Resources and references for making stuff with an emphasis on open source and free software.

3D Design:

• Tinekercad (3D modeling and simple circuit design) – https://www.tinkercad.com/
• Shapr3D –  https://www.shapr3d.com/
• SketchUp for education – https://edu.sketchup.com/
• Blender (open source 3D platform) – https://www.blender.org/
• FreeCAD – https://www.freecadweb.org/
• OpenSCAD – https://www.openscad.org/
• Onshape (free accounts for students) – https://www.onshape.com/
• Fusion 360 (free for educational use) – https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview
• SolidWorks (powerful and widely used by hobbyists and professionals) – https://www.solidworks.com/

3D models:

• Thingiverse – https://www.thingiverse.com/
• Printables – https://www.printables.com/
• Cults 3D – https://cults3d.com/
• Pinshape – https://pinshape.com/
• Grabcad – https://grabcad.com/
• Sketchfab – https://sketchfab.com/feed
• 3DExport – https://3dexport.com/
• MyMiniFactory – https://www.myminifactory.com/
• Make Printable (repair and prepare 3D models; costs per download) – https://makeprintable.com/
• NASA 3D Resources (cool) – https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/
• ALL3DP (3D printing magazine) – https://all3dp.com/printables/
• 3Dfindit (visual search engine for 3D CAD, CAE and BIM models) – https://www.3dfindit.com/

2D Design:

• Inkscape (open source vector graphics) – https://inkscape.org/
• GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) – https://www.gimp.org/
• Gravit Designer (online vector graphics) – https://designer.gravit.io/
• Krita (open source painting program) – https://krita.org/en

Programming and Microcontrollers:

• Online IDE (for programming on the go) – https://repl.it/
• Arduino (programmable microcontroller) – https://www.arduino.cc/
• ESP32 help – https://randomnerdtutorials.com/
• Official Python site (quickly accessible programming language) – https://www.python.org/
• Processing (programming language for visual artists; IDE similar to Arduino) – https://processing.org/
• Raspberry Pi Foundation – https://www.raspberrypi.org/
• RetroPi (retro game emulation engine) – https://retropie.org.uk/
• Micro:bit (entry-level microprocessors) – https://microbit.org/
• Wokwi (Simulate IoT Projects in Your Browser) – https://wokwi.com/
• Visual Studio Code – https://code.visualstudio.com/
• Code with Mu (a simple Python editor for beginner programmers) – https://codewith.mu/  

Circuit Design:

• Falstad circuit simulator (Java-based) – http://falstad.com/circuit/
• Falstad circuit simulator (HTML5) – https://lushprojects.com/circuitjs/
• Fritzing (breadboard to circuit design) – https://fritzing.org/home/
• EveryCircuit (one-time $15 fee) – http://everycircuit.com/
• Eagle PCB CAD (free for education) – https://www.autodesk.com/products/eagle/overview?term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription
• KiCad PCB CAD (free and open source) – https://www.kicad.org/
• LED calculator wizard – http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz
• LED series/parallel array wizard – http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz
• 555 calculator – http://www.bowdenshobbycircuits.info/555.htm
• Basic circuits primer – https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_housing_lesson02
• Current and circuits – https://stickmanphysics.com/stickman-physics-home/unit-8-current-and-circuits/

Audio:

• Audacity (open source audio software; record and edit) – https://www.audacityteam.org/
• Friture, a real-time audio analyzer – https://friture.org/

Other Cool Stuff:

• Know your radio waves – https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/january_2016_spectrum_wall_chart.pdf
• DESMOS (one of the best online graphing calculators) – https://www.desmos.com/
• Wolfram|Alpha (one of the best online Computational Intelligences) – https://www.wolframalpha.com/
• UMass Digital Media Lab resources – open source software, books, references, tons of great stuff! https://www.library.umass.edu/dml/software/
• UMass All Campus Makerspace – excellent resource, materials, and HUGE bunch o’ knowledge – https://umassmakers.cloud/
• How Electricity is Measured – an explanation of how we consume electrical energy in our homes – https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/how-electricity-measured
• All things AI/ML – https://huggingface.co/