Gear Generator 3

What is Gear Generator 3?

Gear Generator 3 is a browser tool that designs and simulates involute gear trains; designing is free, and exporting files needs a paid pass. Abel Vincze has run Gear Generator since 2014, and version 3 brings it into 3D: spur, helical and herringbone gears, racks, ring gears, planetary sets, chain sprockets and belt pulleys can all be added to one drawing, with shaft holes such as D-flat, keyway, hex and nut traps.

The standout feature is the simulation. Gears mesh on screen and you can start the animation to watch a whole train turn, which shows ratios, torque and fit before you print. When the design looks right, export the parts as STL or OBJ for 3D printing, or as SVG or DXF for laser cutting and CNC. A 3D preview shows thickness and other 3D settings when your browser supports WebGL2.

Designing and simulating cost nothing and need no account, but every export in the browser needs an export pass: 5 EUR for 7 days, 10 EUR for 30 days or 30 EUR for a year, which you can recover later by email. Since October 2026 there is also a desktop app for macOS (Apple silicon), Windows and Linux with a lifetime license for 45 EUR: it works offline, saves gear sets as files on your computer, includes every export without a pass, runs on up to three computers and gets free minor updates. It suits makers, students and teachers who want to understand a gear train, not just download a single gear, though it has more controls than a simple form.

What you can make

• Spur and helical gears
• Herringbone gears
• Planetary gear sets
• Chain sprockets
• Belt pulleys

How to use Gear Generator 3

1. Open the site and add gears to the canvas
2. Set tooth count, size and gear type
3. Run the animation to check meshing
4. Buy an export pass or the desktop app, then export STL or OBJ and slice