JLCPCB would 3d print high-quality enclosures from a variety of UV resins: https://3d.jlcpcb.com/ and decently cheap.

The next best option is injection molding with PCBWay (or other similar provider): https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/manufacture/?type=4...

An alternative is a sheet metal enclosure: https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/manufacture/?type=4...

But 3d printing with JLCPCB is really the most convenient way unless you need a lot of parts (thousands) or the material properties of the UV resins would not be enough (high-temperature, outdoors, etc).

You can also pay someone to do it.

As somebody else mentioned, you can hire it out.

There's a lot of files running around with existing models for common projects, so you probably don't need to design your own enclosures a lot of the time unless you want to.

And printers have gotten cheap, like $99 gets you a jumping off point into the hobby.

That is why so many amateur projects look ugly: making a pretty package is a whole new skill set. 3d printing is the easiest acceptable solution, but it isn't the best. Best would be a custom designed injection molded housing, but that is even more work to design.

Nothing about making a nice presentation is beyond what amateurs can do. However it is a lot more effort and so most decide it isn't worth it.

There are plenty of enclosures available on AliExpress and Amazon. But a cheap reprap 3d printer is a general tool like a screw driver or hammer, albeit more complex for sure. But the learning curve isn’t absurd, it’s basically buying something plugging it in and loading filament then printing a downloaded STL. It gets harder when it needs calibration and maintaining, but it’s not an unknown dark art - there are a billion helpful discord groups.

But once you have it and know how to maintain it, anything where you’re like “man wouldn’t it be nice if I had a physical object like X” becomes a relatively solvable problem. There are lot of materials with many different properties. When you skip into a zone of material or print you can’t afford the equipment for, there are a bazillion print shops.

The harder skill frankly is the 3d modeling. But I find openscad is sufficient for almost everything and then for the rest I use Build123. They’re both parametric code driven design tools so fit well inside a software project (better than GUI tools, and more easy to be precise with). Openscad is absurdly easy, build123 is more advanced and requires Python skills as well as effort to learn the conceptual model.

I sort of felt the way you seem to once upon a time until I said screw it and figured it out one day. Now I feel like I lived most my life hobbled for want of this tool.

So, yeah, overkill for printing an esp32 enclosure. But doing so unlocks a lifetime of possibilities.

If you're looking for an enclosure for your hobby ESP32 project, there are lots of off the shelf, small enclosures available:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=esp32+enclosure

If you want to sell a more finished commercial quality project and don't want to print your own, there are places that will fabricate one for you (but in low quantities, having them 3d print it probably cheaper)

The simplest I can think of is this: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/sparkfun-electron... use a step drill or other large-diameter bit to cut holes for cable glands, dremels to cut rectangular holes for power switches, and drill and tap holes for standard brass standoffs. IMHO everybody should have at least one cordless drill and drill bits, as well as an M3 tap. Then use Cable glands for wires going in/out, and nylon sheathing for the cables outside the box.

If you take the time to make the holes nicely, the result often looks good enough that non-makers will think you are a god of manufacturing.