Useful Links
Curated resources for making, designing, and building
3D Design Tools
- Tinkercad3D modeling and simple circuit design
- Shapr3D
- SketchUp for Education
- BlenderOpen source 3D platform
- FreeCAD
- OpenSCAD
- OnshapeFree accounts for students
- Fusion 360Free for educational use
- SolidWorksPowerful and widely used by hobbyists and professionals
3D Models
- Thingiverse
- Printables
- Cults 3D
- Pinshape
- GrabCAD
- Sketchfab
- 3DExport
- MyMiniFactory
- Make PrintableRepair and prepare 3D models; costs per download
- NASA 3D Resources(cool)
- ALL3DP3D printing magazine
- 3DfinditVisual search engine for 3D CAD, CAE and BIM models
3D Printing Slicers
2D Design Tools
- InkscapeOpen source vector graphics
- GIMPGNU Image Manipulation Program
- Gravit DesignerOnline vector graphics
- KritaOpen source painting program
Programming & Microcontrollers
- ArduinoProgrammable microcontroller
- Repl.itOnline IDE for programming on the go
- ESP32 HelpRandom Nerd Tutorials
- PythonQuickly accessible programming language
- ProcessingProgramming language for visual artists; IDE similar to Arduino
- Raspberry Pi Foundation
- RetroPieRetro game emulation engine
- Micro:bitEntry-level microprocessors
- WokwiSimulate IoT projects in your browser
- Visual Studio Code
- Code with MuA simple Python editor for beginner programmers
- Sublime Text
Addressable LEDs
- FastLEDAddressable LED library for microcontrollers
- FastLED Video TutorialsGetting started tutorials
- WLEDESP8266/ESP32 webserver to control addressable LEDs
- PixelblazeWi-Fi-enabled, live-codable LED controller with web-based dev environment
Circuit Design
- Falstad Circuit Simulator
- FritzingBreadboard to circuit design
- EveryCircuitOne-time $15 fee
- Eagle PCB CADFree for education
- KiCadFree and open source
- EasyEDAIntegrates with JLCPCB for easy circuit board development
- JLCPCB
- LED Calculator
- LED Array Wizard
- 555 Timer Calculator
- Current & Circuits Primer
Other Resources
- DESMOSOne of the best online graphing calculators
- Wolfram|AlphaOne of the best online computational intelligences
- UMass Digital Media LabOpen source software, books, references, tons of great stuff
- UMass All Campus MakerspaceExcellent resource, materials, and extensive knowledge
- Hugging FaceAll things AI/ML
- How Electricity is MeasuredExplanation of how we consume electrical energy in our homes
- Radio Waves Spectrum Chart