🧊 Module 04 · CAD Design

Design Your Own in Tinkercad

Stop downloading other people's designs — make your own! Tinkercad is a free, browser-based CAD tool that turns simple shapes into anything you can imagine.

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1. Key Concepts

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What is CAD?

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is how engineers and designers create precise 3D models. Every product around you was designed in CAD before being built.

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Primitive Shapes

Every complex 3D object is built from simple shapes: cubes, cylinders, spheres, cones, and wedges. Tinkercad gives you a palette of these to drag, resize, and combine.

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Boolean Operations

Group (Union) merges shapes. Hole subtracts one shape from another — perfect for screw holes, cutouts, or hollow insides.

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Tinkercad is Free!

Runs entirely in your browser — no download needed. Sign up at tinkercad.com. Everything saves to the cloud automatically.

🚀 Before you start

Create your free Tinkercad account now at tinkercad.com — you'll need it for the project at the end of this module. It's completely free and works in any browser.

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2. Watch & Learn

Watch this beginner Tinkercad tutorial and learn how to design a small custom object from scratch — using only primitive shapes and boolean operations.

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3. Exercise: Shape Builder Challenge

Just like Tinkercad combines primitive shapes, combine the emoji shapes below to match the target object. Select shapes from the palette and click "Add to Build Zone," then check your answer!

🎨 Shape Palette — click to select, click again to deselect

🏗️ Your Build Zone — click ADD to add selected shapes

Add shapes here...

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4. Your Project: Design It!

🎨 Mission: Make Something Yours

Open Tinkercad and design one of the following. Export as STL when done!

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Name Tag

Flat box + raised text letters. Classic beginner project.

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Bookmark

Flat rectangle with a hole at the top for a ribbon. Add a pattern!

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Phone Stand

A wedge with a slot cut in it. Very useful and satisfying to print!

Design your object in Tinkercad using only primitive shapes.
Click Export → STL to download your design.
Bonus: Slice it in Cura and see how long it would take to print!

You're a Designer Now! ⭐

You designed something from scratch using real CAD software. That's a skill most adults don't have!

Complete the Shape Builder challenge to unlock this!