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Assignment 3 - Computer-aided design

The assigment 3 is to 3D model a possible final project approximation design, desmostrating how I did it, including original design files.

2D & 2.5D DESIGN

Photoshop

I am very familiar with photoshop because of my architectural background, I know the basic things that you need to use it, such as, modifiying a picture, exporting files, creating layer, etc.

Very important for me in photoshop is how to modify the pixel sizes of pictures into the html file and make it a small file in order to upload it to GITLAB.

GIF GENERATOR

To generate a file .gif I used google photos or GIFMAKER to simple work on the website bowser.

Ilustrator

I'm also very familiar with Ilustrator, specially how to vectorize a sketch or even make poster or master documents, among others. I really prefer this software because the platfom allows you to work in a infinite space, like rhinoceros.

3D MODELLING

I know there are plenty of sofwares for 3D modelling proposes such as the ones I tried although my knowledge about Rhinoceros, for instance Freecad is free use and simple to learn but not to make complicated shapes, in the other hand Fusion 360 is also free use and not as simpler than Freecad but Fusion 360 allows to make very complex 3d modells plus it comes with funtions to render, animate, sumulate, among others which makes a full package in the design world. I recomended very much to the new designers Fusion 360, how his name is it´s definitely a big fusion of functions.

Rhinoceros makes me everything much easier for the simple reason of 10 years using it so far.

Freecad

I downloaded the software from the Freecad website, it's a very simply process plus something that I really like is a free use software. Something to have in mind when you need to organized 3D modelling design workshops, so everyone can installed.

Very quickly, I realized how the software works to make simple geometries, join them, intersect them or even modifying the size in X,Y or Z. I think the software has a great potential because also allows a parametric tool to control the design and make the fabrication part easily. I recommended it very much specially for design beginners.

Fusion 360

Fusion 360 is the a 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE tool of its kind. It connects your entire product development process in a single cloud-based platform that works on both Mac and PC. If you have got a Autodesk account you can download the software for free and it's possible to work online or offline as well. I started with a sphere to start making my possible final project device.

I modified the sphere moving only one upper control point.

Then I modified moving the a few middle control points, trying to make to look like a rock.

I like fusion 360 because explote the differents surfaces just as view during the design but still the work is one. So you can choose any surface to modify or you can also modify a group of them.

I decided to make an openning at the same time as modify the piece adding a thinkness to the surface.

I think the software has so much potencial and the platform that use is very friendly, I also recommended very much this software plus it's great you can also get it for free.

Something that I found very interesting is how the software let you add a link on a frame in HTML to visualize, download in real time, exaclty if I have been working how I made it.

Use the left click to orbit, scroll to zoom it and right click to move it.

I tried the render option and I could see how simple and powerfull this tool can be. I'm probably going to start learning more about it to use in my projects.

Rhinoceros 5.0

This is my favorite 3D modelling software, I am very familiar with it, I have been using it for a very long time. I think I stay with Rhinoceros for now, I can make 3D model quicly and I feel much more confident use it.

Continue with my idea of model a rock or stone for the final project, I drawed a ellipse in 2D and divide in 3 parts.

After having the 2 interior division options with the exact measurements I need, I make a ellipsoid from the center making it thicker for now.

I use the command "rebuild" the surface adding more control point in X and Y direction.

After that I typed "cageedit" the surface, adding more control points in Z direction in order to have a bounding box to control this points and modify the piece as I need.

Here you can see how the 3 surfaces were modified very quickly with optons before mentioned.

I copied the sphere, scaled smaller and I put inside, you can also do this by using the command "offset surface" to know exactly how inside you need it.

I sticked with the option of divide the surface with straight lines instead of the curve ones. After that I "extrude" this lines until go out from the surface in order to divided.

I used the command "boolean split" to have 3 different pieces.

This is my first 3D modeling approximation to the design to the device I have in mind. One piece divided in 3 parts, the three together measure 250 mm width, 180 mm long and 100 mm height approximately.

I openned grasshopper inside my rhino file. Using an old definition that I have, I modified it for what I need. I knew it in advanced how to do this, I will try to explain in the following assignment how powerful parametric design Grasshopper could be.

download files.