3D Slash – The world’s easiest CAD software

3D Slash has integrated into learnbylayers. The ability to create 3D models is one of the major road blocks to mass adoption of 3D printing. If you want to design your own models to 3D print then this is not the easiest thing to do. Whilst there are some great file sharing websites to visit where you can download thousands of models for free, what if you can’t find what you are looking for? The answer is you have to design it yourself and this is not as easy as it sounds.

In education the earlier you can start children learning about a topic, the better they will be at it. It’s like when teaching a child a musical instrument, start them younger and it will become second nature to them. Whilst 3D printing is being adopted in many middle and high schools, in primary and elementary schools the adoption is slow. One of those reasons is CAD is not easy and sometimes it’s plain frustrating. To fully learn a CAD package can take years and primary teachers who have to teach their students all the core subjects don’t have the time to learn in depth CAD packages. We are trying to break down this barrier with younger children here at learnbylayers and we are pleased to announce that we have partnered with 3D Slash.

3D Slash is described as the ‘world’s easiest CAD modelling software’. You can create models to 3D print  right here in learnbylayers and it’s free to use. Once you have finished designing, press the ‘STL’ button and your file is downloaded directly to your computer. You then need to slice the model so it can be 3D Printed.

How does 3D Slash fit in the classroom?

In the classroom 3D Slash is perfect as an introduction to CAD modelling for younger children. The integration we have requires no log in, so as soon as the webpage is open a child can start modelling immediately. Usernames and passwords with young children can be a stumbling block to learning. Unless you have actually taught a class of students first hand, you won’t realise that something so simple can stop a lesson before a teacher has even had the chance to teach anything. Furthermore, there is no personal data stored about the user either. Important for online safety reasons in schools. 

Another reason why 3D Slash is perfect for young children is the fun factor. 3D Slash makes a sometimes stale topic (CAD modelling) extremely fun as a child’s creativity can be unleashed. As long as you can click a mouse button you can use 3D Slash. Children love to build things and minecraft is extremely popular with children under 10. 3D Slash works on a similar concept. Instead of building blocks, you chip away at a block with a selection of different tools. The end result is you can pretty much design anything you want. You can also rebuild the blocks as well. Whilst it my seem a very simple CAD package from the outside, you can create some very detailed and complex models. You are given the ability to change the pixel size you are chipping away at right down to 1 pixel. Then you can use the zoom feature to view those small areas where you want to create a detailed feature. This is truly impressive considering  you don’t need any CAD modelling experience. Their is literally no barrier to learning.

We are extremely excited to see how the education community will use 3D slash.  The software has been used to design over 1 million models  so far across the native 3D Slash and partners websites. They boast some impressive partners e.g. google, thingiverse, 3dhubs and the 3dfilemarket to name a few.

To use 3D Slash then click here or the ‘design’ tab above. If you want a secret hack to get a 100% full screen view then click here.

Want to contact us about anything then send us a message below. Happy 3D printing!