Using Tinkercad as an AR/VR Tool with Filters

 

Yesterday we posted about using Tinkercad as a tool to create an image, not a 3D Print, that was then projected using the AR/VR tool onto a background.

The next (and final) step in the process is to take the image from the previous activity and then apply a filter to it.   In this case we are using the Pic Collage Filters from the App that are available with a standard app purchase (ie without the extensions).

In each instance the students have taken their creation of the original scene, with their detail added and then put it into a filter.   This filter varies slightly in creation time but it tends to be under thirty seconds and applies a filter to the scene which the students are able to then to review and decide upon.

The two examples here shown feature the 'Christmas' themed filter.   In the first example the crane can be seen although a number of the objects have been extensively redesigned.

In the second image the Tinkercad addition is the box in the immediate bottom right of the image.

This process featured in one of our 'year in review' posts from last year which focussed on a round up of highlights.  You can click on the link to this post here.

In addition as always if you use the 'search' bar/icon from the top right hand corner you can use the search words 'pic collage' to find a wealth of additional posts and material.

Not every filter was able to create an effective combination with the students design.   This process allowed an entire classroom of students to complete the process in the duration of an afternoon block of time (just under one hour).   It allowed the students design time, reflection time, sharing time (with the class) followed by our posting time (to Seesaw).

This is the same image as previously shown and it is with the 'water colour' filter.  Again it highlights the students design and places it within the design as an accurate and authentic piece which was not possible when it remained in Pic Collage.

The students who completed this process were the wonderful group of seven and eight year olds whose work is featured on this blog.

Using Tinkercad as an AR/VR Tool And Pic Collage

 

The title of the post is hopefully somewhat self explanitory.  Our students have the ability to use their iPads for a range of tasks - and of course for CAD design and creation we are looking at Tinkercad as our App of choice.

One of the things that we fell into by accident in recent years has been crossing the apps over into different design techniques.   We have done this by creating original designs in Tinkercad, such as the truck shown left.

It was created by a student using the basic geometric shapes, and adding details like the mud guards by using the scribble tool.  Once this has been completed the student used the colour palette on Tinkercad to create the colour variation.   An eight year old student spent time minutes (we had a timer on in the classroom with a countdown clock) the student then took his iPad outside and used the app function to AR/VR the design into place, in the case of the photograph outside of a classroom.

Once this was completed and the student then applied a Pic Collage AR/VR filter to the picture.  In this instance the student used one of the currently 'free' VR filters (festive).   Pic Collage have a range of filters and while a number of them are pay-walled for further access they also have several which are 'free' for basic app use.

The entire process was completed independently by the student in a shortened afternoon block.   Its purpose was to have the student considering the options in the future.   By combining the two apps together they added creativity and detail to the original design.

You can see many further examples of this process and output by clicking on the search bar to your right and using the keyword 'Pic Collage'.   We have completed a number of these projects and will continue to build on them over the coming days.

2025 - Review of Tinkercad Vs. Pic Collage

 

One of the most powerful aspects of using 3D Design and CAD design has been the students ability to combine their creations with other Apps to increase their purpose, design and depth.

In the previous year we've used a combination of apps with the students iPads particularly when we've been working on something that hasn't meant that the 3D Printing part of the project has been easily printable or machines have not been readily available.  You can see examples from previous years of our students using Pic Collage on 'Farm Scenes' created in Tinkercad or using both Pic Collage and Pixton Comic Maker to create an explanation of how our students 3D Printed boats were created. or further examples here from 2024.

In these situations the students are using all of the design skills and creation that their iPads and the Tinkercad App provides but the final output is not necessarily a 3D Print.

We used a range of tasks to complete these - in examples this year we used the 'festive' AR masks with Pic Collage to create a series of festive images.   For example the figure shown left is the final version of a Tinkercad Creation that then had been projected into the classroom to create a interesting background and then had the filter applied to the final image.

This was then converted by the student into the front page for a unique Christmas card.  While this might seem to be a somewhat complicated process the entire task was completed independently by an eight year old student in the course of an afternoon (one hour session) who had their iPad, the two apps and understood the process.   You can see the full details of this task from this blog in November by clicking on the link here.

There are further examples of the overall process which you can access by using the search bar in the top right hand corner of this bar.  We have tag every print and project over the last tern years with various tags and links, so you can find a number of examples and also see the progression of the students work and ideas.   We thank you for your visit to this page - we are not currently at school as we are returning with a newly revamped site and some significant changes as we are on a journey, to the new year in February 2026.

Pic Collage have a range of filters that can be applied to designs - we have a basic subscription to the app at school and typically have a limited number of filters available, however there are a number of apps that offer the same basic idea that they take an image (which of course in this case is an original students design) and then apply additional details, features and depth to the image, the duration of which usually takes no more than a few seconds, such as this other example of a basic scribble design from November 2025.

Virtual Christmas Designs: Into Cards

 

The design shown left is a Christmas card created by a student in Y4 (eight years old).  We have been detailing this process recently where the focus has been on to complete a virtual creation - in this case using Tinkercad and crossing it with Pic Collage.

We detailed this process with the creation of our virtual Christmas trees and also previously using the designs to show a song.   In this instance the next step is to reapply the design process and the students using their iPad to create a material art project.

The snowman inside the globe has been created using Tinkercad with the student creating it as part of a Christmas Challenge.  They have then AR/VR the design into the classroom setting to remove the background and used the PicCollage app to take a virtual image.   The virtual image uses the shapes in the background to create a raft of festive themed images.

The students have then taken this image and reintroduced it to Pic Collage - here they have then added the Merry Christmas heading which you can see in the picture.  We actually used a range of designs from other locations (a extended font search) and looked at printing out these fonts and adding the lettering onto the original picture the students opted to include it with the original.

The next stage was to look at the cover - the students as they were using the iPads to screenshot an image had a couple of watermarks to discuss, and look at options to potentially cover them.

Finally the message that was placed inside the card was a seperate writing lesson, the details were fairly standard but a combination of the card shape, the original design an image on the front and then the students message on the inside of the card proved to be effective.

This extended the lesson out further and included a written element which took it from a standard Tinkercad design into something with a range of layers to it.     We also looked at the composition of the card and whether the original design suited a portrait or landscape design and what else could be created.

This also sent the students back into their Tinkercad accounts- looking for previous designs that they might be able to apply a filter to.   An example is the Santa figure shown in the image left - this was a previous design created and turned into a 3D Print that featured earlier on this blog.  The student felt the image would benefit from being put through a filter so they added additional features to the design (the body) which they felt the filter would then pick up and add details to (which it did).

The last potential stage would how else could we use art techniques with the card? We considered the applying of dye to form a border around the image on the cover - and how the rest of the inside of the card might be decorated, as well as the overall size.

By utilizing Tinkercad in this way the students were able to take an original image, apply the filter and rework and represent it into something completely different, unique and using their iPads and two apps to do so.   They worked independently as seven and eight year olds to complete the task without any teacher input.   They also used 3D modelling to make something that did not require 3D Printing or another technology to be applied to it.

Tinkercad Vs. Pic Collage

 

One of the parts of Tinkercad that our students find to be fantastic is its ability to be combined with other iPads on the students iPads to help with their projects and learning.

As we noted we recently began the process of putting together some worked themed around festive season (which is primarily based around Christmas as it is the major celebration in New Zealand).   

Our students first step in this process was to use Tinkercad to design a festive themed design.  We deliberately left this open at the start, although we asked the students to remember our focus from Market Day of creativity, innovation and personalisation.   This allowed the class the freedom to create a range of designs.   Some students opted for figures, some for 'scenes' by concentrating on buildings or other features such as trees.    We did allow students to use freely available material that they could download by finding the .stl files however we have made it clear in this instance the students need to acknowledge where it is from and also adapt or modify it to ensure that they are involved in some form of creative process (as we do not allow students as a general rule to print stuff they find online).

This figure on the left was created using that rule.   The student made a number of changes before this was completed - the initial version had two hands that were up in the air, which gave the impression of the figure putting their hands up, so that was modified.

The student used the main Tinkercad interface for the details and the different aspects of the print.    We explored the possibility of the print being able to be processed as it stood - however we received a warning from Bambu studio that the print had non conformed edges and therefore was a potential issue when printing.    We have started the process of printing some of the prints in this series, and updating our master slideshow but as we constantly state on this site we are essentially running one Bambu printer for our school of 200 students and three Snapmakers so printing everything can be problematic.

Hence we have a slideshow (above in the guide/special projects tab) that details using Tinkercad but not printing in 3D.

This version shown left is the student using their iPad to project the Tinkercad design and VR/AR into the classroom setting.   The student was able to take their iPad and take it to a variety of locations around school where the figure looked like it might work and then project it into different locations.

You can project it to interact with others around school (such as in the library or outside the office, by a sign or drinking fountain etc.   You can also supersize your design so that it appears to be gigantic- bigger than a building for instance, or small and miniature so that students have to spend time searching for it - as we did with our #tinkercadhunt activity.

The students also use this opportunity to rotate their design and look for ways that they might be able to subtly improve it.   When it is projected on a larger scale details that would appear to be insignificant can take on more of a focus.

The final version of this print is shown left when it has been put through a filter on the iPad using the Pic collage app.   This has taken the original Tinkercad design and applied another AR/VR feature in this example the 'magic camera' and 'silent night 2' filter.   This has taken the image in the classroom and added detail to the figure in the form of Christmas decorations.  If you look at the background in the new image it has taken the various classroom background items and shapes and converted them into other features on display.   For instance the whiteboard has been transformed in a frosty Christmas window.   

The duration to complete the transformation was in the region of thirty seconds.   There are a wide range of filers available for different themes, a mix of freely available filters and ones that have an additional charge for their use.    

We are now going to take the final image and use it as part of a students design for a Christmas card with this scene being the front cover.  The entire process from start to finish was completed by a student over two afternoon blocks including refining and improving the design a total of ninety minutes completed by a eight year old independently.

You can view additional projects following this process by clicking on this link here or by using 'pic collage' as the search topic in the search bar.