KH 376: Tinkercad - A free browser-based CAD tool.

So you got yourself a brand-new 3D printer, but you're getting a little tired of printing out just the objects that you've downloaded. If that's you, then we've got an episode for you! Jason Howell and Megan Morrone join Padre for a special 3D episode of "Know How"! -- We're going to be teaching the basics of "Tinkercad", a free, browser-based CAD tool that can be used to create everything from the simplest box to a universe-in-a-bottle. (Stargate Reference) - Join us! The Environment * We call the grid the "Build plane" * The scroll button on your mouse will zoom in and out on your focused object * Typing an "F" will change the focus to whatever object you have selected * Holding the right button and moving the mouse will rotate around your focused object Instruction 1: Placing and Resizing Shapes Tinkercad starts with placing shapes on a bed so the can be manipulated * Let's practice placing shapes on the build-bed - Pick 4 shapes from the basic shapes menu and place them on the bed - Use the hash marks to keep each object 40mm away from other objects ** Tip: Once placed, you can use the arrow keys to move the shapes 1 unit at a time. (The unit size is determined by the drop-down menu in the lower right corner) ** Tip: Hold "Shift" while hitting an arrow key will move the shape 10 units * And now let's resize - Clicking each object, resize them so that they are twice their current size. (W x L x H) - The bullets that appear when an object is clicked can be dragged to the size you want ** Tip: You can also click each bullet and then click the value to enter a new value on the keyboard. Instruction 2: Elevation and Rotation We need to practice some of the finer points of manipulating 3D objects... specifically their rotation and elevation on the bed. * Elevation - Click the object you want to raise or drop - Click and hold the "black arrow" at the top of the shape (It will turn red when selected) - Drag the object to the height that you require - Notice that as you change the elevation of the object, the callout to the side will tell you how high the bottom of the object is above the build plane. ** Tip: Holding "CTRL" while hitting the up and down arrows will move the object up and down by one unit each time you hit an arrow key ** Tip: Holding "CTRL" + "SHIFT" while hitting the up and down arrows will move the object up and down by 10 units each time you hit an arrow key * Rotation - Click the object you want to rotate, you'll see three curved arrows for the three axes on which you can rotate the objects - Click, hold and DRAG to rotate ** Tip: Staying WITHIN the rotation circle will snap rotation to 22.5 degrees. Going OUTSIDE the rotation circle lets you rotate by degree (or less) ** Tip: You can also click the curved arrow and enter a custom rotation value Instruction 3: Smoothing the Curve Any shape with a curve is actually just a bunch of straight lines APPROXIMATING a curve. The "smoothness" of that curve depends on how many lines make up the curve: The more lines, the smoother the curve. * Add a cylinder to your build plate - select the object - In the drop-down menu, play with the first two settings (Sides, Bevel -- ignore Segments) - Increasing or decreasing the number of sides will increase or decrease the - * Add a - These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/know-how/episodes/376 Hosts: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, Megan Morrone, and Jason Howell Sponsors: eero.com code KNOWHOW Ring.com/KNOWHOW