Hello,
I am currently designing a bike saddle in 3d studio max.
What is the best way to design split aluminum molds for the making of it?
What i do right now is designing them in 3d studio - because i dont know other programs . Any suggestions ?
Solidworks
solidworks or rhino as its quite a bit cheaper 
try fusion 360, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than solidworks and is parametric, it’s in the never ending “beta” phase but for the price it can’t be beat (free)
Fusion360 looks nice, but I haven’t really used it yet. I think it is mo;re of an engineering program than a modeling program, although not as powerful as
Solidworks, a real powerful tool for engineering. you can use it from a-z for anything that can be done on a PC before it rolls out to the real world. It takes time to learn however. Catia seems to be even more powerful, but no experience with that.
Rhino, I like it very much for modelling. It’s easy, cheap-ish , and has nearly everything you need for advanced modeling. I used it for my own projects as well as professional in a milling company to design the moulds. Sometimes only to design the stockblocks, but often to design all the tooling for customers who would only send in the final design of their products. Where Solidworks is more a total engineering tool, solidworks is more a design tool.
Although of you know them both, you’d sometimes would want the freedom of rhino in to the systematic working of solidworks, but that has more to do with my (lack of) skills in solidworks. Rhino is a lot easyer to learn, in my opinion and that from a lot of others.
I have been using Fusion360 for modeling, simulations and CAM for my LinuxCNC mini mill. I found this 4 part video series very good as a starting point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meHcBxi4Uo0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGNg4QcYvOA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tjEKoFDR8M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ay_lDp6DVo
Solidworks provides a great working environment. Very easy to pick up
I find Rhino to be the bests (for me) to design models, solid works and fusion are both able to produce great models but you are constrained by your initial sketch used to construct your models.
Solidworks has a reputation for integrated engineering tools but fusion 360 is working real hard to catch up with their simulation tools.
Right now im trying to wrap my head aroung fusion 360 (hard to top free) but its fustrating moving over from rhino, eventually ill get it though.
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I installed Fusion .
It seems like a a very nice and simple - in a good way program.
I will spend some time on it .
Thank you guys
Do you know where I can find the Beta version?
Just Google fusion 360 download
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AlessandroPA you need to look for the students-teachers-educators for the “free” version and then create an account.
http://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/students-teachers-educators
Thank you so much for the info 