Design and Print Without A PC

[KenW]

I usually use FreeCAD and Cura on a Linux PC, but I'm away for the Christmas break visiting family and brought my Tina2 with me with the intention of printing some pre-prepared models.

However, I also got a hankering to design something, and wondered whether it would be possible using just an iPad and an Internet connection.

The long and the short of it is, apparently, "no".

I signed up to TinkerCAD and created a design on the web. It was a bit perplexing, I couldn't find a way to create a sketch outline and then extrude it into the third dimension, and there seems to be no way to fit text to a curved path (not text on a curved surface as all the tutorials demonstrate), but I found a work-around using individual letters and arranging them manually to emboss text into a surface using subtraction.

That seems to be the modus operandum for TinkerCAD: add or subtract primitive solids.

I note there is a TinkerCAD app for iOS, I didn't try it.

So then I was able to download a .stl, how to slice it for my Tina2?

I thought the Pikaslice app might be the answer, if it has Tina2 support – but there seems to be no way to find out without actually installing the app, okay...

Huge disappointment that the app only seemed to have support for three manufacturers, but then a tip popped up to install a load more so I did, and there was even Weedo in the list... but only for the X40. Humph!

Next I had a search for on-line slicer services, and several "converters" offered to convert .stl to .gcode but I envisaged no likelihood they would be configurable for bed adhesion, support etc. Astroprint didn't seem to offer Tina2, and other services seemed geared towards ordering your print through them.

I even tried installing Cura on a Raspberry Pi, it has been forked for the ARM64, but only Cura 4 (which does not include Tina2 presets).

In the end I was offered use of a Linux Mint machine, installed the latest Cura and all was well (so I could have used FreeCAD for the design in the first place!).

[Antipodean]

Another online CAD program to try is Fusion360 - yeah I know it is by one of those software companies you love to hate, but it may get you to your goal easier than TinkerCAD.

[KenW]

Another online CAD program to try is Fusion360 - yeah I know it is by one of those software companies you love to hate, but it may get you to your goal easier than TinkerCAD.

Both by AutoDesk. Yes, I agree Fusion might be more appropriate for engineering models, but I was pleased to sample TinkerCAD to be aware of its particular merits for non-engineering 3D modelling (and it can do circuit design and simulation too).

But as the whole process can't be done online (including slicing, so far), I have no need.

I think it will be quite something when there is a Tina2-compatible slicer available for the Raspberry Pi. FreeCAD includes Linux/Aarch64 in its appimage builds, so although I haven't tried it there is a possibility of having a full design and print facility in your pocket. Just need Cura to do the same.

[KenW]

It turns out I might have been able to slice on-line using AstroPrint. It's not obvious, but I have spotted in YouTube videos a download option for the slicer results rather than only being able to send them to a fab.