Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

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Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by ge_rik » Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:07 pm

It sounds like quite a few people are discovering the delights of creating their own drawings using TinkerCAD, so I thought it might be useful to create a thread focusing on TinkerCAD.

To start it off, here's a link to the tutorial on my blog showing how to draw an open wagon. There's also an index at the end providing short cuts to various techniques. I hope it's useful.

https://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2020/1 ... -with.html

Please add any other techniques you discover to this thread, so we can build up a reference library.

Rik
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How to align a ruler with the edge or corner of a shape

Post by ge_rik » Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:24 pm

1. Position the ruler roughly near the shape

2. Click on the shape to select it. It will then show two dimensions indicating how far away the shape is from the ruler
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3. Click on each of the dimension boxes and change the dimension to zero
2021-01-10-13-20-23.jpg
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The ruler will then be positioned exactly over the corner of the shape

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:32 pm

Hi Rik,


I found your blog before you started this thread. I have tried to make a gate, but I am having a lot of problems with the two horizontal bars at the top and bottom of the gate. For the life of me I just can't get them to go onto the rest of the build. Any help would be very much appreciated.


FlashForge Gate-3.stl

I hope I have put this on ok....

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by -steves- » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:48 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:32 pm Hi Rik,


I found your blog before you started this thread. I have tried to make a gate, but I am having a lot of problems with the two horizontal bars at the top and bottom of the gate. For the life of me I just can't get them to go onto the rest of the build. Any help would be very much appreciated.


FlashForge Gate-3.stl

I hope I have put this on ok....
Hi Rod

Have you found the group button? It is what makes lots of small things into one larger item or items? You can always ungroup if you need to, but be careful as it may not go back together again in the same order and therefore change what is there in an unexpected way. Ask me how I know! :oops:

Also I think you need to upload the stl file under the shared area as it doesn't work in here, by design.
The buck stops here .......

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by BorisSpencer » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:45 pm

Another "tip" is to save components as your own shape, and build your own library of commonly used objects like bolt heads, lengths of strapping etc.

You'll find it under the shapes menu at the bottom, and is pretty intuitive to use.

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by ge_rik » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:10 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:32 pm Hi Rik,


I found your blog before you started this thread. I have tried to make a gate, but I am having a lot of problems with the two horizontal bars at the top and bottom of the gate. For the life of me I just can't get them to go onto the rest of the build. Any help would be very much appreciated.


FlashForge Gate-3.stl

I hope I have put this on ok....
Hi Rod
As Steve has said. To join shapes use the 'Group' button. They can be ungrouped later if you need to make a change.

Firstly, make sure the shapes you want to join are touching or overlapping
Tinkergate1.jpg
Tinkergate1.jpg (107.81 KiB) Viewed 11679 times

Then select all the items you want to join together - either by dragging the red dotty box over them or by clicking on the first shape, then holding down shift and clicking on the next shape(s) - ie shift-clicking
Tinkergate2.jpg
Tinkergate2.jpg (119.28 KiB) Viewed 11679 times

Then click on the "Group" button. Notice that the Shape Properties pop-up is showing three shapes have been selected.
Tinkergate3.jpg
Tinkergate3.jpg (62.8 KiB) Viewed 11679 times

After a few seconds the shapes will become joined together. You can see that there are now no longer any lines where the shapes overlapped and the object has become a single uniform colour
Tinkergate4.jpg
Tinkergate4.jpg (96.38 KiB) Viewed 11679 times

I hope that answers your question.

Rik
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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by ge_rik » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:12 pm

BorisSpencer wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:45 pm Another "tip" is to save components as your own shape, and build your own library of commonly used objects like bolt heads, lengths of strapping etc.

You'll find it under the shapes menu at the bottom, and is pretty intuitive to use.
That's handy. thanks
I hadn't spotted that.

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:16 pm

Will have a go at the suggestions guys. Thank you. I may be getting back to you sooner than later.... :lol :lol

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:51 am

Ok, I have made an hinge. How do I save it to the shapes collections. I have tried to move it and it disappears underneath the box.... :dontknow: :lol: :lol:

It took me almost an hour to do this, blooming heck I hope I get quicker at some point...
:lol :lol :lol

366F3F2B-6211-4497-984C-E29D14C52FD2.png
366F3F2B-6211-4497-984C-E29D14C52FD2.png (2.25 MiB) Viewed 11634 times

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by -steves- » Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:58 am

FWLR wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:51 am Ok, I have made an hinge. How do I save it to the shapes collections. I have tried to move it and it disappears underneath the box.... :dontknow: :lol: :lol:

It took me almost an hour to do this, blooming heck I hope I get quicker at some point...
:lol :lol :lol


366F3F2B-6211-4497-984C-E29D14C52FD2.png
Highlight it all with the red lines by click and drag, you are in the right place there, then just click create shape. Make sure it is all grouped first though. :thumbup:
The buck stops here .......

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:09 am

Done it Steve thank you. :thankyouyellow

Although there is something else on it just below the hinge. Not got a clue how it got there.... :dontknow:

Also, can I now mirror the part I have done and save that also separately, so there is a left and right hinge. It can :?:

It can be re-scaled.

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:14 am

I have mirrored them, right, left, top right and top left.

Are these just for me or can anyone use them. I want anyone to use them, so I hope so.

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:17 am

Just had a flipping flash, I forgot to put the rivets on the longer part of the hinge...... :sign6:

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by philipy » Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:19 am

FWLR wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:14 am
Are these just for me or can anyone use them. I want anyone to use them, so I hope so.
They will be on your computer so are just for you atm.
To make them available you need to export them from Tinkercad as individual stl's ( One combind one won't be much good because not everyone will want to print all of them every time) and then upload them to the 3D Print Files board. But read the instructions at the top of the board first.
Philip

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:00 pm

I have done an hinge for my gate, but it has turned out not that brilliant. The first attempt saw the top diagonal plank snap off. That was due to the fact that I didn't use any supports and the nozzle head hit it. Shows though that the The next one I did with supports and it did print it pretty well. Now though I have found that the hole for the gudgeon pin is pretty thin and flimsy.

How do I make the walls thicker.. :?:

I also thought it would be better if I printed it on one end
16494B7A-2AD2-4949-8476-4BA96AE1664B.png
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It seems I am having the same problem with loading more than two photos.

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:06 pm

It came out so much better with supports.
A7622F06-5DBC-4393-9046-D2A58C22D2F5.png
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It was much better now. Shows that sometimes you do need to have supports. Though I think I would print it as is seen fitted to a gate post, it would be a lot better I think.

Yes it differently won't load more than two photos. It isn't a problem mind....

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by BorisSpencer » Thu Jan 28, 2021 4:22 pm

Not only can you import STL files into TinkerCad, but also SVG files.

SVG files are Scaleable Vector Graphic files, 2 dimensional drawings (but not bitmaps). There are various free tools available to produce drawings in this format the easiest I've found is a web based product - https://boxy-svg.com/

This is a much easier way to produce lettering, as there are far more fonts available, and also complex 2 dimensional shapes - currently I'm working on some wrought iron fencing. There's a bit of a learning curve, making sure everything is a path, but once saved and imported onto TinkerCad it is simply given a arbitrary depth.

Treat this as a teaser to inspire your own adventure of discovery. If I get a chance I'll try and produce a Rik-style walkthrough example (but don't hold your breath).

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by ge_rik » Thu Jan 28, 2021 6:06 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:06 pm Yes it differently won't load more than two photos. It isn't a problem mind....
That's to try and encourage you to use the photo merge tool to put all four photos into one file, Rod ....
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13208

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by FWLR » Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:30 pm

Yes I did didn't I Rik. :scratch:

Don't confuse me mate, it's hard enough thinking about what I did 5 minutes ago... :lol :lol :lol :lol

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Re: Using TinkerCAD to produce drawings for 3-D Printing

Post by philipy » Sun Dec 18, 2022 1:45 pm

Well, for several reasons I've been thinking about moving away from Sketchup. I've had two goes at Fusion 360, yesterday and this morning, with no more success than I had a year or so ago, so I thought I'd try yet again with Tinkercad.

I have spent 2 hours this morning and another 3/4 hour just now, following your excellent Blog tutorial for the Southwold open. So far I have managed to produce the 5 planks and the backing sheet without too much trouble, but that's as far as I can get. I just can't get them to align properly either vertically nor horizontally. :dontknow:
How you and Steve can get to produce the amazing stuff that you do, I simply can't comprehend. I'm not asking for help and advice because if I can't do something this apparently simple then anything more complex is out of the question. I'm just expressing my admiration for you two! :lol:
Philip

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