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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3D Printing Software

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via Coursera

Overview

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This course will demonstrate how to use 3D printing software to create digital designs that can be turned into physical objects. It will also demonstrate how 3D scanners work to turn physical objects into digital designs. This course is hands-on in nature and will provide step-by-step instructions to guide you through two popular 3D modeling programs, Tinkercad and Fusion 360. Learners who complete this course will be able to use 3D software to design a wide variety of objects for both personal and professional use. In addition, learners who enroll in the course certificate will receive extended free access to Fusion 360 (provided by Autodesk).

Please copy/paste the following links to your browser's search bar to view the requirements for each of the following software elements used in this course:

Sketchbook: https://support.sketchbook.com/hc/en-us/articles/209671938-SketchBook-Desktop-System-Requirements

Tinkercad: https://support.tinkercad.com/hc/en-us/articles/205849108-What-are-Tinkercad-s-Browser-and-Platform-requirements-

Autodesk Fusion 360: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Fusion-360.html

Sketchfab: https://help.sketchfab.com/hc/en-us/articles/203059088-Compatibility

123D Catch: Same as Tinkercad

Syllabus

  • Course Orientation
    • You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
  • Module 1: Design Sketching for 3D Printing
    • Design starts with capturing our ideas and a great starting point is to draw. In this module, you will learn how to draw and communicate your ideas. This will set you up with the foundation to express yourself in three dimensions in the subsequent modules.
  • Module 2: Tinkercad
    • Let’s move from expressing our ideas in two dimensions (sketching) to expressing them in three dimensions. You will learn how to use Tinkercad, which is a great software for beginners, before we learn more advanced modeling software (Fusion 360) in module 3.
  • Module 3: Fusion 360 Basics
    • From TinkerCAD, we are moving on to Fusion 360. This is a very powerful tool to turn your ideas into reality. You will learn the Basic user interface, to make sure you understand how to move in a 3D environment. You will learn how to build some primitive shapes and some sketch based shapes.
  • Module 4: Fusion 360 Advanced
    • From the basics, we move on to some advaned concepts. You will learn about the sculpt tool in Fusion 360. The sculpt tool gives you a lot of power, and allows everyone to build complex forms with a short learning curve.
  • Module 5: 3D Scanning
    • In this module we will cover different technologies for turning objects into 3d models. The devices we will demonstrate are the next engine 3d scanner, Microsoft Kinect, structure sensor, as well as any camera you have (including your phone).
  • Course Conclusion

Taught by

Jeffrey Smith

Reviews

4.9 rating, based on 12 Class Central reviews

4.6 rating at Coursera based on 526 ratings

Start your review of 3D Printing Software

  • Anonymous
    The 3D printing software course was so complicated and difficult but though interesting.It raised a challenge when you have to compete your sketching and designs with the international coursera community of students.I requires hard work and commitment. It is was not an easy flow or better a walk over.

    I recommend the course to anyone who want to enroll for 3D printing Hardware because the courses are inextricably linked and that could contribute and add more value to the 4th Industrial Revolution for the reason that technology is here to stay.
  • Anonymous
    The 3D printing software course was so complicated and difficult but though interesting.It raised a challenge when you have to compete your sketching and designs with the international coursera community of students.I requires hard work and commitment. It is was not an easy flow or better a walk over.

    I recommend the course to anyone who want to enroll for 3D printing Hardware because the courses are inextricably linked and that could contribute and add more value to the 4th Industrial Revolution for the reason that technology is here to stay.
  • Anonymous
    this course is beyond expectation, informative and take you from the scratch building & achieving tasks easily in the software step by step, highly recommended for anyone who wants to hone his skills in the 3D printing industry
  • Anonymous
    This course is simply superb I learned a lot more things which will be helpfull for my career. My special thanks to instructor for teaching in a extraordinary manner. Assignments are also very helpful to justify what we have learned.
  • Anonymous
    This course has deepened my knowledge and skills in 3D printing, especially reverse engineering by using 3D scanning technologies. Excellent course! Highly recommend for students and engineers who wish to venture into this field.
  • Anonymous
    Excellent course , i finally learned how to use Fusion 360 and make something that can be 3D printed , i also learned about 3D scanning techniques . nenjoy this course ,
  • Ótimo conteúdo, ótimo professor
    Você vai aprender a usar o Thinkercad, Fusion 360, fazer scans de coisas reais e transforma-las em digitais
  • Profile image for Okojie Augustine
    Okojie Augustine
    Found it interesting and exciting. Had to follow the software despite the challenges but it was an overall success.
  • Profile image for Virgil Miranda
    Virgil Miranda
    Excellent work from the U of I and Coursera. This particular course has really helped me in gaining more deeper knowledge on 3D printing and its software.
    Great course to take on.

    I would like to thank my instructor Mr. Jeff Smith and also mentors and my peers for helping me to complete this course.
    A big thanks to Team Coursera for providing such a great opportunity to learn.
    And I'm proud to say that, because of Coursera I have good knowledge on 3D printing and my completion of this course is CERTIFIED.

    Thank you very much..
  • Juan Janczuk
    Excellent course!

    It gave me a new perspective in 3D specializaed software I did not know.
    Jeff Smith is an outstanding teacher, and show us every important aspect of the best-of-breed software available for 3D editing.

    I recommend this course to anyone who want to understand the behind-the-scenes of 3D modeling/scanning!
  • NashwaMostafaMahmoud
    it is very useful course for people how interested about 3D printing
    I learned a lot about the software and how I use it and the course have a very special thing it is scanning it is very wonderful part
  • Anonymous
    The course covers 3D Modeling software. It does not cover the software used for actual 3D printing. The videos are well done (except for the intro and credits you get over and over for each video).

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