library of Shapes.
While the functionalities of 3Dcreative.ly are certainly impressive for easily creating basic 3D shapes, one of the best features of the new app is that it was designed to appeal to a wide array of users regardless of their preexisting skillset, age and 3D modeling experience.
“Given its intuitive design, 3Dcreative.ly will appeal to a wide range of people—from rapid prototyping professionals, designers and makers to teachers, students and practically anyone who wants to bring his or her ideas to life,” said Michael Golubev, Founder and CEO of 3Dponics in the company’s press release.
Since 3Dcreative.ly is built off of the original 3Dponics Customizer platform, it is also able to be used on any platform including iOS, OS X, Android, Windows, Windows Phone or any web browser with no plugins required.
While the app isn’t live quite yet, it is scheduled to be released later this year and the company is currently looking for beta testers to sign up and test the platform. Anybody who is interested can sign up as a beta tester by heading over to 3Dcreative.ly.
Posted in 3D Design
Maybe you also like:
- Free Ringz app makes it easy to design your own 3D printable rings
- Toyze hits a milestone: over 1 million 3D models has been created by gamers
- Crayola's Color Alive! bring kids coloring to life with augmented reality & 3D printing
- New Fahz Kickstarter project creates a 3D printed vase using a profile of your face
- Sculpteo launches FinalProof, most realistic 3D printing preview feature ever at CES 2015
- Matter and Form launches Cashew 3D content sharing platform at CES 2015
- Print-A-Part 3D launches 3D printable parts marketplace for small businesses