6/13/2023 0 Comments Tinkercad vs freecad![]() I began by selecting a plane and creating a Sketch, which is the basis of nearly all shapes generated in the software. A brand new workspace is Codeblocks, a drag-and-drop interface that teaches users the basics of programming. ![]() Tinkercad also includes a Circuits workspace for designing custom basic and Arduino circuits. One of the more fun features that the kiddos will dig is the Block tool that converts models into (not Minecraft but totally Minecraft) blocks, as seen here. Look at this adorable thingamabob I whipped together in 30 seconds. Pre-scaled ball joints are available as well, making the creation of movable objects incredibly accessible. There are many parametric shapes to choose from that can be completely customized, like springs, tubes, and screw threads. The Featured Shape Generators are also very useful. Some of the more advanced features in Tinkercad include the Workplane tool that allows users to lock the motion of objects to specified planes and add objects to new planes. Here’s the exported STL in my slicing software. Just drag, drop, and type the desired text. Adding the text was the last step and just as easy as the first step. The Duplicate and Flip tools saved me quite a bit of time by not having to rotate and resize each Box. I then added three wider Boxes at the appropriate angles with the same depth as the keychain the three thinner Boxes were raised less, creating the illusion (and actualization) of depth. My solution was to export the model as an STL and then import it back into Tinkercad as a solid body, which worked perfectly. The Polygon hole was acting as a permanent void and would cut away everything I tried to put there. You can see where I tried to cut the other shape out with another Box before finding the correct shape.Īfter finding the correct Polygon tool, I successfully cut the right shape out, but then I needed to add material back to that area to draw the outline of the 3D cube. I used the Roof shape and rotated it 90° before sizing and placing it selecting Hole ensures that material will be removed rather than added. Then it’s time to start cutting material away. Clicking and holding on the orientation cube allows for free orbiting of the workspace, which is very useful. I clicked the Top orientation button in the top left corner before taking this screenshot so the view is looking straight down on the Box and it’s not possible to see that it’s 2mm tall, but trust me, it is. Creating the backplate of the keychain is as simple as dragging a Box from the right panel and dropping it on the workspace, adjusting its size by typing the dimensions in the appropriate fields it’s also possible to drag the corners and edges of the Box to adjust the size and shape. But since that’s not available, we’ll have to model the keychain from scratch. If you have a good SVG file, this tool works well. I tried running the logo through an online SVG converter and the results were imperfect extruding the converted SVG file in Tinkercad resulted in this object.Ĭlose but no cigar. Tinkercad does have an SVG Extrude tool but we don’t have an SVG file of the logo. To demonstrate the differences between the two, I designed the same part (a keychain, of course) in both applications and then explored some of their unique tools and capabilities. There’s a lot going on under the hood of Fusion360, so it’s intended for more experienced users, or at least those aspiring to become more experienced users. ![]() Beyond 3D modeling, it also includes workspaces for 3D sculpting (labeled Create Form in the software), sheet metal fabrication, rendering, animation of assemblies and operations, manufacturing with CNC machines and lathes, and simulations of static and nonlinear stress, thermal stress, structural buckling, and shape optimization. Several tutorials are available to guide new users through their first models.įusion360 is a desktop 3D modeling program that uses cloud computing to assist with heavy computational loads like simulations. Tinkercad employs a drag-and-drop method of combining basic 3D shapes to build more complex objects, making it one of the simplest 3D modeling options available. Its focus is on education and encouraging thinking in terms of three dimensional objects and their relative sizes, positions, and orientations. It’s designed to allow anyone to start making 3D models, featuring an intuitive browser-based interface that can be controlled entirely by a mouse. Tinkercad is catered towards younger users and those with no modeling experience. Two of those options are Tinkercad and Fusion360, both of which are Autodesk products and free (to students, hobbyists, and small businesses). Now is the best time to learn how to 3D model because never before have so many powerful 3D modeling options been available for free. To unlock the full potential of any 3D printer, it’s necessary to know how to model. Every model in every online repository was modeled by someone, somewhere.
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