The 3D printing process starts with creating a 3D design using a 3D modelling application such as TinkerCad. This application is a free, easy-to-use, online design tool. It is specifically designed for those with no prior computer aided design (CAD) experience. With TinkerCad, you can either create a 3D design from scratch or import a design from other creators.

In this part of the workshop, you will gain hand-on experience of using TinkerCad to create a keychain. You will learn about the application's interface, its templates and tools. You will practice how to add, modify, group and align shapes. Then once you have created your keychain design, you will download it and send it to the 3D printer.

Let go! Go to www.tinkercad.com.

Step 1 - Create an account

If you don't already have an account, select 'Sign Up' and create a personal account using an email address.

Step 2 - Practice 3D designs lessons

TinkerCad enables you to create 3D Designs, Circuits and Animation. For beginners, TinkerCad has tutorials for all these areas in their Learning Center, which is on the Homepage or under the Resources tab. Let's practice the tutorials for 3D designs. Let's practice some basic lessons on placing, viewing and moving objects.

Step 3 - Create your first 3D Design

To create your keychain, select "Create your first design" or the "+New" sign.

Step 4 - Navigate the Project Interface

After you have selected to create a new 3D design, a 3D project design webpage will appear. This project interface has several tools, a panel, several shape windows, that all support the designing process. Each of these components have been described below.

1. The Project Name is automatically assigned by TinkerCad but you can change it to your preferred choice.

2. The Top Toolbar that runs horizontally below the Project Name holds tools for copying, pasting, and deleting on the left, and the operation tools on the right. These tools are for grouping, aligning, and much more.

3. Navigation tools are for basic orientation, like zoom in and out.

4. The Shape Panel contains all the building blocks for designing. You will be designing using basic shapes like cubes, spheres, and text. Each one being used to build your grand design. After you have selected, and moved a shape into the Workplane, a Shape Window will appear. This window provides you with the options to change the shape.

In the centre of the project design webpage is the Workplane. This is where 3D designs are created and manipulated. The Workplane can also be resized to accommodate multiple designs.

Step 5 - Designing the keychain

Now we know about the interface, let's get designing! The basic principle of designing in 3D is to divide your model into small units. Each unit modelled on a shape, like a cube, sphere, pyramid etc. Then each shape will be assembled together to create your final object. Therefore, your keychain can also be broken down into three segments: the top (using a cylinder shape), the middle (the cube shape), and the end (another cylinder shape). Then these shapes will be grouped together, then we'll add some text to complete the project to make your very own keychain.

The Shape Panel (pictured below) has a Shape Library. This Library holds many 3D objects of varying degrees. There are objects for animals, people and everyday items. Explore the object categories using the drop-down button beside the text Basic Shapes.

To make our keychain, we will be using objects from the Shape Panel category called Basic Shapes. This is also the default category.

To design the keychain, you will need three shapes: the top (using a cylinder shape), the middle (the cube shape), and the end (another cylinder shape). To find and select these shapes, select the Basic Shapes category, drag the red cube from the Shapes Panel to the Workplane. Then drag two orange cylinder shapes.

To create the overall body of the keychain, place each cylinder on either side of the cube. Ensuring one half of each cylinder fits equally into the cube. See the picture above.

Whilst you are moving the shapes around to align them together, use the Workplane thicker grid lines as a guide to help you accurately place each cylinder beside the cube. Snap Grid lines are the lines on the Workplane and they tell you how far an object moves when you move it. The grid lines are all 1 mm apart by default, but TinkerCad allows you to change the measurements.

When you select a shape, a dotted square appears, use it as a guide and place the shape on the thicker grid line.

Now you are going to merge the shapes together to make one solid shape. To achieve this, you can either hold down the shift key and select each shape in turn; or hold down the left click on your mouse and drag the mouse around to highlight all the shapes.

Once all shapes are highlighted, as shown above, click on the Group button, which is found in the Top Toolbar. The grouping tool essentially emerges all three shapes together to make one solid shape.

The solid shape can now be modified. You can change the colour and the size. To change the colour, select the shape, and under its Shape Window, click on the circle marked "Solid". Then select the colour you want.

To change the size, you will select and drag any of the five white squares or Handles that appear when you select on the solid shape. There are four Handles at the bottom of the shape and one that appears above the shape. The four bottom Handles adjust the length and width of the solid shape; and the Handle above the shape adjusts the height. The solid shape will have a length of 40 mm, a width of 30 mm and a height of 5 mm. You can adjust the measurements by dragging the Handles or entering these values into the dimension notification boxes.

Step 6 - Designing a ring

The solid shape now needs a ring for hooking the chain. To design the ring, a hole needs to be inserted on either side of the shape.

To achieve this, firstly, drag a grey cylinder shape to the Workplane. Adjust both its length and width to 10 mm, which is the diameter of the hole we want and the height to 30 mm.

Then, you will position the grey cylinder shape next to the solid shape. To do this accurately, place the cylinder at the left-hand side of the solid shape. Both shapes should be parallel to each other and both edges should be touching the same grid line.

Next, you want to move the cylinder by 5 mm towards the right of the solid shape; still ensuring that the shapes are still parallel to each other. As you move the cylinder, you will notice black arrows and dimensions notification boxes appear. Specifically note the black arrow and the notification box moving parallel to the solid shape as you move the cylinder to the right. The box should read '5 mm'. This is telling you that you are 5 mm away from the original point of the cylinder.

Now you will centrally place the grey cylinder into the solid shape using the aligning tool found in the Top Toolbar. To carry this out, select and highlight all the shapes either by using the highlighting methods mentioned above or by using the keys CTRL + A. Once the shapes have been highlighted, select the Align button found in the Top Toolbar.

You will now see black round Handles surrounding the shapes appear on the Workplane. Click on the bottom middle handle on the left, as shown above. This should drag the grey cylinder into the middle of the solid shape.

Once the two shapes are aligned, press the Group button in the Top Toolbar. You’ll see that the grey cylinder shape has disappeared, leaving a hole in the solid shape.

Step 7 - Adding text

Now the solid shape is looking more like a keychain. But a plain one! You can personalize it by adding some text.

To add a distinctive feature to your keychain, you will need to use the Text shape from the Shapes Panel, under the Basic Shapes category. The shape will be used to engrave any word onto your keychain.

Select the Text shape and drag it to the Workplane. Once on the Workplane, the Shape Window will appear. Here's where you can change the text to anything you want.

Using the “Text” field in the Shape Window, change the word Text to your name or your initials for example. Doing so, automatically changes the text shape on the Workplane. Then resize the shape so that it would fit neatly inside the solid shape.

To engrave the solid shape, you will need to raise the text shape above it, then fractionally place it into the solid shape.

To do this, go to the Navigation Tools bar, find and move the orientation box around so that the Front view of the Workplane is facing towards you and then click on the text shape.

Then, you will see the Triangle Handle appear on the top of the text shape. Click, hold and drag it upwards. This will elevate the shape above the solid shape, and then release.

For the next instruction, you may want to move the orientation box around.

Now, you are going to move the text shape above the solid shape and lower it half-way into the solid shape. Firstly, hold and drag the text shape onto the top of the solid shape. Then, using the Triangle Handle once again, move the text shape into the solid shape.

You may choose to calculate how deeply the text shape sits inside the solid shape by comparing the height of each shape and using the dimensions notification boxes as your guide.

To engrave the solid shape now, simply select the text shape and click on Hole in the Shapes Window.

Then highlight all the shapes together using CTRL + A, and then select Group. Now the text shape has been subtracted and an engraving left in its place.

You have completed your keychain. TinkerCad automatically saves your designs so you can now export the keychain for printing.

Step 8 - Printing your keychain

The keychain is now completed and ready to 3D print. Click Export and under "For 3D Print" select .STL. The file will be automatically export to your Downloads folder.

Click next to learn how to print your .STL file.

Workshop instructions were based on a TinkerCad tutorial webpage by All3DP.

Previous

Next

makerspace@centennialcollege.ca

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse