Holidays are the best time to introduce your kids to creating presents and gifts for their relatives. In order to facilitate this beautiful moment, technology and familial bonding can be combined to come up with interesting CAD software. This software is very intuitive and can help children between the age 4 and 13 years to come up with the best 3D designs for their ideas.
When kids learn 3D printing, they are also able to enhance some of their key planning, problem-solving, and artistic skills in the process. Here are some of the top CAD software that are ideal for kids.
Solidworks Apps for kids – ‘Dream It, Build It’
The app was founded by Solidworks World 2016, but sensitizing kids to sciences and technology was conducted by Dessault Systems. By making kids use very simple tools at an early age, it will encourage them to become future engineers. This app is very intuitive and is addressed to professors and parents to help out their kids in 3D modelling.
It is readily available on Smartphone, tablet, and computer. The tools used are very simple and allows basic modeling. Some of the tools included are:
- Capture It – For taking videos and pictures that can be imported o create 3D forms
- Shape It – for making shapes
- Style It – for adding images and colours to the 3D model
- Mech It – for designing mechanical parts
- Show It – for sharing designs and visualization
- Print It – for saving the end result after the modelling is completed
Tinker CAD
This CAD software can be used by hobbyists, designers, as well as kids. It is an online software that was edited by Autodesk. The interface of this app is very colorful. It has multi-shape blocks that could be subtracted or added one to the other. With the help of a special tool, shape holes can also be made. It is also possible to upload SVG and STL files for creating mashups.
The website offers many tutorials along with a gallery of models to give a basic idea of the app.
LeoCAD
LeoCAD allows kids to make virtual LEGO models. It can be very fun and children are already accustomed to playing with LEGO. Kids can start with simple objects, but it is better to not go with complex objects as the app isn’t good for that. It is user-friendly in nature. Kids can go through more than 6000 different pieces and select the ones they like for creating 3D models.
Leopoly
Leopoly is a 3D design software available online. It is quite simple and available for free. The website states that kids can choose any designed object as their base and then customize accordingly with the help of different tools. It is possible to add letters, shapes, and colours to the design.
Designing from scratch is also possible. Sometimes, kids can also upload a file that was made with the help of another software. Printing 3D or exporting the final output is also possible on the platform of Leopoly.
BlocksCAD
It is a drag-and-drop CAD software as well as a modeling tool that is made for elementary school kids. As it has many colorful options, kids are able to design their own object easily.
3D Slash – ‘the 3D piece of cake’
It is a very colorful platform and the icons of the software are extremely easy and user-friendly. The circles towards the window’s left offer a whole host of options here it is possible to choose the tool’s size from a set range. The tools are inspired by machining tools, such as a drill, chisel trowel, and hammer. It offers an intuitive option to create a model. The models are also very edgy with squares.
There are about eight tutorials that help in making children understand the whole thing. 3D Slash is integrated to Google Drive. There are expert features that could be discovered on the website.
123D Design
It is an Autodesk software that can be accessed using an IPad, PC, Mac, or web browser with the help of a special plug-in. There are website video tutorials available and users’ forum could be useful in using this software. The website instructables.com displays various projects that were created using the 123D Design.
The concept of this website is very intuitive, as it allows users to drag shapes to the screen right from the window.
SketchUp
The tools of Basics SketchUp are quite intuitive. It is possible to draw 2D shapes with the help of the push/pull tool to make 3D shapes. Referring to SketchUp’s 3D printing tutorial could be very useful in learning how to design in this software.
These applications and software are very intuitive and useful when you want to enhance your kids’ learning process. Encourage them to have a better career and using technology could do no harm.
