3D printing has penetrated virtually every sphere of human life. From architecture to animation, to automobiles, 3D printing has made massive appearances. While much attention in 3D printing has been focused on new possibilities for adults, less attention is directed to products for kids.
Creativity is the foundation of design. Kids, from their formative years, exhibit creativity in different forms. Most times, they show this in their drawings, bringing their imaginations to paper. Some of them may have designed personalized toys they’d like to play with.
With a 3D printer, this can be totally possible. Yes, you’d be able to make their drawings as toys they can play with, admire, and show to their friends.
Typically, most toys are made of plastic. Thus, it would make sense to make, repair, and create toys for kids from the comfort of your home or office.
3D printers eliminate the problem of walking to the toy store to purchase toys for kids. On the plus side, making your own toys from a 3D printer is cheaper than buying one. Think about it; you can design a preferred toy on your own and print it from your printer or present it as a gift to someone special on a special occasion.
This article discusses the various steps involved in printing a 3D toy. But first things first.
Table of Contents
Materials Needed In Printing A 3D Toy
Before you make the move to print a toy, you must have the following materials in place. These materials will ensure a seamless operation. They include:
● A 3D printer
● 3D modeling software
● Sandpaper
● X-acto knife
● Paintbrushes
● Permanent markers
● Spray paint
● Acrylic paints
Steps Involved In Making A 3D Toy
1. Get A Modelling Software
You cannot create a 3D object without first generating it in modeling software. There are several 3D modeling software available, some of which are free and others paid. Some of these software includes:
Tinkercad
Tinkercad is browser-based. This means you can access this software from your browser as long as you’ve got an internet connection. It comes with a block-building feature that allows you to create objects from a group of shapes available. This software is just perfect for novice printers, as it is loaded with tutorials to show you what you need to do.
Its library is stocked with millions of files and shapes. This gives you the freedom of choosing any shapes you want to work with, manipulate them, before saving the file to print. Everything is simplistic and will aid you in learning all the basics of 3D printing.
What makes Tinkercard interesting is that anyone can use the platform to create printable models.
Blender
This is a 3D modeling software that offers more than conventional software. It gives you the freedom to create models, providing additional features such as animation, simulation, rendering, motion-tracking, and even video editing.
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert user of 3D printers, you’d find this software interesting. Blender is open-source and perfectly ideal for people who want to progress from basic to complex 3D designs.
Blender is particularly interesting due to its photorealistic rendering feature that makes every design as real as it can get.
DesignSpark Mechanical
This is a software that features a lot of 3D models, ideal for beginner and expert designers. The interface is user-friendly with a smart, seamless operation that is fast.
DesignSpark Mechanical allows users to make use of an in-built library of design with their own designs. It also allows users to make 3D models of an object from only a surface. While it is free, DesignSpark Mechanical is loaded with a lot of features that you will enjoy.
FreeCAD
This is open-source modeling software that allows you to design realistic objects regardless of their size. FreeCAD features a parametric component that makes the design super-fast and easy. All you have to do is go to your design and change the parameters, and your model will be transformed.
Other features include tools for architectural designs, robotic simulation, and a module for Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
Another advantage of this software is that it is totally free, giving you several tools at your disposal. If you’re new to 3D printing, this is a great software to start. However, experts in the game may opt to work with something else.