3D Animal Figurine in TinkerCad
Today you will create an animal figurine using Inkscape and TinkerCad. Â You can see the model for these at this TinkerCad page.
Today's workshop has many steps, so try not to spend too much time looking for an image. Your object should be no bigger than 40mm high and both parts will be 2mm deep so that your object will take about 20 minutes to print. We hope you'll come back to Open Shop to experiment with these methods!
Learning Outcomes
Recognizing a solid vector from an unconnected vector
Downloading and saving files
Tracing images in Inkscape
Create a TinkerCad account for future use
Importing an SVG for use in a 3D Project
*If you are working on this project on your own, or have trouble finding an image, we have included Sample Animals.svg at the bottom of the page.
Download the template and Open in Inkscape
Locate Half Inch Template at the bottom of the page. Right-Click on the down arrow and save to the Desktop. Right-Click on the file and select Inkscape. Leave Inkscape open in the background as we search for an image...
Find an Image
Go to Google Image Search to find a shape for your design, like cat, rooster, or owl. Add keywords like silhouette or outline. See the image below for examples of images that will work well, and images that won't.
Bad Images
The images below are examples of "Bad Images" -- images which won't print well because parts are not connected.
Good Images
The images below are examples of "Good Images" -- images which will print well.
"Good Images" vs. "Bad Images"
This isn't a question of taste -- some images will work better than others for vinyl cutting and laser cutting. For magnets, we want a mostly solid shape, which is why we search for outlines and silhouettes. Detailed images mean more cut lines, which can weaken the object we're designing.
Saving the Image
Click on the image, click View Image. To save, Right-Click, select Save As, and select Desktop.
Add the Image to the Template
Clicking and dragging is an easy way to move or add files. On the Desktop, click on the downloaded image, and holding down the mouse button, drag the image to Inkscape. In the popup dialog, check off Embed and click OK.
Trace Bitmap
By "tracing" the bitmap (PNGs, JPGs, GIFs), Inkscape will create a set of vector paths, which are cutting instructions for laser and vinyl cutters.
With the image selected, go to Path>Trace Bitmap. In the popup dialog, under Multiple Scans, select Grays, Remove Background, and reduce Scans to 2.
Click Update to get a preview of the trace. Click OK to accept the trace. Click on the big X to close the window.
Delete the Bitmap
Delete the original image and keep the trace. If it is hard to distinguish which is the original, click on one and click on the Path Node Tool. If no nodes appear, it is a bitmap and you can delete it. If nodes appear, keep it and delete the other!
Turn Off Fill and Turn On Stroke
Sometimes there are things hiding in an image, so we want to turn off fill and turn on stroke. Go to Object>Fill and Stroke. Use the settings below.
Fill: No Paint. Stroke paint: Flat Color. Stroke style: 0.003 in.
Resize the Vector (if needed)
Make sure the shape fits within the black rectangle outline. Do this by clicking on the shape. Click on the lock to constrain proportions. Use a corner handle to resize so it fits in the black rectangle outline. Click and drag on the shape to place it within the template.
Save your file as an SVG
Save as an SVG, and change the name if you want to.
Open TinkerCad in a New Tab
Create a TinkerCad account by clicking TinkerCad.com and registering for an account.
TinkerCad is free
It autosaves your work
It is easy to share your work to Thingiverse.com
Importing SVG files, as in the template, is easy
It includes short lessons you can practice later
Create New Project
Go to New Project or New Design. Many of our shape and tool options are on the right.
Import your SVG
Click Import to bring in your design
Change the Height to 2mm
We can keep the scale, because our original animal figure was designed small. Change the default height of 10mm to 2mm.
Rotate into a Standing Position
Use the handles to rotate the animal figure into a standing position. In the standing position, it will be half inside the work area -- click and hold on the black cone floating above the animal figure to raise it to 0.00mm.
Add a Base
Click on a shape in the shape menu to the right. The default size is 20mm wide/long. You can increase this to 35mm. However, you have to decrease the height of the shape. Use the small white cube on top of the shape to swish it down to 2mm.
Align the Animal Figure and Base
To center your animal figure on the base, hold down Shift and click on each one to select them. Then click on Adjust in the top menu and select Align. The gray dots represent Left, Right, Center, or Top, Middle, Bottom.
Group the Animal Figure and Base
Select the figure and base by holding down Shift and clicking on each. In the top menu click Group.
Download for 3D Printing and Save File
Go to Design and select Download for 3D Printing. Select STL. The file will automatically go to Downloads folder.
Print Time
We will collect STL files for printing. The cat and rooster in the photo printed in 19 and 20 minutes. Any files larger than 40mm high will be scaled down.
Survey
Surveys are here: https://sites.google.com/site/cplmakerlab/surveys