Are you looking for 3D modeling apps, tools, and resources that you can use with your students? If so, we have you covered. Check out our list below. Let us know if there are any that we missed.

3D Brain– Apps and AXS Biomedical Animation Studiodeveloped 3D Brain for the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center. The app provides 29 interactive structures and detailed information about the anatomy and physiology of the brain. It also explains how the brain is affected by mental disorders and brain injury; each detailed structure also includes information on functions, case studies, and links to modern research.

3D Molecules Edit & Test Interactive Simulations– Helps high school or college chemistry students learn by building 3-D models of organic and inorganic compounds for simple practice or for 3-D printing. Molecules can be viewed in 3-D using the stick, ball, and stick and space-filling (CPK) models.

3DC– A user-friendly app for building 3-D models. Because of its complexity, CAD is not accessible to most people. The 3DC app offers an alternative solution that uses basic shapes such as cubes and spheres, to create complex 3-D models. All these can be created by moving, resizing, and rotating these shapes to build whatever object the user wants. Models can be downloaded from an in-app gallery.

Build and Play 3D– If your children are fans of Bob the Builder or Lightning McQueen, this game may help to bolster their creativity. They learn to build various types of automotive devices in 3-D; the game is suitable for children between the ages of 3 and 5. Model assembly is made easier for your young ones by the clicking sound the parts make when they are fitted in the right place. Well assembled models come to life, and this encourages them to do more.

Explain 3D: Tropical and African Animals– Immerse yourself in the 3-D world of the tropical and African rainforests. Experience the majestic beasts that live in these regions in detailed 3-D animations, sounds, and wonderful effects. See lions, cheetahs, rhinos, crocodiles, gazelles, hippos, etc. in their natural habitats.

Explain 3D: How Cars Work– Feed your fascination with cars on this fun app. It contains eleven 3-D detailed simulations of the main systems of a car, such as car engines and friction clutches. This app offers a modern, interactive learning experience for children, teachers, and parents.

Explain 3D: How Things Work– Explain 3D: How things work is an all-encompassing learning experience for anyone who wants to learn a variety of topics ranging from cars to the universe to electricity. All topics come with beautiful 3-D simulations to explain the concepts.

itSeez3D– Scan your family and friends and anything you would like to capture in 3-D such as bags, shoes, toys, and so on with this mobile 3-D scanner. This is done with the use of an iPad with the Occipital’s Structure Sensor to capture color and structure any information before processing them into 3-D models. You can then share it on sketchfab.com from the app and become a member of the 3-D community.

Scann3D– Scann3D (patent pending) is photogrammetry technology designed to allow true 3-D model capture and reconstruction for smartphones and tablets, making your device a standalone tool for turning images into 3-D models, which can be stored, shared, and edited by third-party applications. It also allows the processing of all your images by and on your device. This app provides absolute privacy to its users as it does not store any of the user’s models without prior consent; it can also be used in augmented or virtual reality applications.

Sense 3D Scanner– Sense 3D Scanner changes the way you work. Fast, uncomplicated, portable, and practical, it presents full-color 3-D scanning for use in your home, school, and business. It is the first USB-powered handheld scanner to use the ultimate short-range scanning technology from Intel, the RealSense SR300 3D camera. By making use of HD cameras and a highly sensitive infrared projector, the RealSense technology permits a closer scan range and higher resolution than former generation devices.

Shapes 3D Geometry Drawing– This app allows you to sketch line segments, cross-sections within 3-D shapes, and pivot solids to access a better view and detect what you can build inside them. You can peruse 27 shapes, effortlessly rotate solids and examine their properties, sketch line segments across two points, create cross-sections, and 2-D shapes within the solids. This app also allows you to detect vertices, edges, and faces.     

Spacecraft 3D – Spacecraft 3-D is an augmented reality app that uses the camera on a phone or tablet to allow students to interact with and explore NASA’s spacecraft. Students can see how the spacecraft move, view them from all angles, and learn about the engineering used to create them. Spacecraft are organized into categories based on the location of their mission, so for classes studying specific planets, it is simple to find only the spacecraft associated with that planet. This app would be a valuable addition to the science or astronomy classroom or as an at-home extension for students fascinated by space.

Toontastic 3D – Toontastic 3D lets students design, draw, and animate their own cartoons. The app records students’ voices and animations and stores the cartoons as a 3-D video. Students can add themselves to their cartoons with the option to import photos. There are three pre-made story arcs that students can choose from (short story, classic, and science report), or they can create their own. For students that need additional inspiration, there is an idea lab full of stories, characters, and settings to explore.