What is Silhouette ModelMaker™?

Silhouette ModelMaker™ is an easy-to-use educational software tool for creating 3D shapes and converting them into 2-dimentional images that can be cut out and assembled. This software is perfect for classrooms, but can also be used in a home environment to create a variety of 3D paper crafting applications. Providing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subject teaching and learning opportunities, Silhouette ModelMaker™ is simple enough for elementary age curriculum, yet robust enough to transition into high school and beyond.

Models designed in the software’s 3D environment are converted instantly into nets (flat version of the models) that are designed be cut out with a Silhouette cutting machine, such as the Silhouette CAMEO® or Silhouette Portrait®. Build a rocket ship, design a mock-up for a company product, or create an entire model city. The possibilities are endless!

How Does Silhouette ModelMaker™ work?

Design it: Design a 3D shape on the computer with Silhouette ModelMaker™ and display its geometric net, which is an unfolded, segmented version of the 3D shape.

Print it: Print the geometric net generated by Silhouette ModelMaker™ on cardstock with registration marks using a photo quality printer.

Make it: Just like a Print & Cut, the printed geometric net is processed by the Silhouette which scores, perforates, and cuts the net to form fold and cut lines. The trimmed net is then used to build the model.

Features:

Silhouette ModelMaker™ is rich with easy-to-use features, including the following:

  • Draw shapes using your mouse or using a keyboard input wizard
  • Use pre-made shapes including: cuboid, cylinder, pyramid, cone, frustrum, regular or irregular prism, sphere, torus, wedge shape, and platonic solids
  • View images as a wireframes or solid shapes (including the ability to add patterns or images onto shape surfaces)
  • Auto-arrange nets or manually move nets to better fit your material
  • Display 3D designs on-screen with dimensions, axis, and coordinates
  • View shape parameters, properties, and formulas for further math and engineering applications
  • Customize your view with various camera tool and shape rotation options including Immersive View (the ability to go inside your 3D model and walk around!)

ModelMaker uses a native file format (TB4), but can import various file types (STL, SVG, JPG, PNG, BMP), and can export both 3D data and nets.

Silhouette ModelMaker™ supports English plus 24 other languages (Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese).

Who is Silhouette ModelMaker™ for?

Silhouette ModelMaker™ is an educational software that, until now, has only been used in formal classroom settings. Silhouette ModelMaker™ would also be excellent at-home software for hands-on kids interested in STEM subjects, designing, or creating. Silhouette ModelMaker™ gives kids and students the unique opportunity to design something digitally and then see their design come to life within minutes.

Check out Silhouette ModelMaker™ being used in real classrooms in Hawaii, and let your all of your teacher friends know of this amazing software. Silhouette ModelMaker™ gives people of all ages the chance to be thinkers, planners, problem solvers, designers, inventors, mathematicians, and engineers!

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