What is the 3D printing community/group looking for?

Thanks you all for the feedback.  It seams like the majority of you said that having some sort of modeling tutorials would be beneficial.  What tools specifically as there is endless amount to choose from?  Your average user would probably use something like Autodesk 123D, OpenSCAD, TinkerCAD (Autodesk Owned also).  Now you get into more complex software such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, Sketchup, Revit, 3ds Max, Onshape (my favorite non Autodesk product).  Let me know what i should focus on as I'm pretty fluent in most listed except Blender. 

Nate

I tend to use Nemetschek Vectorworks Designer for 3D modelling. I think that the general modelling in 3D aspect is not too difficult and there probably are plenty of vendor tutorials on using the specific application however it is more the considerations you then have to apply to the model for it to become a successful 3D print.

I've been working on a project design recently which will be externally printed through 3DHubs, so I don't know what machine it is going to end up on or the associated quirks. I've therefore created the 3D design so that it doesn't require any support structures and to keep tolerances fairly flexible, which will mean additional work after printing. However, recently I've seen some talk of using support structures which can be dissolved in soap solution, so presumably this is done with a two filament machine and potentially makes designs less restrictive.

Guidelines for tolerances for fasteners would be quite useful. This project I've just done pilot holes which will need to be drilled and countersunk after printing, but perhaps it is possible to avoid that extra work. Perhaps accuracy is now good enough to use something like threaded inserts straight after printing.

An overview of various tried and tested construction techniques might be useful. I suspect a lot of this may follow traditional woodworking joins but once again we need to know how machine/material tolerances are going to affect this. My recent project was done in two halves which will be butt jointed together allowing the use of a gasket as a spacer if necessary, however I did initially think about a lap joint for a neater finish and easier assembly.

I tend to use Nemetschek Vectorworks Designer for 3D modelling. I think that the general modelling in 3D aspect is not too difficult and there probably are plenty of vendor tutorials on using the specific application however it is more the considerations you then have to apply to the model for it to become a successful 3D print.

I've been working on a project design recently which will be externally printed through 3DHubs, so I don't know what machine it is going to end up on or the associated quirks. I've therefore created the 3D design so that it doesn't require any support structures and to keep tolerances fairly flexible, which will mean additional work after printing. However, recently I've seen some talk of using support structures which can be dissolved in soap solution, so presumably this is done with a two filament machine and potentially makes designs less restrictive.

Guidelines for tolerances for fasteners would be quite useful. This project I've just done pilot holes which will need to be drilled and countersunk after printing, but perhaps it is possible to avoid that extra work. Perhaps accuracy is now good enough to use something like threaded inserts straight after printing.

An overview of various tried and tested construction techniques might be useful. I suspect a lot of this may follow traditional woodworking joins but once again we need to know how machine/material tolerances are going to affect this. My recent project was done in two halves which will be butt jointed together allowing the use of a gasket as a spacer if necessary, however I did initially think about a lap joint for a neater finish and easier assembly.