Core Object Manipulation
These are the two types of basic shapes—one you keep, one you use to cut—that every design is built from.
What are Solid and Hole?
DEMO: Place a box and a cylinder on the workspace.
This is the default unit of measurement in Tinkercad that is required for accurate 3D printing preparation.
What are Millimeters (mm)?
DEMO: Go to Edit Grid and confirm the units are set to Millimeters.
This tool is used to precisely measure and define the length, width, and height of an object on the workplane.
What is the Ruler tool?
DEMO: Place the Ruler tool on the workplane and use it to check the dimensions of a placed shape.
This tool is used place two objects a precise distance from each other?
What is the ruler?
DEMO: Use the Ruler tool to place two boxes place them 5mm apart.
This is the tool for merging multiple selected objects into a single unit.
What is the group tool?
DEMO: Place a box and a star, group them, then ungroup them.
This setting is changed to control the small distance an object moves when you use the arrow keys to nudge it.
What is the Snap Grid setting?
DEMO: Change the Snap Grid setting from 1.0 mm to .25mm and demonstrate a nudge.
This tool is essential for accurately placing an object on a slanted, vertical, or non-horizontal face of another object.
What is the Workplane tool?
DEMO: Create the letter D for design and decorate the inside straight edge of the D with round dots.
This is the result of using the keyboard shortcut 'D' (Drop) on a selected object.
What is it drops the selected object to the Workplane?
DEMO: Lift an object high in the air and press 'D' to drop it.
This is the common key you must hold while clicking to select multiple non-touching objects at once.
What is the Shift Key?
DEMO: Select multipe objects simultaneously using the Shift key.
This is the name of the button that instantly returns your camera view to the initial, standard, isometric starting position.
What is Home View?
DEMO: Orbit the camera into a confusing view, then click Home View to reset it.
This tool is used to create a flipped copy of an object across one of its three axes.
What is the Mirror tool?
DEMO: Create the text '67' and mirror it across the vertical axis.
This is the function that allows you to make a copy of a shape, move it slightly, rotate it, and then press the shortcut repeatedly to create a pattern.
What is Duplicate and Repeat Ctrl+D?
DEMO: Use Ctrl+D to duplicate a shape, move it and rotate it, and then press Ctrl+D repeatedly to create a pattern.
When two or more objects are grouped, this is what determines the final single color of the new grouped object.
What is the color of the first object selected (or the lead object)?
DEMO: Group a red object and a blue object, then change the grouped color to yellow.
This universal file format is used when exporting a finished design from Tinkercad to be sliced and printed on a 3D printer.
What is .STL (Stereolithography)?
DEMO: Click the Export button and select the correct file type.
This tool allows you to use your mouse to draw a unique, free-form shape that is immediately converted into a 3D object.
What is the Scribble tool?
DEMO: Use the Scribble tool to draw a simple letter, and then complete it.
This keyboard key is pressed to temporarily view the inner details of a complex solid object without actually ungrouping it.
What is the T Key?
DEMO: Select a solid object and press 'T' to toggle its Transparency.
This is the most reliable way to align the centers of two different shapes on the workplane?
What is the Align tool?
DEMO: Select two objects and use the Align tool to center all of them.
Besides the units, this is the other key property you can change when you click on the Edit Grid function.
What is the Workplane size (width and height)?
DEMO: Use the Edit Grid function to change the workplane size to a custom dimension (e.g., 180mm x 180mm).
This is what you must do to the rotation handles on an object to allow you to make precise rotation adjustments (e.g., 5 degrees instead of 22.5).
What is drag the handle outside the circle?
DEMO: Select an object, click a rotation handle, and drag the mouse outside the circular protractor to demonstrate fine rotation.
This key must be held down while dragging a corner handle of a shape to ensure the object scales up or down proportionally in all three dimensions.
What is the Shift Key?
DEMO: Scale a shape uniformly using the corner handle and the Shift key modifier.