Craggs - not a stupid question to ask at all. The learning curve for 3D modeling and printing is a bit steep but you should be encouraged to dive in if it interests you. Just don't expect perfect results overnight! As far as software, I do all of my 3D "hard surface" modeling in Rhino and SolidWorks, though those programs as not cheap. You can get a 90 day fully functional demo/learning copy of Rhino to try out. AutoCAD has a pretty nifty suite of free 3D modeling programs called 123D Design with which many people have had good success.
For organic sculpting models the hands down best software is ZBrush, which is also not cheap, but the same company has a free program called Sculptris which has many of the same functions.
And whatever you do, stay away from SktechUp, it's more trouble than it's worth, as least as far as creating 3D printable models is concerned.
Good Luck!
For organic sculpting models the hands down best software is ZBrush, which is also not cheap, but the same company has a free program called Sculptris which has many of the same functions.
And whatever you do, stay away from SktechUp, it's more trouble than it's worth, as least as far as creating 3D printable models is concerned.
Good Luck!