Free 3D Modeling Software - 3D Printing: Build your Own 3D Printer and Print your own 3D Objects - page 103

Tinkercad to be very friendly and non-overwhelming when it comes to buttons
and features. And I am slowly but surely learning my way around another free
AutoDesk application called 123D Create ( 123dapp.com ) and anticipate moving
over to it completely as soon as my skills have increased and I find myself able to
create more advanced models.
So, let's take a look at Tinkercad. Its name is a play on the famous toy for children,
Tinker Toys, which lets kids build more complex objects by attaching simple
shapes (like circles and round beams) together. You'll find that Tinkercad takes
that same concept and applies it to creating 3D objects.
Examining Tinkercad
For my discussion on Tinkercad, I've taken screenshots from the Chrome web
browser. As you can see in Figure 6.2 , when you first visit tinkercad.com , you're
given a chance to create a user account. It's free to create an account and abso-
lutely required to use the tool, so go ahead and create one if you want to follow
along.
Figure 6.2 Create a free account to start using Tinkercad.
In Figure 6.2 , notice the unusual 3D object displayed on the right. I'm hoping that
single image gives you an idea of the power of Tinkercad. Someone has modeled
(drawn) a circuit board that will be protected by a shell consisting of an upper and