First, there is a plethora of free software out there.
If you don´t have a clue about using 3D software to build a 3D model, then the learning curve will be quite steep.
For downloading a 3D model and turning it into a blueprint, i.e. sideviews, top views, sections etc. you will only need very basic skills. You could also look into using Sketchup. But in the end it´s all the same, you will have to invest time to learn the software. And that´s pretty easy, there are plenty of tutorials out there and dedicated forums much better suited to help you in your quest than the general modeling forum.
...
It has been used a lot for European productions not so much in the US... I think the entertainment industry in the USand software developers/schools have a very cozy relationship with each other and want to keep things that way in spite of the existence of freeware like Blender.
...
That is not entirely true. Companies won´t look at freeware or even think about using it for their production pipeline since they have completely different needs for their software. Blender is very powerful, but most companies have a long history of using one software, a lot o them customize that software. Integrating a freeware program that has no official support is just too risky in today´s production environments.
I don´t know one professional production house that actually matters in the market that uses Blender.
I use C4D, and even that software, which is not a newcomer in the market, but a professional production package, is only just now becoming a bigger player in the international market. But still, the main software packages by Autodesk, be it 3DSMax or Maya, dominate the market.
It´s pretty simple, sometimes you have to spend money to make money