Oh man, I agree with this so much. I used to tell people that if their budget for PCB tools was less than $1k, just use KiCad. I think I might have to increase that number....
The big one, not really given a lot of fanfare in the post, is ODB++ export! This is one feature that would keep people stuck on Altium. Not only does this mean you can easily use US based fabricators who require it, but you can also feed your design into simulation tools that don't easily read Gerber.
Altium is a very litigious company. A friend of mine got alarming legal letters for breach of contract by using Altium outside of the registered address range.
I was considering moving to it as my projects become more advanced and demanding, but after hearing that story I wont be.
Total noob question: if I am to buy a 3D printer, would KiCad be useful to draw things to print there?
What FOSS software that runs on Linux is used to do 3d prints?
KiCad is for PCB design. For 3d printer you need to use something like FreeCAD (Free Open Source) or Onshape (paid closed source). You then need to convert the 3d model for your printer using a slicer like Orca or Prusa.
For designing new models to 3D print, you have several open-source options. But all of them come with pretty big caveats:
- FreeCAD: The closest to a real OSS parametric CAD package for making functional parts. But it is a very frustrating tool to use compared to, say, the free-to-use personal version of Autodesk Fusion.
- Blender: Great for making artistic designs to print, but not really suitable for CAD work. There is a "CAD Sketcher" add-on that sort of provides that if you already know Blender, but again, it's pretty goofy to use compared to, say, Autodesk Fusion.
- OpenSCAD: This one is pretty cool. It's a programming language where the code generates 3D parts. While the feature set is kind of limited and awkward, it is really neat when you get something modeled because users can feed in values for the variables and customize the object easily. Some 3D object marketplaces even offer web GUIs for OpenSCAD scripts, like Makerworld. But it's not really a replacement for a CAD package — it's more like an alternative way of making re-usable designs with more effort.
Part of the reason that the Open Source options aren't better is that the popular commercial options maintain market share with "free-to-use" versions that suck away users:
- Autodesk Fusion (F/K/A Fusion 360): A very popular, relatively easy-to-learn parametric CAD package. Pretty ideal for most functional 3D print creation work. Very weak at artistic work (where Blender would make more sense). Has a free-to-use option and then increasively punative commercial options. About as non-OSS as you can get and Autodesk will continually worsen the free version. But if you can live with that, it's a very efficient tool.
- OnShape: Another very popular parametric CAD package, but this one is browser-based. Offers a free version with the limitation that all the files you save have to be public. Also very non-OSS.
The next tier up from there would be fully-professional solid modeling packages like SoldWorks that cost many thousands per year (unless you are a student) and offer no free license.
Most people with 3D printers who are making parts (as opposed to artwork) just use Fusion or OnShape. You can make pretty much anything quickly with 10,000% less frustration than using FreeCAD. But you do you.
This is a good summary. SolidWorks does have a lower cost license for makers/hobbyists for personal use but it’s a little difficult to find from their main marketing pages.
DigiKey just released a number of videos about using FreeCAD 1.0 as there have been a number of features that have made it easier to use. (the first few talk just about 3D printers)
Multiple channel layout and the schematic blocks are by themselves a huge chunk of the remaining lead the paid packages had.