Tutorial Tuesday 24: Learn to Code in 3D With BlocksCAD

July 4, 2017

Happy Fourth of July! Today we’ll take it easy with a look at 3D design with BlocksCAD, an accessible block-based CAD programming tool that you can work with online in your browser.

BlocksCAD works much like the popular intro-to-code language Scratch, but instead of creating animations, it is designed for creating 3D models, like this one:

Getting Started With BlocksCAD

The fastest way to learn is by watching BlocksCAD in action. We recommend watching the BlocksCAD YouTube playlist, starting with this BlocksCAD Quickstart video:

When you’re ready for a step-by-step walkthrough, check out BlocksCAD’s Build a Cup tutorial. For further reference and descriptions of BlocksCAD tools and features, see the BlocksCAD Documentation.

Educational Lessons With BlocksCAD

BlocksCAD’s simple Scratch-like interface is a perfect match for educational programs, and there are a lot of ready-to-use resources online.

One good source of educational BlockSCAD lessons is Maker Club. They have published four projects, each building on the previous, beginning with their BlocksCAD 101:

A good next set of lessons is the Beginning 3D Design course that Chris Wallace ( kitwallace on Shapeways) has created and shared for Code Club. These lessons introduce students to code with step-by-step projects for designing a Name Badge using basic BlocksCAD shapes, creating the Olympic Loops using modules, and this project on building Furniture using nested loops:

Have you used BlocksCAD with students? If you want to share your projects, lessons, or student creations, let us know!