Is this app worth the $$?

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I am a novice, beginner, hobbyist with no formal education in CAD, CAM, or engineering. I am only now becoming fairly computer-literate. I also have no intention of returning to school for any of this just yet. I am trying to decide whether or not the yearly investment is really worth what I may learn to do if I choose to get it. It is a LOT of money for me for an app that may or may not help me with technical drawings for work, design ideas for hobbyist projects, and abstract welded yard art. Can anyone lend advice or criticism that may help me decide?

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Hi and welcome to the community!

It seems you are out for a program with low entrance-level since you are only now ‘becoming fairly computer-literatre’.

  • Shapr3D has a very low entrance-level compared to most other modelling programs/apps. So it is a great tool, perhaps the most user-friendly program out there.

Shapr3D provides quite good technical drawings. It’s really quick to use. However, depending on the type of object you need a technical drawing of, Shapr3D might not be optimal. Especially when it comes to complex bodies. In my opinion, Shapr3D’s technical drawings are great for simpler stuff, but it lacks if you intend to create large-scale engineering drawings.

  • Design ideas for hobbyist project? Well, Shapr3D excells for such purposes (generally). For design ideas, speed and portability is key, hence Shapr3D is the Best app out there for such purposes.

So it really comes down to What your biggest concerns are, and which types of project you intend to make.

If your concern is ‘Being able to learn and use the app’ then worry not. Shapr3D is provides great tutorials and is very easy to use. Now, when it comes to welded yard art some structures are very easy to create in Shapr3D, some require workarounds and some are very hard to create. Some examples could be: A spring - super easy to make, A spring shaped as a pyramid - a little tricky

Point being, some shapes are quite difficult to get right in Shapr3D which is evident from the many discussions on the forums in this area. Alright, I digress

TLDR:

  • Shapr3D is a great tool for beginners
  • Most apps with comparable tools are more expensive
  • Although Shapr3D is fast for many purposes, repetitive tasks can be tedious
  • Some shapes are hard to create
  • Technical drawins in Shapr3D are good for simple purposes, not good for complex ones
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