Not that I would ever really NEED one of these, but I was thinking about researching them just because one of my old hobbies was lifecasting. And I was thinking of casting and mold making again. I see a lot of people using CNC machines to make designs and molds before casting final products and such.
Does anyone here use a 3D Printer or CNC machine at HOME? They seem very complicated. You are required to have a 3D drawing or something for both of them correct? How does one get a 3d drawing that is accepted for the machine?
I haven't done any CAD work since high school, and even then it was for digital drafting (architecture) and not products and such. Plus AutoCAD in the 90's was WAY different than it is now!!!
I in my younger years was a CNC Machinist/Programmer in the early days of CNC.. think 8" floppy disks.
In those days very few 3D options were available. About 15 years ago as an adult I bought a CNC Router / Plasma Cutter and got in to more 3D type work.
You should note that for the most part CNC router work is not exactly "true" 3D it is more 2.5 D .. UNLESS ..you add a 4th Axis which I do have as well.
The price has come down considerably and you can get into it "fairly" cheaply these days and can even DIY if you are inclined to do so.
I have also "dabbled" in 3D Printing and have a cheap one of those as well.
Pretty much all CNC Machines (and 3D Printers) use G-Code which is basically a co-ordinate system of the X,Y, Z, and A if you have a 4th AXIS and even 5th axis.
Next you need controller software to translate the G-Code and tell the Machines axis's where to move etc. You can get Mach3 which is fairly cheap to do this.
Your question about software to Create 3D.
There are MANY ways to accomplish this from VERY expensive to Free.
For 3D Printing You can always Download a 3D file from somewhere like Thingverse
https://www.thingiverse.com and import it into the software that comes with your 3D Printer and start printing.. EBAY also has many STL files for sale for very cheap and you can find some really cool design that would take YOU hours upon hours to create so search "STL CNC" there.
If you wish to create your own you can either buy sophisticated software to do so. I use Vectric Aspire myself.
OR
you can research the free way using software like "Blender" or "FreeCad" Google "how to create STL files for 3d printing for Free"
Ok like I said both 3D Printers and CNC Routers use the same G_Code to talk to the machine. For 3D Printing you can pretty much load the STL into the software that came with the Printer and Go.. pretty easy.
For CNC.. once you have your OBJECT file (STL, OBJ) you need a Post Processor to Translate it and turn it into Machine language and Tool Paths (CNC) for me the Aspire software does this with the click of a button.. I am sure FreeCad and other free software does this as well.
Another way to Create 3D files if you want to "Copy" something is to use a 3D Digitizing Probe that you would hook up to your CNC and place the part on the workspace and for lack of a better word Trace it millimeter by millimeter..
I applaud you for getting into this Hobby as it is a lot of fun and When, you create something, it is really cool to sit back and say ''WOW I made that" so I wish you luck !!!
Key words for Google searches would be (STL, OBJ, Post Processor, GCODE, G-CODE, FREE, CNC DIY)