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Practice and Intro to Tinkercad

This document guides you through your first steps in using Tinkercad, a fun tool for designing 3D objects.

First Steps in the Workshop

In this microQuest, you will learn to navigate the Tinkercad workplane. You will identify the main toolbar and the shape library, which is where you find all the building blocks for your designs. You will also practice changing your view of the workplane using the view cube. This helps you get comfortable moving around and seeing your designs from different angles in the 3D space.

This activity introduces the core concept of Tinkercad Interface Navigation.

Placing Your First Blocks

Now you will start putting shapes onto the workplane. Your objective is to drag and drop three different basic shapes from the shape library onto the blue workplane. You can pick shapes like a box, a cylinder, and a sphere. Once they are on the workplane, you will click on each shape. Little squares called handles will appear. You will use these handles to make each shape bigger or smaller, taller or shorter, changing their size independently.

This activity introduces the core concept of Manipulating Basic Shapes.

Lining It All Up

Sometimes you need shapes to be perfectly lined up. In this microQuest, you will place two shapes on the workplane. Then you will use a special tool called the Align tool. You will select both shapes, click the Align button, and then click on the dots that appear to line up the shapes exactly in the middle, side-to-side and front-to-back. This helps you make neat and precise designs.

This activity introduces the core concept of Aligning Objects.

Creating Your First Keychain

Now you will make something useful: a keychain. Your objective is to design a simple keychain shape. You will start with a flat shape for the main part. Then you will add a smaller shape, like a cylinder, where the hole for the key ring will go. You will change the smaller shape into a 'Hole'. A Hole shape is see-through and is used to cut away from other shapes. Finally, you will select both shapes and use the Group tool. Grouping a solid shape with a Hole shape makes the Hole shape cut away from the solid shape, creating an actual hole.

This activity introduces the core concept of Grouping and Subtractive Modeling (Holes).

Designing a Custom Bookmark

Let's make a bookmark. In this microQuest, you will design a simple bookmark by putting together at least three different shapes. You could use a long rectangle for the main part, add a star on top, and maybe put some text on it. You will use the Align tool to make sure everything is lined up nicely. Then you will use the Group tool to combine all the shapes into one single object.

This activity introduces the core concept of Complex Object Composition.

Engineering a Phone Stand

Now you will design something that can hold a phone. Your objective is to design a functional phone stand that works. You will use multiple shapes to build it. You will need a flat base so it doesn't fall over. You will need a back part for the phone to lean against. You might need a small lip at the front to stop the phone from sliding off. You will need to make sure all the parts are in the right place using the Align tool. Then you will use the Group tool to make it one strong object.

This activity introduces the core concept of Functional 3D Design.

Preparing for Print

Your phone stand is designed! Now you need to get it ready for a 3D printer. In this microQuest, you will select your finished phone stand design. Then you will use the Export button. You will choose to download the design as an .stl file. This is a special type of file that 3D printers understand. Once you have the .stl file, it's ready to be sent to a 3D printer.

This activity introduces the core concept of Exporting for 3D Printing (.stl).

Design Showcase

You have finished designing your phone stand and saved it as an .stl file. Your objective is to present your .stl file. You will explain how you made your phone stand. Talk about the shapes you used. Explain how you used the Align tool to line things up. Explain how you used the Group tool to combine shapes. If you used any Holes, explain how they worked. This is where you share what you learned and show off your design.

This activity introduces the core concept of Design Rationale and Presentation.