Software for designing a custom case

TurboJ · Sep 12, 2013

I have been thinking about starting a long-term project, that of building my first custom PC case.

I've worked with different materials and using tools I'm quite familiar with.
I have some ideas for a case, but what I really need is a software to design my case with.

The software needs to be free, and it has to be 3D - also it has to have a metric measurement system - so that the various components etc. could be drawn their correct sizes (I'm European).

Can you give me suggestions?

ATMINSIDE · Sep 12, 2013

Google Sketchup is commonly used IIRC.

TurboJ · Sep 13, 2013

Thanks! Seems that software is no longer offered though, and all I can find now are commercial products.

Anyone?

kyfire · Sep 13, 2013

You can get Google Sketchup on CNET http://download.cnet.com/SketchUp/3000-6677_4-10257337.html

LoneWolf121188 · Sep 13, 2013

Autodesk Fusion 360! It's infinitely more powerful than Google Sketchup, and it's free. Very user friendly, very much aimed at beginners, but it still has the power of AutoCAD underneath it all, which is an industry standard CAD tool.

http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview

TurboJ · Sep 13, 2013

"Free for a limited time" and I can't see what that limited time is nor can I see what the final price is...

Also, the link to SketchUp -> I already downloaded it earlier, but it stated '8 hour free trial'

LoneWolf121188 · Sep 13, 2013

I'm not sure why it says that, as the product was developed to be a free, watered down hybrid of AutoCAD and Inventor (their two biggest mainline products). It should be free indefinitely.

Disclaimer: my girlfriend works for Autodesk and runs a lot of the social media marketing for Fusion 360. She told me told me that it's 100% free, with no final cost or trial length.

boanerges57 · Mar 20, 2014

fusion 360 is $40 a month or $300 a year. The trial is 90 days.

Sketch up is still available. Google spun the company off and sold it.

PositiveX · Apr 8, 2014

<http://www.freecadweb.org/>
All CAD programs can use a scale for modeling in the software of 1:1
then you scale the 2-d drawing print - outs / blueprints.
Best of luck with the CAD designing!
Remember the heart of 3D is using coordinate systems.

Software for designing a custom case

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