If there was ever any 3D cad app that could be compared with smooth, silky melted butter, TinkerCAD would be the one. If you’ve not experienced it yet, you must. You simply must. The web-based, 3D modeling app is out with a new version and it’s just about everything you would want and expect in a easy-to-use 3D modeling app. And from the looks of it, they’ve laid the foundation for 3D apps to come.
Tinkercad
The first version of Tinkercad was amazing-ing-ing. This one, even more so. The beauty of Tinkercad is, not only that it’s a responsive web-based 3D app, but that it has the basic functionality you would find in other 3D apps. Particularly, how you interact with the geometry. In many ways, it’s better. It’s certainly smoother and more simple, to the point I wonder why other 3D modeling software is so complicated. You have basic shapes and drag & drop movement with ultra-smooth control. The object interaction is beautiful. Each object has control points to adjust size and orientation, plus it snaps and scales with use of the SHIFT key. It’s simple enough for novice modelers with enough to keep the advanced modeler interested.
They have more focus on the 3D print possibilities with the ability to immediately send your model to Shapeways, imaterialise or Ponoko. You also have the option of downloading the .stl to print or modify yourself.
As functional as it is however, there are more features it could use. Things I’d like to see are context menus, geometry modifiers (like fillets, chamfers, etc.), surface controls and export. I have no doubt they are considering features like this and more to delight and surprise our 3D making senses. I’d also be surprised if they make it the rest of the year without being acquired. Definitely, give it a try.
