What You'll Need

This book assumes a basic knowledge of algebra, at the level of understanding positive and negative numbers, fractions, and being able to solve for x in an equation like:   3x + 5 = 4

We explain concepts like raising a number to a power and taking a root, but of course, it is helpful if you have seen those before.

The models were written in the free, open-source CAD program OpenSCAD (OpenSCAD.org). If you don’t have a 3D printer readily available, visualizing and manipulating the models in the OpenSCAD environment will provide some of the experience. OpenSCAD runs on laptop or desktop computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux. As of this writing, OpenSCAD does not run on Chromebooks or tablets. Creating models in OpenSCAD requires learning computer programming skills, but we give enough pointers that someone without that background should be able to manage the basics.

In some cases, though, we have several OpenSCAD models that are used together, and OpenSCAD doesn’t have a good way to support that on the screen without printing out physical models. In those cases, you still should be able to read this book and understand the concepts from our photographs of our 3D printable models if using a 3D printer isn’t an option. We encourage you, though, to print the models on any consumer-level filament-using 3D printer. As we discuss in Chapter 2, decent printers can be found in the under 500 dollar range, and many community libraries have printers available.

Where possible, we also provide examples you can create with common household items, such as paper, a flashlight, rulers, measuring cups, or books. A protractor, a compass for drawing circles, and a compass of the north-finding variety (or compass app on a phone) will also come in handy as you go through the book. Other than a 3D printer, we have tried to stick to supplies that can be purchased cheaply or cobbled together.

312 pages