What this book covers

Chapter 1, Tinkercad, an Innovative Approach to 3D Design, looks at the general features and capabilities of the Tinkercad design application and what makes it so unique. We will also consider who Tinkercad is intended for and what Tinkercad can be used to create as we preview where this book will take us.

Chapter 2, Tools and Strategies for Successful 3D Modeling, provides an opportunity to develop skills and techniques to make modeling in CAD easier. We look at industry practices, such as technical drawings, and cover key tools and resources that are recommended for your workspace.

Chapter 3, The Perspectives in 3D Design, allows us to grapple with the challenges faced when designing in 3D. This chapter covers key concepts that we will continue to build on in the chapters to come, as well as tools in Tinkercad to support this challenge as we do.

Chapter 4, Designing through Constructive Solid Geometry, defines the concept of constructive solid geometry (CSG), the modeling technique on which Tinkercad is based. Throughout this chapter, we look at the tools and methods used to create, manipulate, and transform designs through fundamental CSG techniques.

Chapter 5, Creating and Manipulating Text Features, looks at the different ways to incorporate text into our Tinkercad designs. This includes the basic text feature, individual characters, text generators, and an example project to put your skills to the test.

Chapter 6, Using the Ruler and Workplane Tool to Dimension Our Designs, demonstrates the different measurement tools in Tinkercad. Through the tools introduced in this chapter, we will learn to incorporate dimensions into our designs to make our modeling more precise.

Chapter 7, Tools to Manipulate and Pattern Multi-Part Designs, dives deeper into the tools that can be used to manipulate shapes into complex designs. This includes learning how to combine shapes more effectively, and how to use tools in Tinkercad to automate our modeling through an example project.

Chapter 8, Importing Models and Designs, shows how models can be brought from one design to another, and the different features that allow us to import designs into Tinkercad, too. This includes importing 3D shapes and designs from other sources, as well as importing 2D images and artwork into the 3D space.

Chapter 9, Making Our Own Shapes, covers tools and shapes in Tinkercad that let us make our own unique shapes. After looking more closely at ways to draw and generate shapes, we look at how what we create can be turned into a custom shape for future use.

Chapter 10, An Introduction to 3D Printing and Production Techniques, offers an overview of what 3D printing is. We will not only look at how 3D printing works, but also identify common 3D printing techniques and uses as we begin to consider how we can manufacture our own models and designs.

Chapter 11, General Strategies for Creating Effective Models for 3D Printing, covers design features and strategies that can be used to make 3D printing our models more successful. We’ll reference some of the tools and techniques discussed previously as we learn how to apply them specifically for 3D printing production.

Chapter 12, Creating Tolerances for Multi-Part Designs, covers the important topic of tolerances, something that must be considered in all forms of manufacturing. These concepts will elevate our skills in effectively designing multi-part models with the intention of manufacturing them using 3D printers.

Chapter 13, Design Mistakes to Avoid, looks at common mistakes that may cause our 3D models to fail during printing. Earlier, we looked at successful strategies to employ, but here we will instead analyze things to avoid doing and things to check before attempting to 3D print our projects.

Chapter 14, Exporting and Sharing Tinkercad Designs for Manufacturing, covers the steps needed to export designs from Tinkercad and prepare them to be manufactured using CAM. We look at different options for CAM software, as well as 3D printing services for those who may not have access to a 3D printer of their own.

Chapter 15, Designing and Printing a Trophy, challenges us to apply skills in creating multi-part models as we design a trophy in Tinkercad. We will discuss scale and the key concepts of CSG, as well as different techniques for 3D printing common projects.

Chapter 16, Fabricating a Multi-Part Storage Box with a Sliding Lid, challenges us to incorporate tolerances into our designs as we create a multi-part project. We utilize skills in adjusting our perspective and workspace as well as importing artwork to enhance our designs.

Chapter 17, Modeling an Ergonomic Threaded Jar, challenges us to not only consider aesthetics as we design our models, but ergonomics too. This project lets us apply previously learned skills and resources to automate and enhance our designs for the real world.

Chapter 18, Building and Playing a 3D Puzzle, combines many different topics as we are challenged to make the most complex project yet. This project challenges us to not only make an effective 3D model but also consider how an effective product can be designed and made, too.

Chapter 19, Designing and Assembling a Catapult, challenges us to utilize nearly all the tools and skills covered previously to create a fun toy! We consider efficiency in our design, as well as professional strategies for testing our prototypes as we complete this project.

Chapter 20, Prototyping a 3D-Printed Phone Case, challenges us to make one of the more complex projects as many factors must be considered to find success. We also consider different approaches to designing this real-world product, as well as different materials and techniques for manufacturing it.