Tinkercad


Tinkercad is a free, online 3D modeling program that runs in a web browser, known for its simplicity and ease of use. Since it became available in 2011 it has become a popular platform for creating models for 3D printing as well as an entry-level introduction to constructive solid geometry in schools.

History

Tinkercad was founded as a company in 2010 in the European Union by former Google engineer Kai Backman and his cofounder Mikko Mononen, with a goal to make 3D modeling, especially the design of physical items, accessible to the general public, and allow users to publish their designs under a Creative Commons 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. By 2012 over 100,000 3D designs had been published by users.
In May 2013, Autodesk announced at a Maker Faire that they would acquire Tinkercad.
In May 2017, Autodesk discontinued its 123D Circuits "Electronics Lab" feature and merged it into Tinkercad.

Concept

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. In addition to the standard library of primitive shapes, a user can create custom shape generators using a built-in JavaScript editor.
Shapes can be imported in three formats: STL and OBJ for 3D, and 2-dimensional SVG 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 Java Edition, and also offers the ability to design structures using Lego bricks.