With the rise of in-house resin printing, Artform 3.5 now features native support for STL, 3MF, and optimized support structure generation. The software auto-detects overhangs, undercuts, and suggests sprue placements for casting trees—a feature previously only found in dedicated CAM software.
| Software | Strengths vs. ArtForm 3.5 | Weaknesses vs. ArtForm 3.5 | |------------------|----------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| | ArtCAM (Autodesk) | More powerful relief tools, better UI, widely supported | Discontinued (2018), expensive legacy licenses | | Vectric Aspire | Excellent vector + relief, active development, no dongle | Higher cost (~$2000) | | JDsoft SurfMill | Modern UI, 5-axis, better performance, active updates | Higher price, more complex for simple reliefs | | Fusion 360 | Free for hobbyists, parametric, CAM advanced | Poor relief sculpting, steep learning curve | | EnRoute | Great for sign making, nesting, vinyl cutting | Expensive, less focus on fine detail carving | Jdsoft Artform 3.5
Artform 3.5 strikes a careful balance between complexity and usability. The interface is divided into four primary workspaces: Sketch, Structure, Render, and CAM Prep. With the rise of in-house resin printing, Artform 3
Version 3.5 introduces a "Gesture Shortcut" system, allowing experienced users to hold right-click and drag gestures to activate common tools (Scale, Rotate, Align) without moving the mouse to the toolbar. This significantly speeds up the modeling process for professionals. Artform 3
The new Gemstone Manager 2.0 includes over 500 pre-loaded standard and custom cut shapes (round, princess, emerald, marquise, pear, and even fantasy cuts). You can now dynamically adjust pave settings, micro-pave, and channel settings with real-time tension visualization.