Chapter 2
Introducing Tinkercad

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Locating the Tinkercad website
• Setting up a Tinkercad account
• Starting a new Tinkercad 3D design

In this chapter, I introduce you to Tinkercad, the entry-level, cloud-based 3D design
application from Auto desk. I also show you how to navigate to the Tinkercad website so that
you can set up your own Tinkercad account and start your own Tinkercad design.

Visiting the Tinkercad Website

Tinkercad is really easy to find on the Internet. Simply head on over to www.tinkercad.com.
The homepage, shown in Figure 2-1, is extremely colorful, and so is the Tinkercad logo.

Credit: Auto desk, Inc.
FIGURE 2-1: The Tinkercad homepage.

As it says on the web page, Tinkercad is a simple, online 3D design and 3D printing app for
everyone. Tinkercad is used by designers, hobbyists, teachers, and kids to make toys,
prototypes, home decor, Mine craft models, jewelry, and more — the list is truly endless!
If you want to see some examples of amazing 3D designs created by the Tinkercad
community, click on the Gallery link at the top of the Tinkercad homepage.
On the web page, you see loads of information about how Tinkercad works, the things you
can do with it, and a number of how-to videos. It also contains links to some website
locations, such as the Gallery, Features, and the Tinkercad Blog. The blog articles are really
interesting and also give you all the latest Tinkercad news.

Creating a Tinkercad Account

When you sign up for a Tinkercad account, the login you create becomes your Auto desk ID,
too, which means you can use the same login everywhere on all of the Auto desk websites.
This is especially useful if you’re using other Auto desk applications, such as Auto CAD or
Inventor, because it gives you an identity on the Auto desk user forums
(http://forums.autodesk.com) and on the Auto desk Knowledge Network, or AKN for short
(http://knowledge.autodesk.com).
To create a Tinkercad account:
1. Click Sign Up on the Tinkercad homepage.
The Create Account dialog box, shown in Figure 2-2, appears.
2. Choose your country from the drop-down list.
In my case, that would be the United Kingdom. Yours may be different, such as the United
States. The default country is the United States. That’s purely because Auto desk is an American
company, with its headquarters in San Francisco, California.
3. Enter your birthday.
No, there’s no big party or cake (sadly), but you have to put in your birthday so that Auto desk
knows whether you’re a child or an adult. Tinkercad is used by adults and children alike, and
purely for precautionary purposes, they need to know your age.
4. Click the Next button.
The next Create Account dialog box, shown in Figure 2-3, appears.
5. Add your email address and a password, accept the Tinkercad terms of
service, and click Create Account.
The confirmation screen shown in Figure 2-4 appears. The confirmation screen shows you that
your Tinkercad account has been created. It also tells you that your Auto desk ID gives you
access to many other Auto desk cloud-based products, including Auto CAD 360, A360, Fusion
360, and many others.
6. If you want to receive email communication from Auto desk, select the
permissions box and then click Done.
A confirmation email is sent to the email you provided. And that’s it! You now have a Tinkercad
account. Also, upon signing up you are automatically logged in to Tinkercad, too.

FIGURE 2-2: The initial signup page for Tinkercad.

FIGURE 2-3: The email and password screen as you set up your Auto desk ID to use your Tinkercad account.

FIGURE 2-4: The confirmation screen for Tinkercad.

Logging in to Your New Account

To log in to Tinkercad:
1. Click Sign In on the Tinkercad home page.
You see the dialog box shown in Figure 2-5.
2. Type the email or username and click Next.
3. In the next dialog box, shown in Figure 2-6, type your password and click Sign
In.
4. (Optional) Check the option to stay signed in.
As with all Internet-related accounts, please ensure that you check this option if you’re on a
computer that only you use. You don’t want anyone stealing your incredible Tinkercad designs
or accessing your personal details.
You now see your Tinkercad account.

FIGURE 2-5: The sign-in page for Tinkercad using your newly created Auto desk ID.

FIGURE 2-6: The second sign-in page dialog box.

If you’re logging in to Tinkercad for the first time, a set of simple training exercises
kicks in. It is recommended that you make sure that you work your way through them to
get a basic understanding of some of the simple tools and workflows in Tinkercad.

Launching a New Tinkercad Design

When you set up a new Tinkercad design, it will be a blank design initially, but you’ll add to it
as you go. You can even sign out of Tinkercad and return to finish it later.

When you log in to Tinkercad, your Tinkercad profile is top left, along with a profile picture if
you set one up. (If not, you can go to your Tinkercad account settings to add one, if you want.)
If you’ve created any Tinkercad designs, you see them as well (see Figure 2-7).

FIGURE 2-7: The opening Tinkercad screen upon logging in.
To get to the screen in Figure 2-7, you can click on the colorful Tinkercad logo. You don’t
have to log in and out to see it. Also, bear in mind that you won’t have any Tinkercad designs
showing as you haven’t designed anything yet!
To create a new design:

1. Click the Create new design button.
A new design that is all set up and ready to go appears. Tinkercad gives each new design a
weird and wacky new design name, some of which can be fun, but you’ll want to change the
design name so that it’s relevant.
2. Name your new design by clicking on the name, typing the new name, and
pressing Enter.
Your new name appears in the top-left corner of the screen, as shown in Figure 2-8. I named my
design Grand Rottis-Duup (see Figure 2-9).

FIGURE 2-8: A new Tinkercad design ready to go, with its weird and wacky design name.

FIGURE 2-9: My new Tinkercad design name.