There are a lot of free and paid 3D printing tools on the internet, but not all of them are worth your time.I scoured the web in order to find the best of the bunch, and this list of seven is what I was left with.While they’re all in some regard, that use is somewhat limited by whatever it is you’re trying to achieve.
Perplexing Labs Gridfinity Generator Also covers openGrid, HSW, and Multiboard Close You’ve probably heard of Gridfinity before, but just in case you haven’t: Gridfinity is a project from 3D printing YouTuber Zack Freedman that has taken on a life of its own.The project uses a two-part system of grids and bins in order to organize anything, with optional add-ons like magnets to keep everything in its place.While there are plenty of Gridfinity grids out there that you can download and print, the best way to make the project work for you is to generate your own baseplates and bins.
That’s where the Perplexing Labs Gridfinity Generator comes in.It’s a complete tool for customizing your Gridfinity setup, but it also works with similar systems like openGrid, Honeycomb Storage Wall, and Multiboard.Everything is free to render and download, though you can contribute to the project by donating on Ko-fi if you get some use out of it.
There are many customization options available, plus a whole load of ready-to-download components too.STLGears Gears for everything STLGears is a web tool for generating gears of all types and sizes in STL (for 3D printing), DXF (for laser cutting), and GF (for Fusion 360) formats.You can generate everything from basic spur and internal spur gears to more complex helical and double helical varieties, plus 90º bevel gears and racks too.
There’s also a neat tool that allows you to get a gear’s parameters by uploading an STL file, perfect if you need a companion gear for something you’re building.How durable these gears will be ultimately depends on what you print them with, but for light use, remote control projects, home robotics, and temporary usage, they should be fine.ItsLitho The best free lithophane generator on the web ItsLitho is a web app for generating lithophane STL files that you can 3D print at home.
A lithophane is a molded image that is visible when a light shines through it from behind.The thicker an area, the less light gets through, and the darker it appears.Though porcelain was once the material of choice, 3D printing lets you create your own lithophanes at home.
Choose the shape of the lithophane, the frame, how the image is interpreted, overall size, and turn your lithophanes into lamps and night lights with a toggle.Mini Skyline Generate a 3D map of urban and rural areas I was a huge fan of map2model, a 3D printing tool that converted virtually real-world locations into printable models using OpenStreetMap data.Unfortunately, the app eventually closed down, and I’ve been looking for a good alternative ever since.
I think I’ve found it in the form of Mini Skyline.It works much in the same way as map2model, in that it allows you to generate maps for free by specifying an area, deciding what you want to see on the map, tweaking the colors, and downloading a 3MF file to print.The service is completely free to use, though processing can take a short while for fairly dense areas.
There are several modes to master, including city tile mode for urban areas (up to 50 km²) and terrain tile mode for wider areas (up to 25,000 km²).You can also split these areas into multiple print plates and connect them in interesting ways, for a much larger map.I’m hooked! Topo Trail Generator GPX to STL \Topo Trail Generator is a tool that turns your favorite hiking trail into an STL file that you can download and print.
It’s a niche tool, but one that many keen hikers are going to love.It works natively with GPX files, and you can do things like modify where the tree line appears, scale the height for an exaggerated look, and customize the colors.I only had KML files on hand, which is what I use to follow trails whenever I go hiking, so I converted them with a free online tool, and they worked just fine.
Titancraft Fully customizable miniature generator Titancraft is the only paid tool on this list (at least, at the time of writing).It offers a complete set of tools for designing your own custom miniature models, starting with a base character, like a skeleton halfling, cyclops, or mech.Most of these base miniatures are technically free to download, but you’ll need to pay per item when you start customizing them.
Thankfully, the prices are fairly reasonable, and once you purchase a part, it’s yours to use forever on as many characters as you like.You can also buy asset packs to unlock many of these components at once, for a discounted price.You can use the tool to put together your own 3D-printed miniature army, or simply invest in an avatar for your next campaign.
MakerWorld’s parametric model generators Some of the most useful 3D prints you’ll ever make As a Bambu Lab printer owner, I often gravitate towards MakerWorld for many of my model download needs (though the models hosted there will work on any 3D printer).One thing I absolutely love about MakerWorld is the way that parametric 3D models can be generated on the website and downloaded to suit.You can find these models by looking for the “Customize” button on a model, or by using search terms like “parametric” and “customizable.” From here, click the “Customize” button to load the CAD file in Bambu Lab’s web-based generator, then change the parameters to suit and click “Generate” at the bottom of the page, followed by “Download” to download the model.
Bambu Lab might decide to move this behind its credit system in the future, but for now you can generate models free of charge.Looking for some good uses for your 3D printer? How about organizing your home and tidying up your junk drawer!
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