3D Animal Figurine in TinkerCad

Today you will create an animal figurine using Inkscape and TinkerCad.   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

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