So you want to enter the iPhone 5 contest we are running to win $500 worth of 3D Printing but you do not know where to start? We uploaded some files to TinkerCad so you can get started and now the team from TinkerCad have taken it one step further with a really handy video showing how to customize an iPhone case in TinkerCad.

TinkerCad is a perfect tool to get started designing for 3D Printing thanks to it's drag and drop capabilities.  Because it is browser based you never need to download or update the software. You always have the latest version.

Thanks again to the team at TinkerCad for putting the video together... 

UPDATE: These files may not be 100% correct, I will double check ASAP...

UPDATE 2: THE CORRECT FILES ARE NOW AVAILABLE, PLEASE SEE DETAILS HERE.

We announced the contest to win $500 worth of Shapeways 3D Printing last week and have already seen a few designs for the iPhone 5 trickle in but we wanted to make it a little easier for you with a few 3D files to download that might help.

We have used the specifications provided by Apple to 3D model a dummy iPhone 5 suitable for 3D Printing in Nylon and one for Full Color 3D Printing, along with a basic case for the iPhone 5 and a basic bumper.

Please note we are waiting for the 3D Prints to come back and of course we have not yet tested them on an iPhone 5 yet..... 

You can download the STL files to modify in your 3D software of choice as long as it supports STL import, we have also uploaded the case to TinkerCad along with the bumper and the dummy iPhone 5 so you can start customizing the design even if you do not have any 3D CAD skills, yet... 

Continuing our series of Solidworks 3D modeling tutorials for 3D Printing by SolidWize, this week they explain Validating your Design with SimulationXpress:

You just received your bright new 3D printed part and the unthinkable happens; it breaks. With the right model prep, this can be avoided. Last week I did a post on creating a one handed bottle opener modeled after the Kebo from Rush Design. The last thing you would want to happen is to have your brand new bottle opener break the first time you use it. That's why in this week's tutorial by SolidWize, I'll be talking about validating your design using SolidWorks SimulationXpress. The most suitable Shapeways material for this use case would be Stainless Steel.

SimulationXpress is a fairly simple tool to use, and can allow you to quickly verify that your model will have adequate strength.

Watch the full tutorial below. If you'd like to follow along, you can download the SolidWorks file from my GrabCad Profile.

simulation xpress from Rohit Mitra on Vimeo.

About the author: Rohit Mitra is the founder of SolidWize.com, a membership based online training system for SolidWorks users.

From time to time, you'll likely come across an image of something you want to create a 3D model from. With SolidWorks, you can use the sketch picture tool to import an image to build from. This Kebo bottle opener by Rush Product Design Studio makes for a great example, and we'll use it in this weeks tutorial from SolidWize.

By bringing the picture into a sketch, you can quickly reproduce the desired geometry inside of SolidWorks using just a few lines, arcs, and the fully define sketch tool.

Watch the full tutorial below. If you right click and save the picture of the Kebo, you'll be able to follow along. You can also download the completed model from the Solidwize Shapeways page.

Kebo Bottle Opener Upload 2 from Rohit Mitra on Vimeo.

Next week's video will cover using Simulation Xpress to validate and optimize your design for a Shapeways Stainless print.

About the author: Rohit Mitra is the founder of SolidWize.com, a membership based online training system for SolidWorks users.

UPDATE: Solidwize is holding a webinar on creating beautiful renders using Photoview 360 next Wednesday, September 12th. Check out http://solidwize.com/webinars for more information.

Autodesk offer free 3 year software licenses under their assistance program for Students, Faculty and Displaced Workers.

This is an awesome program for students and/or the unemployed to get their hands on some professional tools (including 3D modeling software), hone their skills and knowledge of software to make them an asset to an employer or maybe even start your own business.

Software that may be suitable for 3D modeling for 3D Printing with Shapeways include Autodesk Product Design Suite, 3ds Max, Inventor, Maya and AutoCad.

* Free products may not be used for commercial, professional, or other for-profit purposes, and are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies the software.

via Between The Lines.