Model Forge

Beta · version 0.0.0 · Windows 10/11, 64-bit

Parametric CAD for 3D printing — sketch, extrude, fillet, export STL.

Model Forge is parametric CAD with one job: designing parts to 3D print. You draw a sketch, extrude it into a solid, then add fillets, chamfers, and dimensional constraints — all recorded in a feature history you can go back and edit. When the model is right, it exports a clean, watertight STL straight into your slicer. There is no cloud project storage, no sign-in, and no seat licence: it is a program on your PC, and your models are files in a folder.

What it replaces

Replaces Fusion 360 — from US$680/yr for commercial use, and the free personal tier is capped and can change at any time. Model Forge covers the sketch → extrude → fillet → export path that most printed parts need. If you live in assemblies, simulation, or CAM, keep Fusion for that.

What it does

  • Sketch-and-extrude modelling with a real, editable feature history
  • Fillets, chamfers, and dimensional constraints
  • Reference planes and construction geometry
  • Watertight STL export, ready for any slicer
  • Runs fully offline — models are plain files on your disk
  • No account, no seat licence, no telemetry

Installing on Windows

The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen shows a blue “Windows protected your PC” box the first time you run it. Click More info, then Run anyway. Buying code-signing certificates is one of the things donations pay for.

The installer’s first screen offers Full install (a Start-menu entry and an Apps & features listing) or Unzip (just extracts the program folder to a location you pick — no registry changes).

Every release on GitHub lists a SHA-256 hash for each file so you can verify your download. Model Forge checks for a newer version when it starts and offers to fetch it — you always get a prompt, never a silent update.

Model Forge is in beta. Expect rough edges, and save your work often.

Model Forge is free.

Donations are what pay for keeping it maintained and signed.