M.P. Update #2 – Learning the Ropes

I have not eased into this particular skill at all, which has been both fun and a little chaotic. And I realized there a couple of things I kind of skipped over in my last post, so I’ll cover some of those here as well.

Beginner Software and Ongoing Progress:

I might be making this look easier than it actually is, but if I am, I blame the app that came along with the 3D printer, because they’ve really made starting as easy as installing an app and choosing your first print.

Bambu Handy is the app that got me hooked and going. And when I say it’s easy, I mean it. The app is linked to MakerWorld, which is a website full of artists and the models they have uploaded for 3D printing or laser cutting, a forum for discussions, contests, and supplies to build even more intricate and/or working models. It’s a dangerous rabbit hole of discovery and distraction, and my Collections folder may have more items than I could possibly hope to print over the next few weeks, but it sure makes it easy to grab and go.

To print from the app, it’s really as easy as selecting the design that you like, confirming your filament colours and settings, and sending it to your printer through the cloud.

From MakerWorld, I also made my way over to Thangs.com (which is fun to say!), which is another 3D model community, both free and paid. The quality of some of these seems to be more tried and tested – some of them – and I may have purchased access to one designer already to print off my own little dragon army.

These adorable little dragons are printed with a multicolour filament, and are from the designer I subscribed to. She has some adorable creations! You will probably see more in the posts to come.

And here we have the multicolour print on the left (cute little fox), and a couple other prints that I painted. The dragon is multicolour, so I painted the eyes and fangs, and the turtle was a blue print, so all of the flowers and adornments are painted.

Patreon seems to be another place where individuals will offer subscriptions to their models, especially if you are looking to print and sell their models. Far from being specific only to 3D models, however, patreon is a platform that many have started to use to promote and/or sell all kinds of products. I know teachers on there as well, selling materials, and they advertise for all kinds of different creators.

But yes, that kind of sums up the app overview, and how I was able to so quickly get started with printing.

This Week’s Ventures:

I spent this week playing, for lack of a better term. I familiarized myself with the printing process. I was playing with settings, with different filament brands, I was playing with downloading models from other places (like Thangs) which then involves a slicer program. I have been using slicing only as a place to transfer the models from website to the printer – I plan on delving into this one more next week! I also played at printing with multiple colours, which is a super involved process. Much more so than I had ever given any thought to! I also played intermediary between my kids and the printer, as they seem to view it as their personal toy machine/home decorator. We had to negotiate how often they get to pick something to print, and we had to shut down the 32-hour print selections a few times. Although at some point, I might want to try something that takes multiple prints and some assembly. I also printed and did some painting (very minor), and now how to figure out how to seal the paint, or find something more permanent.

And as if all that wasn’t enough, I also started to watch some CAD (Computer Aided/Assisted Design) how-to videos. As much fun as it is to grab and print, I also want to create a few things of my own (just to try it out – I don’t know that I will ever meet the creative genius a lot of people seem capable of building!).

My initial research suggests that TinkerCAD is probably the easiest to learn, so that’s where I started. No need to overly complicate things.

TinkerCAD is 100% online, and free to use, so you don’t need to download anything, although you do need to create an account to use it. They themselves have all kinds of how-to videos and tutorials, but I also went to the Tube to see what other people had to say, and to check out some different introductory videos.

I am all about the “ultimate beginner’s guide” when I start looking at learning new things – start me slow and easy, and gradually build up the complexity. Otherwise it just feels overwhelming. I’d rather feel like I’m brilliant and catching on really quickly (ha!) than like I can’t learn anything new at my over-the-hill age. But anyway, I’m currently checking out: The Essential Tinkercad Beginner’s Guide!, the Best TinkerCAD Tutorial 2024 (yet to be determined if it is, really, the best!), and the TinkerCAD Tutorial (no outrageous claims to fame, but a 60-year-old “fart” [their own words] said it was easy to follow, so I have high hopes). I will post more next week about how my ventures into creating my own designs are coming, alongside other people’s designs that I am continuing to print.