3D Printing Apps By Their Numbers – The Best Apps for 3D Printing Technology

The world is already witnessing significant changes through the use of 3D printing technology. Many people are creating replacement parts or customized designs for personal or commercial use. Technical industries are embracing the possibilities 3D printing provides.

As a result, app developers have been producing software that lets you utilize 3D printers in the comfort of your own home. You can create anything from simple toys to precise industrial components using your smartphone or your computer. Here are 5 of the best 3D printing apps that will help you create personalized 3D designs.

3D Printing Apps – some of the best you could find out there.

MakerBot

MakerBot is available for iOS or Android devices. This app allows users remote control over one of the most popular 3D printers, the MakerBot Replicator. You can monitor and manage your Replicator from anywhere. A built-in camera on the MakerBot Replicator allows you to see what’s on the build plate through images updated every three seconds.

You can select a design from MakerBot’s library over their cloud service, and slice, scale, and optimize every printed layer to your own specifications. When you’re ready, all you have to do is confirm the print job and the Replicator 3D printer does the work. You can start, pause, or cancel any print job from wherever you go.

Tinkercad

Tinkercad is a web-based tool for 3D printing. The app supports a number of 3D printers and materials, but you don’t even need to invest in a printer. Tinkercad can connect you with third-party 3D printing services so that someone else can do the actual printing for you. Simply settle on your choice from a wide range of designs, and with a single click, you can have it created and shipped to your door.

You can also design your own pieces. Tinkercad’s tools are easy to learn and are perfect for beginners at 3D printing. Any shapes you put in the design field can be manipulated or used in combination to create an original item. You can also import and edit existing 3D design files.

123D Design

For use with iOS devices, Autodesk’s 123D Design allows you to create your own original objects. You start by selecting a basic geometric shape altering it to fit your own purposes. You can also combine shapes for more complex ideas. Added objects snap naturally to the center face.

The app also provides access to a number of sample projects to speed learning or provide starting points for customization. Every part provided is editable so you can experiment with several different concepts. You can save your files to a My Projects folder, accessible from the 123D Design web or desktop apps. You can also check out projects shared by other users to inspire your own creative ideas.

eDrawings

This is essentially a 3D viewer with a distinct set of features. While there’s both iOS and Android versions, the iOS app provides augmented reality, allowing you to use your own mobile camera to see the image in different backgrounds. Activating the camera on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad lets you see a virtual 3D design in a real-world context of your choosing. You can even move around to view the 3D object from different angles.

eDrawings let you upload and email your 3D designs for sharing with interested friends or coworkers engaged with the same design project. Even people with no background in CAD software can easily create eDrawings objects in 2D or 3D formats through a user-friendly interface.

Morphi

Morphi is a modeling app specifically created for 3D technology. It’s an easy-to-use but powerful tool for designing and printing 3D objects. You can design 3D models right on your smartphone through the touchscreen, without the need for a mouse or a Wi-Fi connection. Morphi allows you to design and view 3D objects, or build scale model versions of prototype inventions. You can select elements from Morphi’s 3D library to add shapes, colors, and text to your designs.

Morphi can be utilized as a teaching tool along with the MakerEd software for instruction in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. It’s also useful for multi-media projects such as stop motion animation, 3D graphics, new product design, and many other creative applications. One of the more interesting features of Morphi is that you can buy additional features from their app store to add progressively more functions to create a custom app that does only what you want it to do.

Final Thoughts

As 3D printing evolves, it provides a medium where anyone can design and create their own customized objects for use in almost any context or industry. Now developers have joined 3D technology with apps so that you can make and print your own items right from the comfort of your home. These five practical, user-friendly 3D printing apps can get you started in 3D printing today.

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Patricia Dimick

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