You don't need CAD skills to customize 3D models anymore

Published Sep 17, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Patrick Campanale has been in the tech space for well over a decade, specializing in PC/gaming news and reviews, as well as maker-focused products to build small businesses. With a start in technology back in 2010 surrounding the Palm/webOS ecosystem, Patrick spent his formative years developing mobile applications as well as blogging for various publications, eventually leading to starting his own website in 2014. After running a technology blog for a few years, he stepped out of that role and into the world of high-end custom PC manufacturing and building, with a focus on YouTube video production and overclocking. Then, in 2017, Patrick joined the 9to5Toys team as an editor/writer/reviewer with over 14,000 articles being published during his time there, ranging from deals and roundups to in-depth reviews on the latest technology, video games, 3D printers, and more. In his free time, Patrick loves to create projects from wood using various robots and methods, including leveraging the technologies of CNCs and lasers. If Patrick isn't working on a computer or playing video games, he's likely in his 2-car garage workshop creating something unique. In addition to all this, Patrick is also the media director at his local church where he feels God has called him to serve, and he loves every minute of it. Have you seen the slew of new customizable 3D models that are on sites like MakerWorld lately? It's all thanks to a word you might never have heard of before — parametric. Parametric modeling has done more to improve the 3D printing world than almost anything else, and here's everything you need to know. Normal 3D printing files are one-size-fits-all And we all know how one-size-fits-all rarely actually fits well If you've been 3D printing for any length of time, then you've probably run into the problem where a 3D print file from a site like MakerWorld, Thingiverse, or anywhere else almost works. The hole is slightly too small, or the grid is a little too large. While you can easily scale a project in your slicer, that's often not the best solution. The problem with scaling is that everything scales equally. That might not sound like a problem, but for something like Gridfinity, that means the entire thing no longer fits the Gridfinity bins. So, the only option used to be trying to pull the model into a 3D CAD program and update it manually. It was cumbersome, never worked well, and it always took way more effort than it should have. However, parametric modeling completely changes that. Parametric modeling allows you to change parameters to fit your project It adds a level of customizability that just wasn't there before Parametric modeling isn't new. It's been around for years, but it was typically found only in CAD software. Still, though, I always loved it when I found someone who had a parametric 3D model I could just load into Autodesk Fusion and start changing parameters. The way parametric modeling works is by assigning a parameter to a dimension in the model instead of a dimension itself. Then, you define the dimension in a separate table. This is great because you can define something like "plyThickness" for the thickness of your plywood and use that for extrusions. Then, you can change that from 1/8 to 1/4 to 1/2 inch, and it just updates the model accordingly. These parameters can be used anywhere in the model, and they update dynamically. So, if you update one parameter and it changes other things down the line, it should update everything thatparameter affects. There have been a few instances where that hasn't happened for me, but it's typically because I did something wrong. But in the world of 3D printing, this is a much better way to design in CAD. You can make a parameter called "smallMagnet" and then print a test print, and if you need to change the size, you can just change the parameter instead of having to update each magnet hole individually. The problem was that, to use parametric modeling, you had to use the software that the model was originally designed in. Thankfully, in 2026, that's no longer a requirement. You no longer need CAD knowledge to edit parametric models It can be done right in your web browser now Credit: MakerSky | MakerWorld These days, you'll find parametric models right on sites like MakerWorld. This allows someone to design parametrically and then upload it to MakerWorld, and you just have to enter a few dimensions on the website. For example, take this screw generator. With it, you can generate just about any screw or nut you might need to 3D print, all from your browser without having to know CAD. Or there's this parametric post cap generator. All you have to do is insert the post size you have, and it designs the cap to fit your post. The sky is the limit here, and I love that parametric generators are now available in the browser. One of the best places to use parametric modeling is with Gridfinity. Instead of having to find dedicated websites to generate your grids, you can simply navigate to this customizable Gridfinity project on MakerWorld and input the dimensions you need. Need custom-sized Gridfinity bins? There's a parametric project for that, too. Parametric modeling also lets you do more than just customize dimensions. For instance, there's this custom LED name light box project where you can type a name in, and it generates the whole project for you. Or, this custom name pen holder project where you, again, just type a name and it creates a custom pen holder with the name. If you want to browse more parametric models on MakerWorld, head to the customizable tab, where everything that can be customized is ready for you to browse. 3D printing has never been easier When I first started 3D printing around five years ago, it was still a tinkerer's hobby. In some ways, it still is. But these days, 3D printing is much more user-friendly and easier to get into than ever before. 3D printers now tune themselves out of the box in a matter of minutes, and there are more places to download files than ever before. So, if you've been wanting to try out 3D printing, there has never been a better time than now to give it a shot.