Update Non-Printed 3D Printed Projects

 This slideshow has been updated with additional activities to focus on 3D Printing activities that don't involve 3D Printing as the final output.   All of the activities that are listed are described in full on this blog at some point.

Motion: VR/AR + Chat GPT

Tinkercad  and its design platform is constantly evolving and changing and during that time the students are constantly finding ways to develop the skills and ideas.   One of the best activities that we have found has been the process by which we've taken images created using Tinkercad and found ways to display or develop them other than the traditional way in which we would present the creation.

The digital image that is available from a Tinkercad screenshot is something that we've already taken the image with and applied it in different context.  One of the best ways that we've done this has been the application of filters to the image.

It will also be possible to use Chat GPT to alter the image as well.

In the example shown left the Tinkercad design has been uploaded into Chat GPT.  With it we have used the screenshot above.  The prompt to that was with the description was to explain how the design work and also how the design might be improved.  The language that has come with the design is something that the student will investigate to see how it compares to the language they might use.

The explanation of how the design works likewise could be compared to its intended purpose.  There is range of generic information that has been created by the process which is included at the base of the design - but it does have a range of suggestions for the student on how they might improve the design.

Again the purpose of this is to consider how we might create a virtual image, how we might test it and develop it to ensure that it is workable and then ultimately what we might consider for the purposes of publishing.

As we have demonstrated in the past visual apps such as Pic Collage have the ability to take the image and manipulate it in a range of settings and motions.   This image shown left is the same basic Tinkercad image which has then had a 'starry night' filter applied to it.

There are a significant number of examples of this process which are featured on this blog - you can view the examples by using the search bar or clicking on some of the links such as this summary post here.

3D Printed Prize Giving Trophy Repair

 

Challenge: To repair a thirty year old school trophy.

Background: We are always looking for opportunities to have our students solve problems or involve themselves in practical related activities - such in this instance this trophy.

The trophy is awarded in the sport of Netball - the trophy has an engagement plate on the back which has been awarded for thirty years.   Despite its sheen and appearance the figure that is on the top of the trophy is plastic - which has had a coating applied to it to make it appear different.   When examined in detail it has been repaired at the base of the players feet already several times.

Netball in itself produces a challenge - Netball is something of a niche sport.   We have been searching for a Netball figure that is available as an .stl file and are currently unable to locate one.   This has meant that the students have experimented with using other figures or concentrating on really generic figures.   We are specifically looking at mounting something on the top of the trophy in the middle, at the highest point.   As a classroom challenge this is something the whole class could easily get involved with.   While the output of the project is a single print.

The montage left shows a design that has then been AR/VR into place using the Tinkercad App (this feature is available to iPad users, not browser users of the Tinkercad online page.

The design left was created by a pair of nine year olds from our classroom in one ten minutes session.  Once they had completed the basic design they then took the original trophy and experimented with background so they could successfully AR/VR the design.

The filers from Pic Collage were then applied to a screenshot from the Tinkercad AR/VR to show the different affects that might be possible with the design.   Not all of the filters were successful as some have a tendency to overwhelm the designs.   The next step with the process for the entire class is to refine their original designs.

The audience for this task is exceedingly important.  We have created a range of trophies in the past.  This year we have already created various trophies and awards and we also have last years exemplar masterclass project which is available to be viewed here.

In the design left students worked on something that looked like it might fit based on size and then once this proved viable or not were intending to expand the process to include more detail.   

The person who commissioned the project is going to review all of the designs and from there select three or four of the designs that they feel meets the brief of the project the best.  Once these have been identified they are going to be printed and then the physical designs will be evaluated and looking at selecting one or two as final projects.  An important aspect of the success of this project is the colour matching - that will be finding a spray painting colour that matches the shine and the appearance of the original design.   

3D Printed Junior Movement Challenge: Early Versions

 

Challenge: Students to design a print that has moveable parts.

Background: This task is one that the classroom is working on at the moment - with the challenge to ensure that their print has at least part that allows motion or movement.  This has been something of an open challenge in that we've given the students the brief and then asked them to create something as a response to the design.   

There were a variety of designs that were created by the students - one of the important aspects of this task was to ensure that students shared their ideas and creations so that they could encourage each other and bounce ideas from one another.   Another important aspect is the testing process - this is usually not done with physical printing of the objects by projecting and using the Tinkercad Apps iPad ability.

An example of this process is shown left.  This print has been projected  oversized and then rotated by the student to see if the print was viable.   The student chose to project it onto the concrete area of our school.   

This as we have mentioned many times before is a technique to allow the students to produce an output from a lesson without the need to have a physical 3D Print that would be challenging to complete for every student.

Resources Used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu H2D, Silver PLA, Bambu P1S, Orange PLA (for the internal cogs).

Level of Difficulty: Medium - however this is potentially going to become more advanced (see below).  This was a completed independently by a nine year old student working with six months experience the teacher did not have any input into the process at any point.

Size: The print came in a number of sections.  The boxing for the main container for the print was a square that was 130mm wide.  It was 50mm high.  The print had a width of 5mm on the outside.  The inside of print had the main column that was 80mm tall and 20mm wide.  The cogs had a diameter of 80mm.   The intention was always to have a variety of cogs that were in the middle of the design.   

Cost/Price: The print was significant.  It used 150g of PLA to complete the print.   It had a price point (cost) of $3.00 to complete this print.

Timeframe:  To complete the print the printer ran for five and a half hours.   This was completed on the H2D Printer.   This was completed with standard settings and regular infill (which is twenty percent).

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: This print is intended as a gateway print.  By printing this print early it is intended to consider for the class what else might be developed.  An obvious feature of this print would be what could be placed onto the main column and some variation of different objects and shapes.

There is some discussion need around the purpose of this print relative to its size.  Students have already considered a version that potentially by its design could be suitable for a cat toy or a small child.   However the students need to investigate the PLA and consider what might happen based on the potential outcome of the print.

3D Printed Junior Challenge: AR/VR Movement

 

This is the companion post to the challenge involving movement from the end of last week, the first physical examples of which are posted on this blog here.

As we have stated a number of times on this blog we are essentially trying to run the entire output of our classroom this year off a single printer.   This produces a challenge for the teacher that the students cannot all physically have their prints produced at one go, and also need to test the viability of their prints and designs.   The way that we do this varies but chiefly we use the AR/VR Tinkercad App feature to project, rotate and size the designs.   When doing so it tends to be very obvious if there are any flaws in the students designs and they can also have fun with how they approach their prints thinking about innovative ways to display them or have them interacting with the environment.

In the example top left a attempt to produce a small dog toy has been oversized and placed on the ramp outside of the classroom.   In the second example shown left a design was placed under a running tap to create an illusion suggested by the running water.

In both instances the students came up with the concept and ideas independently (they are eight and nine year olds) and then projected the image in place with their iPads and used the Tinkercad app to do so.

There are a range of pictures that have been produced with this activity - we are going to take a wide selection of them and put them on the Facebook page that is associated with this blog.  You can locate that by clicking on the link here.

3D Printed Glow-In-the-dark Earrings

 

Challenge: For students to produce an original part of earrings.  

Background: This has been a staple design idea from our students - the size of the prints have meant that its something we've been able to produce in details with volume (such as a class set).  Its featured many times over the years from Market Day projects combining both the 3D Printers and the laser printing.

If you want to see a slideshow with an overview of the entire process and a summary of our projects related to this topic you can click on the link here.  In addition as always there is a search bar on the top right hand corner of the blog - this has the keywords for each of our posts or projects which include the keyword 'earring'.

The decision to print the earrings in glow-in-the-dark was made to pop the designs.   The student concentrated on a single design and then duplicated the design when it was completed.  

Resources uses to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, glow-in-the-dark, Bambu H2D.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - as always this task has elements that makes it appear somewhat simplistic but this is not always the case.  As this was tasked as students to be original the students needed to come up with an original idea that would work and have a high recognition factor - the ice cream idea certainly ticked those boxes for the student.   

Size: Each of the prints from this project measures 45mm across at the front and are 50mm high.   The print is 5mm wide.  The ice creams are 40mm in length height wise.   

Cost/Price: The pair of earrings used 18g of PLA to complete the print.  Using the calculations from Bambu Studios the print had a price point of $0.35 for the pair.

Timeframe: To complete this print the printer took 41 minutes to complete both.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: There are a couple of obvious issues with the prints as they stand.  You can see clearly the hole that is visible in the Tinkercad design (the first image) did not translate into an actual hole in the finished print (essentially it was too small and as a result did not register as part of the process).   The two shapes on the side by the ice cream are a little random and the student will evaluate how to wear them.   The print should be robust enough for a hole to be drilled through the design.

3D Printed Junior Challenge: Movement

Challenge: Students had to design a print that was practical (had a size limit of 100mm) and for success criteria had to have movement.
 

Background: This was given as a an open challenge to the students.  We used several examples of interlocking designs that are available online and gave the key criteria that the students designs had to have a moveable part.   The cogs that are shown in the design were sourced from the Tinkercad main interface.  When your students are on the design page there is a drop down search category of a range of items in the shapes library.   There is a range of items that you can bring instantly into your students design -  that are classed as 'hardware'.'   In this instance we wanted to allow the students to focus on the engineering challenge rather than the design.

If we had more time available potentially we could have had the students use a range of tools to develop these shapes as well as the backing and the other details, however our afternoon block where we allocate time in the classroom tends to be forty minutes or so, so our time is limited and this was produced as a prototype on the first attempt.

We found various online fidgets and wanted to look at ways to recreate this.   The print that was undertaken by the student was a first attempt - we felt that there was a large number of factors that needed to be addressed but the best way to do this was a physical version of the print.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Tinkercad Interface Design: hardware 'cog', Bambu H2D, Silver PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the challenge in this task is based on the engineering of the task.  The design and creation is going to be for the housing for the shape itself and it is anticipated that the student might adapt this design when moving forward.

Size: The print measures at present measures 95mm across at the front and is 105mm high.   The width of the print is currently 10mm.   At present the design features the three cogs however this is going to be adapted depending on the motion that can be achieved with it.

Cost/Price: The print as it stands (shown left in the photograph) uses 15g of PLA to complete the project.  This has a price point of $0.30c.

Timeframe: To complete the print the project took a total time of 45minutes.  There was no rafting or support required for this print.   It was printed as shown.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: This print will require refining - the cogs at the moment in the design are somewhat loose.  They require some additional support or design to hold them in place or allow them to move with motion to complete the success criteria that was assigned to the students.

The student has also considered that it might be extremely effective to complete this print using different coloured PLA as that would have a striking overall affect with the design.