The MagPi - February 2020

01

Create 3D text

Open the BlocksCAD editor in the

Chromium web browser on your Raspberry Pi:

blockscad3d.com/editor. You can drag and drop

blocks to write code to create 3D objects (see The

MagPi 89 for a BlocksCAD primer: magpi.cc/89).

First, use the 3D text tool to create some 3D

letters. Click on Text and then drag a 3D text

block onto the canvas. Change the 3D text field to

say ‘CODER’.

Click the Render button to see the 3D text

appear in the preview window. Rendering is the

process of creating an image from a 3D model so

that we can see what it looks like.

02

Make the text bigger

To make the letters bigger, change the size

field to 20 – that means font size 20. Click Render

again to see the result. If you 3D-printed the

model you have created now, then you would get

Use BlocksCAD to design, and print, a text-based keyring

L

ast month we introduced our readers to

BlocksCAD, a web-based program that

can be used with Raspberry Pi to create

3D printable objects. In this project, you will use

BlocksCAD to design a ‘CODER’ keyring that can

be 3D-printed.

BlocksCAD is a 3D model editor that you can

use in a web browser on a computer or tablet. You

drag and drop code blocks to design 3D models

that can be exported for 3D printing.

If you have access to a 3D printer, then you can

print your keyring. The keyring doesn’t use a lot

of filament and is small and quick to 3D-print.

The keyring will measure around 14 mm by 50 mm.

You can put a split ring through the gap between

the ‘C’ and the ‘O’ to make a keyring.

Dr Tracy

Gardner

Tracy is a computer

scientist who spent

ten years working

as a software

architect at IBM.

She now writes

educational projects

for the Raspberry

Pi Foundation.

rpf.io/projects

MAKER

3D-print a keyring

with BlocksCAD

You’ll Need

> A 3D printer and

filament. Solid

colours work best

> A split ring for

making the keyring.

A 19 mm diameter

split ring works well

> BlocksCAD

blockscad3d.com

Rendering is the process of creating an

image from a 3D model so that we can

see what it looks like

Drag a 3D text block

onto the canvas

TUTORIAL

38 magpi.cc 3D-print a keyring with BlocksCAD