Tinkercad is a free-of-charge, online

3D modeling In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, a ...

program that runs in a web browser. Since it became available in 2011 it has become a popular platform for creating models for

3D printing 3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer co ...

as well as an entry-level introduction to

constructive solid geometry Constructive solid geometry (CSG; formerly called computational binary solid geometry) is a technique used in solid modeling. Constructive solid geometry allows a modeler to create a complex surface or object by using Boolean operators to comb ...

in schools.

History

Tinkercad was founded by former

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

engineer Kai Backman and his cofounder Mikko Mononen, with a goal to make

, especially the design of physical items, accessible to the general public, and allow users to publish their designs under a

Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

license. In 2011, the tinkercad.com website was launched as a web-based 3D modeling tool for WebGL-enabled browsers, and in 2012 the company moved its headquarters to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

. By 2012, over 100,000 3D designs had been published by users. In May 2013,

Autodesk Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational software corporation that makes software products and services for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, education, and entertainment industries. Autodesk is headquartere ...

announced at a

Maker Faire Maker Faire is a convention of do it yourself aka-DIY enthusiasts started by '' Make'' magazine in 2006. Participants come from a wide variety of interests, such as robotics, 3D printing, computers, arts and crafts, and hacker culture. History ...

that they would acquire Tinkercad. In March 2017, Autodesk recommended users of the soon-to-be-retired 123D Sculpt migrate to Tinkercad (or Maya LT). In May, Autodesk discontinued its 123D Circuits (Circuits.io) "Electronics Lab". The program's features were merged into Tinkercad.

Concept

Tinkercad uses a simplified

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. In addition to the standard library of primitive shapes, a user can create custom shape generators using a built-in

JavaScript JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language that is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. As of 2022, 98% of websites use JavaScript on the client side for webpage behavior, of ...

editor.

File formats

Shapes can be imported in three formats: STL and OBJ for 3D, and 2-dimensional

SVG Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an XML-based vector image format for defining two-dimensional graphics, having support for interactivity and animation. The SVG specification is an open standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium s ...

shapes for extruding into 3D shapes. Tinkercad exports models in STL or OBJ formats, ready for 3D printing. Tinkercad also includes a feature to export 3D models to

Minecraft ''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before b ...

Java Edition, and also offers the ability to design structures using

Lego Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocki ...

bricks.

Circuits

The Circuits section of Tinkercad is a simulator for an

electronic circuit An electronic circuit is composed of individual electronic components, such as resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes, connected by conductive wires or traces through which electric current can flow. It is a type of electric ...

with a

Arduino Arduino () is an open-source hardware and software company, project, and user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices. Its hardware products are licensed under ...

Uno or a Micro Bit board or a

ATtiny ATtiny (also known as TinyAVR) is a subfamily of the popular 8-bit AVR microcontrollers, which typically has fewer features, fewer I/O pins, and less memory than other AVR series chips. The first members of this family were released in 1999 by A ...

chip in the browser. The code can be made with CodeBlocks which are graphical code pieces that can be put together by shifting them with the mouse cursor. Programming with code text is also possible.

Digi-Key Digi-Key is a privately held American company that distributes electronic components. Headquartered in Thief River Falls in the U.S. state of Minnesota, the company is the fourth largest electronic component distributor in North America and the ...

wrote an article in 2022 about Tinkercad how to start with Tinkercad. They call Tinkercad "intuitive". A circuit can be built with components, but there are "Starters" which are complete circuits with code. Tinkercad has included libraries for some components, such as the Adafruit Neopixel library, the Arduino Servo library and a library for a I2C display. It is not possible to select or upload other libraries. The circuit can have analog components which are fully simulated. Although Tinkercad is an easy introduction into programming and electronics, it has features for advanced users: # Multiple boards can be simulated at the same time. For example, two Arduino boards communicating with each other. # The analog circuit can be very complex.

References

External links