Summary

I have found that there is a common misconception that designing or choosing a model is the only step needed to be able to have a 3D-printed part. However, as discussed in this chapter, the design and modeling stages of the production process are really just the first steps.

Once we’ve created a model in Tinkercad, and created it using effective practices as discussed in earlier chapters, we can move to bring that model into a CAM program to prepare it for printing, as we learned in this chapter. We also learned that while there are many different CAM programs for 3D printing out there, the considerations and steps needed to prepare a model are often very similar.

Furthermore, we learned that we need to ensure that we choose a program that is compatible with our printer, as well as adjust the print settings to not only match what our printer can do in terms of material and quality but also support the needs of our model. If we are looking to make something quickly...