Figuro: A Browser-Based Alternative for Designing 3D Objects

With the explosion of 3D printers and the need to create objects quickly for reproduction, the market offers several CAD design options covering all levels. If we explore beginner tutorials, almost all arrows point to Onshape and TinkerCAD, but another environment looking to settle among them is Figuro. It recently received an interface update, and that means there are many inconsistencies, but we believe it's worth following its progress.

CAD often conveys the feeling of being "impossible to learn" at first, but once we absorb a few tutorials and continue practicing for a couple of days, its deceit is exposed. Moreover, with the impressive number of models that have been shared online, it's likely someone has already created the part we need. So... how do we create a 3D model? What kind of software do we need to install?

If you're taking your first steps, the answer is... none. TinkerCAD works wonders in the browser, and we can say the same for Onshape, but they're not the only ones out there. For example, Figuro presents itself as a middle ground between TinkerCAD and Blender, which is no small feat; however, it's still a bit far from that goal.

In our session we discovered that some basic commands were not so obvious (for example, dimensioning an object), others are ignored, and multiple selection was a real headache, with colleague sites reporting similar problems. Another issue is that Figuro's interface was updated, but its YouTube tutorials (only nine videos) do not reflect those changes. Many elements changed position.

Now, that doesn't mean Figuro is defective. Judging by the project gallery, its users have managed to create all kinds of objects, from common objects like a trash bin to toys and weapon reproductions, with textures included. In short, I think Figuro can become an excellent environment for designing 3D objects, but it needs to polish some functionality details, expand its documentation, and create new tutorials.

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