Tinker Cad

Today we messed around in Tinker Cad and created little creepy creatures in 3D! As someone who always thought that 3D was a little unapproachable, I think this software broke it down into digestible chunks. I could see this being super useful to explore 3D modeling, AR, and 3D printing. I think the key of this topic is tying it to real world uses. 3D as a concept is something that is very applicable to a wide range of deliverables, but the initial act of creating a doo dad is a somewhat scary. I think it might be because most of the times 3D is thrown around, people mention coding as an element as well.

Some cool real world 3D use cases to introduce to students could be:

• Fidget Toys

• Game Development

• Medical Industry - Detailed models of organs & prosthetics

• Animation

• Architecture

• Reconstruction & Restoration of Artwork/Buildings

Lesson Ideas:

• Fidget Toy - Exploring hinges and interactive elements in printing

• Desk Pet - Small Creature for your desk - to be finished with paint

• Miniatures!!! - Creating small versions of items/places/buildings that we see everyday

• Everyday Solutions - Think of a solution to an everyday problem that you face. Can you find a way to solve this problem with 3D printing? Maybe it is a spoon rest, a cell phone holder, a back scratcher, a SD card holder, or a snooze button presser.

• Cross Disciplinary - Using one of your academic classes as inspiration, create a 3D model to print. Maybe you could create a topographic map of a region you are studying or a model of plants or cells you have been exploring in biology.