Tinkercad is a free-of-charge, online

3D modeling In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based Computer representation of surfaces, representation of a surface of an object (inanimate or living) in Three-dimensional space, three dimensions vi ...

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 ...

as well as an entry-level introduction to constructive solid geometry in schools.

History

Tinkercad was founded by former

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

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 WebGL (short for Web Graphics Library) is a JavaScript Application programming interface, API for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-in (computing), plug-ins. WebGL is fully integra ...

-enabled browsers, and in 2012 the company moved its headquarters to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. 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 provides software products and services for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, education, and entertainment industries. Autodesk is headquarte ...

announced at a

Maker Faire Maker Faire is a convention of do it yourself (DIY) enthusiasts established 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. Hist ...

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 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 JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language and core technology of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. Ninety-nine percent of websites use JavaScript on the client side for webpage behavior. Web browsers have ...

editor.

File formats

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 ''Minecraft'' is a 2011 sandbox game developed and published by the Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios. Originally created by Markus Persson, Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java (programming language), Java programming language, the ...

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

Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...

bricks. Tinkercad also has the option to test designs in "sim lab" using axle, motor, joint, and slider connectors, and simulates gravity.

Circuits

Tinkercad's Circuits section is a browser-based

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

simulator that supports

Arduino Uno The Arduino Uno is a series of open-source Single-board microcontroller, microcontroller board based on a diverse range of Microcontroller, microcontrollers (MCU). It was initially developed and released by Arduino company in 2010. The Single-bo ...

microcontrollers, Micro:bit boards, or ATtiny chips. Code can be created using graphical CodeBlocks, pieces of code that can be easily arranged with the mouse, or text-based code.

Digi-Key DigiKey Corporation (formerly written as Digi-Key) is an American electronic components distributor. The company was founded in 1972 by Ronald Stordahl. DigiKey is the fourth largest electronic component distributor in North America and the fif ...

praised Tinkercad in a 2022 article for its intuitive and fast tool capabilities, making it ideal for beginners. The program offers pre-built circuits called "Starters" or circuits that can be built using separate components. Tinkercad comes with built-in libraries for popular components, including the Adafruit Neopixel, Arduino Servo, and I2C display libraries. However, custom libraries cannot be selected or uploaded. The simulator also supports analog components that are fully simulated. Despite being an entry-level tool for programming and electronics, Tinkercad offers advanced features such as multi-board simulation and complex analog circuits for experienced users.

References

External links