3d Model Tinkercad

[Brigitta Martini]

Ialready have a model created and finished in tinkercad, first you need to hit the export button (first screenshot) then chose to export the file as a .OBJ or .GBL (second screenshot) so the colours will be exported too, I am using .OBJ for this though

After exporting the file click 'show in folder' (or equivalent) and move the file to somewhere where you can manage it (I put it on my desktop) make a regular file next and move both files from the .ZIP file to your regular file, there should be 2 files in the zip folder regardless of weather you exported to an OBJ or a GLB

in the second screenshot I went into file, import, OBJ (or your equivalent) and then you should be seeing something similar to the third screenshot, in the bottom corner will be your files but I've blocked it out because I have other projects that I want to keep a surprise

after importing the file it wont look like it did in tinker cad so to return it to that state find the symbol in the first screenshot that should be on the bottom right of the screen if you have selected the right file, next scroll down and find the 'normals' tab and tick the box that says 'auto smooth' and you should be left with something like the third screenshot

the 8 highlighted buttons in the first screenshot can be used to modify files, the first button selects objects, the second button isn't important for this but the third button is used to move a selected file, the fourth button is used to rotate a file and the fifth is used to change the size, this file I imported was too large and facing the wrong way so I rotated it and used the scale button while holding shift to shrink it down to the correct size

the first screenshot is highlighting a button that will appear when you select an object, this is how you can change the colours and textures of the file but this gets complicated so I will probably make another tutorial on how to use these, in the future

the second screenshot highlights 4 buttons that change the view of the selected object, if you are trying to make glass or metal textures use the third button, if you're using lights use the fourth button

the first 2 screenshots show my angling and moving the camera to better see the model, to see what the camera sees click the button that is highlighted in the third screenshot and click it again to stop the camera view

to change the settings on the light sources, select the light source you want to edit and click the green light bulb logo highlighted in the second screenshot, you can mess around with the settings like changing the colour of the light or how bright the light is with the power button, the light source I chose was a point light source but sun and spot light sources do the same thing but can also be angled

I have this model, for instance, made in www.TinkerCad.com. It is made up of a bunch of grouped objects. I'd like to be able to back it up by saving it locally, then reimport it and ungroup those objects on the imported model. Is there any way to do this?

Also, if someone else opens up my .obj file in some other tool, like Fusion360 or Solidworks (neither of which I can use right now since I'm on Linux and don't have a license for Solidworks), will they be able to edit the individual components of my model like I did in TinkerCad to build it in the first place? (I think this is NOT possible on .stls, no?--but I don't know about .obj files).

STL and OBJ are formats that define a surface through trigons and a waveform respectively - to make the export work, TinkerCad runs a boolean union operation first. Without this, it would run into the problem of having bad surface geometry - a flaw that happens still when the boolean joining fails properly.

GLB is a container for gITF files and can store file hierarchies as well as cameras and animations. However, even if the structure would allow having all the bodies, TinkerCad does run a boolean union before it.

As a result, you'd have to physically separate parts of the item that are not to be joined from one another as in an explosion diagram. That way the boolean union would result in each part being separated and exporting as separate shells.

If you have an item from TinkerCad that has multiple separate shells, you can open the STL or OBJ in a program like Meshmixer and run a Separate Shells operation. Then you can export the parts from that program as separate files that can be imported into other CAD or 3D-Design software - or sliced directly.

If you have your parts exported and separated, it would be very beneficial to properly CAD them in a program that allows STEP files. For this you'd simply import them into a program and use the 3D Model from TinkerCad as a model to design around.

You can build models directly in Tinkercad, but you also have the option to load already existing models using Import. When you're finished working, use the Export option to save your file outside of Tinkercad.

After you've loaded your file you'll get a second window. Here you can choose if your file loads in using Millimeters or Inches. It is usually suggested to load using Millimeters, as sometimes size anomalies can happen when loading using Inches.

Learn about making solid components and groups. In simple terms every edge in a solid component or group must be shared by exactly two faces. No fewer and no more. That means no stray edges, no holes in surfaces, and no internal faces. Also make sure that the white front faces are out and the blue back sides are in toward the printing material. Faces have no thickness in SketchUp.

If you are fairly sure you will get Pro at a later date, and you want to use solid tools sooner than that, you could get a Sketchup Go subscription for now. That would let you have the extra tools in the web version, and if you have a recent iPad version you could use that as well. When you, hopefully, want to switch to Pro, you pay the difference in price for the remaining time of the subscription you already have. So for example (these are rough numbers not taking into account tax), if you paid $120 now to get Go for the next 12 months, and in 6 months you upgrade to Pro, the Pro subscription would renew 12 months after you started Go, but it would only cost $115 to get Pro for those last 6 months. You still have $60 worth of credit from paying for Go, and the 6 months of Pro would be $175. Hence the difference being $115.

Wow, thank you both, Dave and Colin, for such prompt and detailed replies! I know many young people now (like my kids!) are using Tinkercad on Chromebooks and 3D printing in elementary school, so I imagine there will be an upcoming generation looking for more user-friendly software like SketchUp they can use as they get older. I hope they develop some more sustainable printer filament in the meantime!

I do think, Colin, I may start with the web/iPad paid subscription for a time, as I have an iPad Pro and using the stylus is nice. I hope Trimble continues to support and develop the software for folks who like to 3D print. I know many woodworkers like myself use their printers for a lot of jig and tool making.

I know many young people now (like my kids!) are using Tinkercad on Chromebooks and 3D printing in elementary school, so I imagine there will be an upcoming generation looking for more user-friendly software like SketchUp they can use as they get older.

There is also a SketchUp for Schools web version. A lot of schools are using it and having their kids model for 3D printing. I have several school teachers as students who use SketchUp with their students.

Hello, I have such a problem. When I created a pyramid model in Rhino, it fell apart in Tinkercad. I am sending the model in an attachment. Does anyone know how to fix this? Thank you very much

Rhino 5, Win10

Thank you.

Say for example I have 2 cubes attached together on one face. I want each a different color and want to print this in Prusa. So far, I learned I would need to expert each cube separately. That is silly. There must be a better way, no?

When I import any of these files in Slicer 2.3.1 x64 on Mac OS X (in i3 MKS+ MMU2s mode), they open as a single color object. If I right click on the object name on the right side of the screen, SPLIT TO PARTS is shaded out.

Thanks for the zip file. The reason you cant split it is that Tinkercad is exporting it as a single shell. Its not 2 cubes, its one big cuboid. Both of the stl versions you included are identical. Same with the obj file. Its a single object.

I don't use Tinkercad and don't want an account so unfortunately I'm not going to be looking at the app but from a quick google search it looks like the most used option is to export separate stl files. Arranging them again in PS for almost any model except your simple demo would be a real pain in the rear. Not worth the effort. If the objects dont touch then you could export them and use other software to separate them afterwards. Something like Meshmixer or Blender. If they touch though it looks like Tinkercad just merges them and so doing that would be problematic too. Even that though seems like a lot of effort.

Would be easier to model stuff in some software that actually will export as separate shells (like Blender can) and then use the split to parts in PS which will keep the positioning and then just assign extruders to the parts as normal.

In my case, when 3D objects are imported, they lose their core patterns. Object was created in Tinkercad.

For example, if you create a transparent 3D object and import it into Cospaces, it will not be transparent.

Is there any way around this? Thank you tinkercad795591 90.8 KB

TinkerCAD is an online tool that gives users the opportunity to design custom 3D models, for free! These designs can then be exported for 3D printing. Unlike other CAD programs, TinkerCAD is very easy to learn and uses a simple three-step design process. Tinkercad uses a simplified constructive solid geometry method of constructing models. A design is made up of primitive shapes that are either "solid" or "hole". Combining solids and holes together, new shapes can be created, which in turn can be assigned the property of solid or hole.

3a8082e126