3mf was natively supported because this is the format that all the slicers are converging on rather than STL.īut the price for the manufacturing extensions at additional €173 per month is totally out of the question for something that is just a hobby for me. I really like Autodesk software, and even as a hobbyist I would sign up right now for €300/year if. Now I've been a software engineer for many years and I understand all too well and appreciate good software and the costs to develop and maintain it. I became intimately familiar with the importance of drawing formats to ensure that my milling paths would be optimal. Back in the day I was using Autocad R14, Autodesk Inventor, Solidworks and Mastercam. So I got to know the professional programs, and I just absolutely could not bare to use any of the alternatives like Sketchup and the early versions of FreeCAD.

I delayed this for years, because a long time ago, my first job out of university was working in CAD/CAM operating a 5-axis million machine.

It is precisely because of professional programs like Fusion 360 that are free for hobbyists, that I finally chose to get into 3D printing.

Freecad 3mf