Dave Ackmann of the NMRA’s Mid-Continent Region Gateway Division will conduct a clinic introducing CAD using PowerPoint. Following is a description of the material to be covered.

For a 3D printing Newbie, using 3D design software can be a bit intimidating, so let’s simplify things and start learning Computer Aided Design with software we may already know, namely PowerPoint, and a technique I call 2 and-a-Half D CAD. You will learn how to use advanced PowerPoint drawing tools like bezier curve manipulation and shape subtraction to create useful 2D shapes, including board-and-batten siding, clapboard siding, corrugated roofing, windows, fences, railings, sign supports and more. We will cover how to export PowerPoint pages as PDFs, and convert the PDFs into Stereo Lithography files for 3D printing using the ANYCONV.COM. web site. Finally, we will cover just a few simple object manipulation tricks in TinkerCAD and CURA to manipulate simple objects into more complex ones.

For further information about the clinic, please see Dave’s web site at: https://daackm.github.io

A link to the virtual meeting, to be held via Zoom, will be sent to the membership one week in advance of the meeting.