3D Modeling and Printing with Tinkercad: Create and Print Your Own 3D Models

by James Floyd Kelly

The First Complete Guide to 3D Modeling That’s Powerful, Friendly, & Free! Want to master 3D modeling and printing? Tinkercad is the perfect software for It’s friendly, web-based, and free. Even better, you don’t have to rely on Tinkercad’s technical documentation to use it. This easy, full-color guide is packed with photos and projects that bring 3D modeling to life! No 3D or CAD experience? No Best-selling author James Floyd Kelly teaches you step-by-step through simple examples and hands-on activities. You’ll learn all the concepts and techniques you need...build your skills, comfort, and confidence...and create exciting projects that show off Tinkercad’s full power. Learning 3D with your kids? You’ll even find projects you can work on together! Quickly master the basic 3D concepts you need to understand Navigate Tinkercad’s Dashboard and tool set Create your first 3D model and control its properties Save time by incorporating publicly available elements Import hand sketches or SVG graphics into your models Use the Shape Generator to create custom shapes Add raised text and other embellishments Assemble multiple pieces into a more sophisticated model Make realistic prototypes Output molds for creating items from soft materials Transform models into STL files for printing Get great results from an online 3D printing service Move your 3D objects into the Minecraft virtual world Find answers to your most important Tinkercad questions Discover tools for tasks Tinkercad can’t handle Learn from others! Explore projects at Thingiverse and the Gallery

476 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2014

Reviews

[Luuuuu and Sooooon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed book for beginners who want to use tinkercad to design 3d-models. some of the features like javascript seems had been removed from tinkercad. but the majority of this book are still effective.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book from my Makerspace reference collection at work. I read it to refresh myself for a workshop I'm teaching on Monday. Most of it is really good. It's aimed at the absolute beginner. The final chapter is about an app that no longer exists, unfortunately. The rest will make a good reference, though.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

nonfiction/ DIY 3d printing and modeling. The author has degrees in English as well as engineering, so this is a very user-friendly, illustrated guide for DIYers interested in playing around with 3d design/printing. I was hoping for more ideas of projects to use with classrooms, but I suppose I'll have to poke around more on my own--he does cover the basics fairly well though, so if you're trying to get started this is a good guide. Tinkercad (which I like because you can use it online without having to try to install on your org's computers) also provides a number of tutorials that users can learn the basics with, but some folks may appreciate browsing through a printed book before getting their fingers 'dirty' and he also provides some additional background and ideas for exploration.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly good introduction and tutorial for Tinkercad, it's written for a young audience with little or no CAD/CAM experience. A bit too basic for my tastes, but given that several local libraries have 3D printers, a perfect library reference book for now. Like all things technical however, it will age rapidly and will always be behind online material.