3D Printing at Morris Library: 3D Modeling Software & Free Models

Tinkercad has a free version of its software that creates 3D digital models. This is a great program for beginners and is used in the web browser.

SketchUp Free is a free 3D drawing tool.

Blender is a free open source computer graphics software that can be used for 3D modeling.

OpenSCAD is a free software to create solid 3D CAD objects.

Meshlab is an free open source program for processing and editing unstructured 3D triangular meshes.

Meshmixer is a free prototype design tool. Note it is no longer in development and will not be updated.

Thingiverse is a community to discover, make, and share 3D models. Users can download files of objects that others have made. Several of the objects can be customized and modified.

Open repository of digital files suitable for 3D printing.

SketchUp's design library of 3D models.

Collection of 3D models of various artifacts from the Smithsonian Museums.

Search, browse, download, and share 3D biomedical printable models including custom labware.

NASA's 3D resources site that includes several printable models in .STL format.

Site contains many 3D models of fossils. You can download an OBJ file to use in 3D printing.

Data archive with hundreds of digital scans of fossils, plant and animal specimens (including internal structure), cultural items, and natural history materials. Many files are in stl format and are free to download. Files come from institutions around the world.

Africanfossils.org has several 3D models of significant fossils and artifacts in categories such as hominids, animals, and tools. It is a partnership with Autodesk, National Geographic, the Turkana Basin Institute, the National Museum of Kenya, and Stony Brook University.

3D Scan project by artist Oliver Laric at The Usher Gallery at The Collection in Lincolnshire, UK.

3D scans of Native American artifacts from the Hampson Archeological Museum State Park in Wilson, Arkansas. OBJ files are included.

3D scans of artifacts at the British Museum in London.