Refining our AR/VR Tinkercad Designs

 

Yesterday we started experimenting with our iPads and the #Tinkercad App putting together a raft of original designs and then combing it with the #piccollage 

Yesterdays emphasis was on explaining the process and giving the students a short space of time to complete a design and then project it, and cross app it.   

Today the emphasis was on thinking about locations where the object looks like it might fit - and students had the experience from yesterday.   An early example as shown left was the orange, the student from the day before had noted that there was a kitchen play area set up in a junior classroom.   The student felt that if they created food then they would be able to place it in the location and it would fit in well with what was intended.   

The last step was to take the design and turn it into something of an art project - in this example the free (limited to three per day with the standard app) was applied via Pic Collage in this case a 'Japanese Cherry Blossom' filter.   In this instance the students were able to compare the original photograph with its altered AR/VR variation.   The process took about thirty to forty seconds to complete.

The student was then able to look at the design and think about how they might adapt it, how they might stage it and how different that it could look.

One of the tasks that we have completed in the past has been summarised via a series of posts in October in 2025.    We choose s series of objects to hide in a stage setting or creation.

In this example shown left the student used the 'donut creation' from earlier in our class   The student had been familiar with this print and decided to include it in a staging by putting it into a lunchbox situation.

This task was created at speed - the student in theory could spend additional time refining her design and considering the 'decorations' and making it look more real (and for instance could have altered the picture to reduce the glare, if for instance it was in black and white spotting it would be challenging) however the student was extremely pleased with the result.

We have a large numbers of photographs in this series of prints - which have been posted in more detail on our 3DPrintSchoolNZ Facebook pagae.

Tinkercad App as an AR/VR Tool Juniors

 

No seperate green screen app or indeed special location is required - students with their iPads and the Tinkercad App are able to take their iPad to any location and then project the Tinkercad design or image into a location and increase its scale dramatically.

These examples for the junior school students were tasters - we had a total of ten minutes for the students to work their virtual creations into an actual picture at some location around our school.   The elephant shown left is available using the search bar from Tinkercad and then can be easily transmitted into the AR/VR situation.

In the example left the super sized 'king' frog (of course the crown was added quickly as a little nice touch) can be seen cleverly to scale by the one story building that is bottom right hand corner with the two students standing next to it to give it scale.

All the designs can have their colour changed using the app, including either entire colour or partial colour changes.   We have thought about using this as a writing prompt for students or thinking about other locations that this might be suitable to wow or amaze people with.

In the example shown left the students have stretched themselves with the location here.   They have used a window from the school playground and then projected the image into this location.

To complete this activity students require the Tinkercad app and an iPad.   There is no additional material or equipment required.

You can view additional examples from our students by using the keyword search AR/VR in the 'search' tab in the top right hand corner of this blog.

Using TInkercad to create virtual Christmas Tree

 

This task took several different stages and was completed during a block of work, just over one hour, in the classroom with the class of Y3/4 (seven and eight year old students).   This task was not considered as a 3D Print project, it was completed with the intention that the AR/VR being the final stage.

Stage One: Tinkercad: Tree Design

The students used their iPads and the Tinkercad App to create a unique Christmas Tree.   The students had to do this from the start using the main design interface.   This proved to be something of a challenge however the students were able to overcome this by using the scribble feature.   This design feature was used to create the first layer of the tree which was then repeated and resized to create the next layer and then so forth to build the tree.  A basic shape was used for the trunk of the tree.

Once this had been completed to the students satisfaction the student then decided to focus on adding the decorations for the tree.   The standard decorations for the tree, baubles are obviously a basic shape.  

 In addition to this the student choose to add some additional features on the tree that would not be expected to be seen which you can see when you view the design.

Stage Two: Tinkercad: AR/VR

One the design was completed the Tinkercad App was used  (in conjunction with the students iPads) to project the tree in different locations around the school.  The students had a series of challenges that needed to be met with the tree in different directions.  For example when the tree was projected onto our school field as shown left this was the 'big' task when the tree was placed somewhere and the size of the tree was intended to be significant.  You can see other examples of this process here on this link.

The next challenge in the series was to place the tree somewhere with the 'small' tag.  This challenged the students to think about composition and where the tree could be placed.  In the example shown left here the students found a wheelbarrow here and placed it in the wheelbarrow so that it allowed some framing for the object.

We had the students take a significant number of photographs but when we came to publishing we identified five photographs that the students felt told the story of the tree and used that for the purpose of publishing.

The tree had to be rotated in different scenes.  As a result of this when the tree was originally designed we made sure the students had rotated the tree a full rotation so we could check that all sides had details and different aspects and viewpoints to it.

In the example shown left the student wanted to put the tree next to another tree as if it looked like a group of trees in a row.   This was another of the checklist criteria that we wanted the students to be able to complete.

While not trying to hide the print as such it was about thinking about where we could locate it.   The process to AR/VR involving Tinkercad is extremely easy for the students to complete independently and can be completed without the need for another App.

The next photo proved challenging to the student where they had the wire fence and wanted to place the tree on the other side of fence.  In essence they attempted to place the design in the garden but couldn't work out a way to address the fence that placed the tree in front or behind of.

Again the design was rotated again by the student and they continued to look for locations around the school where they could place the tree.

Once this was completed and the student had identified the best five photos for this sequence we had a sharing session with the students in the classroom.  The purpose of doing this was to give them feedback about what ideas and creativity the students had developed and allow them to think how they might apply it to themselves.

Potentially this tree activity could have been adapted - we made the students create the tree from scratch, however they are a class of students who have been developing ideas and creations for between six months and two years and are confident problem solvers and creators using Tinkercad.  There are very templates and models of trees available that the students could have used to shorten the process and instead focus on the decorations and the additional features.   We also could have been more descriptive with what the students could have placed or hidden in the tree.

AR/VR Exemplar - TInkercad #tinkercadhunt

 

While this site started as an example of 3D Printing as we have mentioned in the past it has evolved over time to include a range of technology related ideas.

We've primarily used Tinkercad for our design with the students and looked for examples and ideas in ways we can use it or similar programs.   This slideshow below is a range of further examples using the AR/VR button from Tinkercad to create and design objects and then place them into a scene.  This was completed by seven and eight year old students.

Tinkercad -AR/VR #Tinkercadhunt

 

We have recently had a major event at school our Pet and Calf Day.  As part of the day the students from the school create a diorama of a scene, which is created by each of the senior students at Auroa Primary School.

Our junior class went to view the displays and while we were there we came up with a challenge for our students - design something that looks like it could be part of the display in Tinkercad and then add it into the display using the Tinkercad App and its AR/VR option.

This challenged our students to think on their feet because they had not viewed the displays in-depth before the task.   They also had a limited design time and needed to see what they could make.  In the example at the top of the post the students added the snowman at the front left to fit in with the Christmas theme.

Another student choose the same scene, the same perspective and added a different figure at the same point, the cartoon inspired Christmas Tree shown left.   In both examples students had to create the design to be inserted as they were sitting in the classroom looking at the displays so they had a very short design time.

Sometime they also had to manipulate the design so it appeared more natural with the setting and in the rest of the display.

The bright colours and the figures in the diorama also lent themselves to this task.   In the example that is shown left the student added a wheel or as they described it a pizza between the two figures on the stage.

The student felt that it looked realistic and fit with the rest of the display.

This task allowed an entire class of students to create something and be able to submit it that morning and challenged them to share ideas and quickly think on their feet to use the environment.

In the image shown left, this is the same diorama from another viewpoint.  This design had the colour that the student wanted and felt that it would be a suitable environment to 'hide' an object.

They choose to add a rabbit which is located to the left of the waterfall.

The choose a colour which made the rabbit stand out, and then also related the rabbit to a series of books with a similar theme that they have enjoyed which is the 'Where's Wally?' books.  Creating a character this is repeatedly hid in a variety of locations.

The student responsible for this creation here really extended herself and excelled.   She looked at the original presentation and decide the best way to hide an object was to mimic one of the existing objects.   

She created a mushroom, designed it as she felt the originals looked and then coloured it with the same colour scheme as the other mushrooms that are shown in the scene.   In this instance her creation fitted seamlessly and was extremely difficult to identify and spot.

We have previously on this blog identified a range of ways to use Tinkercad to create and design, but not necessarily 3D Print.  That slideshow can be accessed here.