TL;DR
I’m really glad I went back and tried Wings3D. It is an OpenSource GUI based modeler that is relatively easy to use and intuitive. Documentation is lacking, but there is enough to get started and stay interested. Wings3D also supports the most input and output formats of all the software tested.
3D Model as a .wings file and STL file
Other People’s Videos
The documentation is pretty thin. I did find an old version of the documentation, but mostly I hunted on YouTube.
Start with this one
Wings3d basics – User Interface
Watch with the sound off
3D Modeling – Part I: Navigation in Wings 3D
3D Modeling – Part II: Deformation in Wings 3D
3D Modeling – Part III: Deformation in Wings 3D (Cont.)
Others
Wings 3D demo: Round Hole in Rectangular Solid
Start of a Christmas Tree demo
Mine
Keyboard shortcuts I don’t want to forget
R to return camera to home view
X,Y,Z to snap camera to a dead on view of that axis
G – to select an Edge Ring once a edge is selected – (Then C to create Edge Loop at the center of the ring)
L – The Edge Loop Select once a vert or edge is selected that is part of a loop
TAB – access numeric editing
5 – toggle from % numeric edit to direct units edit
- Ideal Object – Wide variety
- Ideal User – Intermediate computer user
- OpenSource – Yes
- Free – Yes
- Premium Version – No
- Linux Version – Yes
- Browser Based – No
- Requires Internet Acces – No
- StalkerWare – No
- Private Files – Yes
- Official Community Repository – No where I found (Other than Thingiverse)
- Instashare – No
- Collaborative Editing: No
- Official Tutorials – None
- Community Tutorials – Okay, not as many as Blender or SketchUp
- How many tutorials/videos to build first project – looked at 6+ examples, about 10 minutes apiece.
- Default Bkg Color – gray, different themes available
- Good for Computer Beginners – Maybe
- Requires 3 Button Mouse – Yes, although there is preference
- Real-world units – No
- Numeric controls – Yes
- WYSIWYG – Yes
- Scripting – No
- Plugins & Extensions – If you know Erlang you can write a plugin
- Format Types: NDO, 3DS, AI, EPS, PS, LWO, LXO, OBJ, STL, SVG
- Direct to STL – YES
- Format Types: NDO, 3DS, BZW, DAE, EPS, XML, LWO, LXO, OBJ, POV, RWX, STL, WRL, X
- Adjust scale on output – Not for STL, other unknown
- Direct to Printing Service – No