Charles Oduk: Fab Academy 2K19 Webpage

Week 3: Computer Aided Design

This week's main objective was to have knowledge on how to use the various Computer Aided Design (CAD) softwares to sketch, design and draw any object.

Assignment:

  1. Model (raster,vector, 2d, 3d, render, animate, simulate) a possible final project using the variety of CAD softwares and post it on your FabAcademy webpage.

Solution:

During my 5 years engineering course, CAD was a unit that was taught and examined. I thus had knowledge of Computer Aided Design softwares with major interest in Autodesk investor, AutoCAD and basic knowledge in SolidWorks.

However all the CAD softwares I had used before(mentioned earlier) ONLY OPERATE ON WINDOWS COMPUTER. My windows computer broke down earlier this week thus I could not use any of these softwares for my design. My ubuntu LINUX computer worked well but again couldnt install any CAD software: leaving me with the last option of using an online CAD platform. I then settled on ONSHAPE online CAD platform: I still however had to learn how to use it while at the same sharpen my CAD skills: Youtube tutorials came in handy with this.

ONSHAPE online CAD platform

So basically ONSHAPE allows a design platform that is operated online with a bunch of useful CAD functions.

Advantages of using ONSHAPE:

  1. Online storage: thus no need for local storage.
  2. Files are accessible anywhere anytime with any computer.
  3. Straight forward Commands and functions: making it easy to understand.
  4. One can easily convertthe CAD files into other formats and download them to a local computer.
  5. Other ONSHAPE users can not make changes on another users' files as the accounts are password protected.
  6. A change made on a part is automatically updated on the final assembly thus reducing functions a designer needs to do.

The ONSHAPE platform:

The platform allows for various functions such as: 2D skteching, 3D modelling transformations(extrude, revolve, holde, fillet, chamfer, group, shell, pattern etc.) and further design individual parts which can then be assembled.

1. Rough sketches

To make the work organised, I first sketched the design on paper and dimensioned all the Final Project parts I need to draw on my CAD.

I then proceeded to 2D sketch on ONSHAPE

2. 2D sketches

ONSHAPE allows one to perform both 2D sketches and develop them to 3D objects. I thus followed these steps:

The following are some samples of the 2D sketches I made on ONSHAPE.

3. 3D sketches

Once the 2D sketches is made, it can further be transformed to a 3D object as a part on the studio:

The following are some samples of the 3D objects I designed on ONSHAPE.

One of the great features of ONSHAPE is the ability to make a correction on one 3D studio part and automatically update on the final assembly. Thus a designer doesnt need to keep correcting any 3D studio part on the assembly which could prove to be tideous.

During my design I encountered various mismeasurements that would not align with the assebled parts as intended,this correction feature helped me. See attached sample pictures of this.

The holes in these two angle lines were not concentric and the other side angle was short.

I went back to the 3D modelling of the studio part and made the correction which were then automatically updated on the assembly as shown below:

4. Assembly

After designing the 3D studio parts, I assembled the whole project on an assembly tab provided on the ONSHAPE tabs platform:

Below is the image of my final assembly:

The CAD design at this point is not conclusive and final as there are some components I am yet to purchase measure and include in my design. This would be a work in progress as the FabAcademy project advances.

Problems encountered this week:

  1. My windows computer broke down I thus had to seek a sokution for this; unfortunately, the other computer I have from work operates on Ubuntu linux software. An OS I had never used before. My instructor however helped me work around this by helping become familiar with Ubuntu.
  2. For the above problem, I had to learn a new CAD design software that could operate on Ubuntu or Online. I thus settled on ONSHAPE online CAD design platform.

Downloads

  1. TOP
  2. LEFT SIDE
  3. BACK
  4. SIDE ANGLE-LINES
  5. DOOR