Autodesk 123D Design Tutorial by AST2

Visit www.123dapp.com for additional tutorials and videos

INSTALLATION

 Go to http://www.123dapp.com/
 Click on “Sign In” in menu bar on top of page
 Click “Create an Account” if first time user; scroll to bottom to return to 123dapp.com homepage
 Or Sign In with existing Account at “My Corner” which will direct to 123dapp.com homepage
 Click on “Apps” in menu bar. Click “123D Design” from list of 123 Programs
 Click the blue button “Download 123D” for PC or MAC
 Chose the type of computer.
 Click “Save File.” It will take time to download .exe file. Install.
GETTING STARTED:

Double click on the new icon that will have appeared on the desktop (123D Design)
When it has loaded, it will show a “Welcome to 123D Design” window. Click on “User Interface & Layout.”
 Scroll through this
 Tutorials are available under “Learn” on top menu bar at 123dapp.com and in 123D Design at “how to.”
GETTING STARTED WITH 123D DESIGN
Starting from the left side of the toolbar

123 D Design is Main Menu: For opening, saving,

exporting, 3D printing and other file options

Undo and Redo: Left and right arrows

Main Toolbar
Icons have drop down menus with actions
 Transform: Move and Scale commands
 Primitives: 3D shapes such as box, sphere, etc.
 Sketch: Drawing tools
 Construct: Extrude, Sweep, Revolve, Loft
commands
 Extrude transforms 2D to 3D by adding thickness
 Modify: Commands to edit a 3D object such as
Push and Pull, Fillet and Chamber
 Pattern
 Grouping: Group and Ungroup Commands
 Combine
 Snap
 Measure
 Material

On the right side of screen, there are commands to change viewpoint in workspace which allow sight of other sides of the models.

View Cube: Lock and orbit models

Navigation Bar: Commands to move around model include:

 Pan: Hold down the scroll wheel and move your mouse
 Zoom: Scroll inwards and out with the scroll wheel
 Orbit: Hold shift on the keyboard and while using the scroll wheel
CREATING YOUR FIRST OBJECTS

Choose what object you would like to create in 3-D space by either option:
1. Click Primitives in the main toolbar
Primitive objects include a box, a cone, a sphere, a doughnut and
a cylinder. The object will follow your mouse curser on the grid.
Place it by clicking a place on grid. Specific values for length,
height and other dimensions can be entered for the primitives at
bottom of page.

2. Click Kits on the right-hand side of the screen which have pre-
built parts.
CREATING YOUR FIRST OBJECT USING SKETCH

1. Go to Sketch and click on the shape to be drawn

a. Rectangle
b. Circle
c. Eclipse
d. Polygon
2. Follow the pop up directions to draw the shape
3. Input the dimensions and press enter twice on keyboard
4. Go to Construct
5. Chose the Extruder command to change figure from 2D to 3D

ADDING TEXT TO YOUR DESIGN

1. Double click on the arrow tab on the far right hand corner
2. Under the Primitives/Smart Primitives
3. Click on the text and drag to grid
4. Adjust text/font/height according to preference and design

Note: Keep height of the text double the extruded thickness drawn

GROUPING TEXT AND DESIGN

1. Click on the Combine command
2. The Target source is the design: click on drawn figure
3. The source is the text: click on the text
4. Press enter on the keyboard

The text and figure are now one object and ready to convert to STL file for 3D printing.
MOVING, SNAPPING AND CRUISING
Moving
To move a part, double-click it and a drop down menu will appear. Click “Move” and move item.
Click in empty space to confirm the transformation.

Snapping
To get a cylinder to sit perfectly on top of this box, use the Snap
Tool (it is the magnet icon on the right-hand side of the main
toolbar).
1. Click on the top face of the cylinder. By selecting this
first, the cylinder will move to the next object and align
this face to the next face you select.
2. Click on a face of the destination object.
3. After you select the destination, the first object will align
to the destination.
4. If you click on this object, it is now a single entity.
5. You can still edit the different shapes by double clicking
on the desired shape.

Cruising
Click and drag an object around in the workspace.

Primitive shapes are automatically grouped when using the cruising or snap methods.

Selecting another object and cruising near a second object allows for combining the objects and form a single entity
You can also select a face of an object and cruise. The face selected will align with the second object.
GROUPING OBJECTS
By clicking anywhere on the group, you have similar options in the pill to Move and Rotate as with individual shapes except now, they will work on
the group. For example, use the Scale command which is located next to the Move and Rotate command in the contextual pill to scale the group as a
unit to make a little larger and better in proportion to the robot
head. You can scale using this arrow to approximate the desired
scale or enter an exact scale value.
You can always undo or group objects explicitly using the
Grouping Bucket. For example, to ungroup objects, select the
Group and then choose Ungroup from the Grouping Bucket.
To regroup all the objects, rectangular select all them by clicking
on an empty space and dragging out a selection rectangle.
Choose Group the objects by using the Group command under
the Grouping Bucket. Also, it is possible to have nested groups
or word groups within groups.
EDGES, FACES, AND POINTS
How to customize and adjust the faces and edges of design
1. Select an edge, face or point by double-click the object
and move mouse over the edge or face and click it to
select.

2. When selecting an edge, there are two options:

a. Fillets and chamfers are added to the outside or
inside edge of the model. A fillet creates a radius
between the faces that create the selected edge. A
chamfer adds an angled face between the faces
that create the selected edge.

3. When selecting a face, there are two options:

a. Press/Pull command to change the size of a part
by pulling a part face away from the part or
pushing the face into the part. This will offset the
face from its initial position to a new location.

b. Shell command allows removal of material from an existing part and creates a cavity in the part by specifying a wall thickness for the
faces. Generally, you select at least one face on the part to be removed from the shell feature, leaving the remaining faces as the shell
walls.
EXPORTING TO STL
Models need to be exported in STL format. STL is the standard file format for the majority of 3D printers.

 Go to the Application Menu (on the left coner)

 Click on “Export to STL”
 There will be “File name.” Create a name.
 Click the save button.

VIDEO TUTORIALS
 Go to www.123dapp.com
 Click on the “How – to” tab. It is located on the upper right-hand side of the screen.
o Click on 123D Design.

UPLOADING TO TEAMUP
 Go to TeamUp.
 Go to the current project folder.
 Type comments in the appropriate place.
 Go to: Attach a file to the book page (located at the bottom of the page).
 Click the “Browse…” button and select the project.
 If it doesn’t work, verify that .stl extension is at end of file. Try again.
 Save.