GRAPHIC DESIGN
WATER ROCKETS
OTHER / MISC.
SOUND
3D MODELING & 3D PRINTING
INTERIOR DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
PROGRAMING & VIDEOGAME DESIGN
ENGINEERING
IN THIS SECTION YOU WILL FIND INFORMATION RELATED TO A VARIETY OF TOPIC AREAS.
THIS INCLUDES LINKS TO SOFTWARE, TUTORIALS, HANDOUTS, VIDEOS AND MORE.
If you need to create floor plans or basic room renderings, thier is probably no easier tool to use that Autodesk Homestyler. It is an application geared for interior design.
You can layout rooms, place furniture, paint walls and create hi-resolution renderings of rooms with ease using this. It would be a great way to design your dream room!
It is a free applicaiton that is available without having to download it. Their are two versions - the traditional, and the new and improved floor planner Beta edition. I recomend the beta version of the program because it is easier to use and the renderings seem to be more believable.
If you need help getting up and running try clicking the black arrow that says Homestyler Help for tutorials on how to use the program.
If you are more interested in creating full buildings than individual rooms, Revit might be the program for you. It allows a user to see and make changes to parts of a building while seeing the building from multiple points of view.
The Tech Ed program will hopefully cover this program in the future, but if you would like to get started on it now, you can download the free educational software by clicking "Download Revit" to get to Autodesk's list of free software that you can download. Choose Revit, set up an account and then download!
Code.org is a great starting place for students to learn more about what coding (also called programing) is and jobs related to this skill. They can also try out some basic coding challanges for themselves, building small games and programs.
When you begin exploring Code.org you will initially find out about a coding language called "scratch". It is built to look like puzzle pieces that the users fit together. After you get the basics down, you can switch to a more advanced/traditional coding language in text form. Some of these languages include C++, C+, Python, Java, Ruby on rails, and Laua.
Need a 3D modeling program that works without having to download anything? Check out OnShape, another program for designing 3D objects by the company that makes one of the leading professional 3D applications, Solidworks.
It works similar to Inventor, but you may have to watch a few tutorials to get up and running. This would be a good solution for less powerful computers or chromebooks. To access the site click the button that says Use OnShape. To view tutorials, click on the button that says OnShape Help.
Autodesk Inventor is a powerful parametric 3D modeling software. It allows students design object to be 3D printed and/or create detailed plans with measurements to print. Inventor, like many autodesk products, can be downloaded by students free for educational uses. Click the link "Download Inventor" to get to Autodesk's list of free software that you can download. Choose Inventor Professional, set up an account and download away!
If you ever need a little bit of help, consider accessing the tutorials linked here. They can help you work through a problem right away, and help cement your knowledge of the program more permanantly.
Also, the videos below deals with how to build a piece of furniture, and also how to do 3D sketches, which are advanced - but powerful features. If you want more advanced videos about how to use inventor, search on youtube and you will find a lot.
Pixlr Editor is a free 2D design program (similar to Photoshop) made by Autodesk. It is available online to any computer with an internet connection, no download required. This is the program we currently us in the Tech Ed program at BGMS for editing photos and graphics. If you are using the program at home and need some help with creating a certain effect, I have linked a collection of tutorials here.
Unity is type of software (known as a game engine) used to develop videogames and other virtual environments. You bring 3d models, textures code and other elements into unity and organize it into a space that you can move around in and experience as if you were in a real location.
Knowing how to use this kind of software is a valuable skill set for students to devlop because it is related to many growing industries, including archetecture, graphic design, animation, film, programing and of course videogames.
You can download unity on your home computer for free by clicking on the Download Unity button (keep in mind it is a big/memory intensive program). You can find tutorials about how to us unity by clicking the Unity Help button.
Processing is a coding language that was developed to attract visual thinkers like artists, designers and engineers. This makes it an ideal language for getting students started when learning coding as well. With just a few lines of code, and some basic principles - students can begin to make things appear on screen, change color, move, and become interactive.
If you would like to download the processing application for your computer you can do so by clicking on the download processing button. To view tutorials related to the basics of learning processing click the processing help button.To visit the official processing reference page (like a dictionary of all the words you can write with code, and what each word means) click the reference button. for examples of processing sketches online, click the open processing button. Use the search feature on these websites to learn locate specific phrases or concepts. I have also included a coding cheat sheet which I will update occasionally and you can download by clicking the coding cheet sheet button. Enjoy!
CodeCombat is an adventure style videogame that students can play and control by learning to write code. As you progress from one level to the next, you will be presented with lessons about writing new types of code. As you improve, you will earn armor, weapons and special abilities.
Don't think learning can be fun, I dare you to try this game. Also, be sure to sign up/login with an e-mail so you can save your progress!
Pixar and Khan Academy are collaborating to create, develop, and promote a series of learning tutorials that demonstrate how math, science, engineering, and the arts are a vital part of the magic and wonder of the Pixar filmmaking process.
Khan Academy is an exelent website that teaches students about all different kinds of subjects. They have courses that range from art history to science and are especially helpfull if you need some help in math.
The Pixar in a box course lets your learn about and try out some of the jobs of the people who work at pixar, including animation, character design, programing, and more!
Click the link to try it out, and be sure to sign in with an e-mail address to save and track your progress!