2. Computer Aided Design¶

This week I worked through and learned how to use many different CAD software types. I was challenged to create my final project in as many different formats as I could. Included in this are 2D depictions such as Raster and Vector, as well as 3D depictions such as Modeling, Rendering, and Animating. Below you will read in depth about the processes I took to complete this assignment and see how it was built up from concept to computer aided design. These files will then be used to machine and complete my final project, The Solar Panel Leaf Light.

Research¶

The research in this project consisted of downloading and testing out multiple different computer aided design software types. I was challenged to test out as many different packages as I could in the week given for the assignment and then use them to create my final project in as many depictions as possible.

Useful links to downloads of programs used¶

• Gimp Free to Download
• Inkscape Free to Download
• Fusion 360 Free to Trial, Free to Download with .edu account

2D Depictions¶

Gimp¶

Raster Depiction¶

Gimp is where I started with 2D animation. I wanted to create a Raster Version of my final project idea. A raster version is made of pixels. Gimp is a program I have never used and found complicated at first. I am well versed with CorelDraw and I am far more familiar with tools, locations, and applications of the software. Gimp is a free software to install and can be used to create 2D drawings, paints, and text.

My first design was a very basic frustrating paint drawing. It took me more time with the software to complete a simplistic idea of my Final Project than I would have thought.

After working more with Gimp I was able to recreate this basic raster paint depiction into a raster shape depiction that is more detailed. This was helpful to clear up confusion with some of the tools and how they can be applied to the working file.

The final documentation was saved as a PNG and exported to a JPEG to compress the size and save room.

Overall I took many steps in completing the GIMP depiction.

1. I began with the Eclipse Tool to create the top of the shape. I used the Paint Bucket to then fill my eclipse with a green swatch I created using Colors. This represents the top of the bottom half. In each depiction I show my overall project split through the seam in order to show more detail of how my project will come together. This allows me to represent the depth in each piece that will be used for housing the board, micro controller, wiring, and RGB LED.
2. I then used to Rectangle Tool to build off of the eclipse and add body to my depiction. I used the Paint Bucket to also fill this with my same green swatch. I then used the Order Tool to bring the eclipse to the front of the document.
3. I then created another rectangle using the Rectangle Tool and sized it down thin and small. I used the Paint Bucket to then fill that rectangle with Black. This rectangle I placed on the bottom of the Green one previously created and moved it to the back layer. This represents a black solar panel added to the bottom.
4. I duplicated the steps to create the eclipse and placed it in the document above the first half of my constructed depiction. Replicating the size, shape, and coloration.
5. I then duplicated the steps for the rectangle tool as well, including shape, size and coloration.
6. I used the Eclipse Tool again to create a smaller eclipse. I used the Paint Bucket to color it black. I ordered it to the back of the page and aligned it to come out of the top slightly. This represents the vacuum formed plastic mold for the soft lighting. I also used the Eclipse Tool to create two eclipses placed into the faces of the green ones previously made. This was done to represent depth.
7. My final step was to add text to label the project and save my file. I exported it as a PNG and completed the steps for conversion.

Inkscape¶

Vector Design¶

Vector Designs are created from lines, as apposed to raster which is considered the pixel form.

After working with Inkscape I can see the similarities more to CorelDraw (which I have previously used). I was able to recreate this basic Vector depiction based on the drawing I had sketched in week one.

The final documentation was saved as a PNG and exported to a JPEG to compress the size.

Overall I took many steps in completing the Inkscape depiction.

1. I began with the Eclipse Tool to create the top of the shape.
2. I created a rectangle and placed it below the eclipse from step one. This represents the body of my design. I arranged it to the back of the page so that the eclipse would sit on top. I created a second rectangle and repeated these steps to place it under the rectangle that represents the body of the design. I scaled it to the correct size and used this to represent the solar panel.
3. I then duplicated the whole design and placed it above the current shapes. I rotated it so that it would represent the top half of my design. I replaced the rectangle that represented the solar panel with an eclipse and placed it to the back of the page. This represents the vacuum formed plastic light filter.
4. In the vector version of the Eclipse tool, the fill is not used to represent depth, such as the black eclipse in the raster version. Aligning two eclipses by their center point and scaling one down will represent depth. I used this process to create two eclipses. I placed them into the larger eclipses that represents the face of my design.
5. Using the Text Tool I added some description to my overall finished design.

3D Depictions¶

Modeling¶

Modeling is the first step to creating a 3D CAD file. You must first create the shape, or base, of what your design requires. Many different CAD Software can help to achieve this. I had originally designed my project in Blender. However, I realized that Blender was better for artistic use. I started over modeling in Fusion 360 which is more architectural.

1. I started by modeling my project base in Fusion 360. I watched many different tutorials to learn as much as I could about the tools and their parameters. I started a sketch on a plane. Fusion 360 works by “sketching” or creating your design directly onto a face or a plane.
   • I learned that it is very important to orient your beginning sketch with the correct plane (X, Y or Z). This will help to control the 3D view and make it easier in the long run to render and animate.
2. I then used the hot key Q as my extruding tool. I selected the shape I created. The face turned light blue and I knew it was ready to work with. I then extruded my shape to an accurate thickness equaling 1.5 inches.
3. I then used the offset tool to create my indented depth. This allowed me to keep my entire project parametric. This meaning that when I adjusted it from one thickness to another it would complete that action all the way around. When the face is blue that means it is selected and what you are working with is active. I selected my shape. I set my shape to offset by .25 inches all the way around. I then used my hot key Q to cut into the shape depth. I was then able to set it at a certain distance from the bottom of my shape. This allowed me to control the thickness of the remaining material. That completed the basic shaping for my bottom piece.
4. With my bottom piece constructed I then moved onto constructing my top piece. With the basic construction complete I decided to copy and paste the bottom. I moved this above the bottom model. I was then able to title my new component as lid. I moved it up along the Z axis so that I could work with this specific component separate from the rest of my components.
5. I was able to adjust the extrusion on this piece to be parametrically locked to the bottom face. This then opened my model to be able to create the soft light filter representation. I did this by creating a new face between the boarder pieces I had just created. I then extruded this piece upward. I added an adjustment to the top of the extrusion to pull it to the middle. This represented the bubbled shape of the soft light filter.
6. I then moved my lid down to the bottom representation to be sure that they still lined up and were compatible components.
7. My next step was to create the solar panel representation. It was important that I started my sketch on the bottom face of the bottom piece. I knew I needed a through hole for my solar panel electronics to interact with the circuitry on the inside of the leaf light. I started by creating a sketch on the face where I wanted the through hole. I then used the circle tool to create what I thought would be an accurate representation of the size I would need to make the hole. I used my hot key Q to extrude the circle all the way through to the inside representation of the bottom piece. I also set this to be parametrically locked so that if it was ever adjusted the through hole would adjust with it.
8. Knowing I needed to then construct a rectangle I began another sketch on the same face I placed the through hole on. I then build a two point rectangle. I added the dimensions to represent the hight, length and width of the actual solar panel I would like to use.
   • Keeping in mind that the through hole will be covered by the panel in the final creation. The overlapping in the model is for representation.
9. With the completion of my conceptual idea and each part included in the construction of the model I moved on to the Rendering Stage.

Complications in Modeling¶

There were a few complications I would like to address with the modeling stage. You will notice in the illustration below that when I first constructed the through hole I was not familiar with how the extrusion tool works. It shows that the through hole itself was represented in the solar panel. This is incorrect and would not be an accurate representation. I learned that the extrusion tool is a powerful tool in Fusion 360 and has many different operational uses. If you do not select the correct parts of the faces to extrude this can cause complications. It is important to pay attention to the small details as you go. I also had to adjust the size of the rectangle I was extruding to make an accurate representation of the solar panel. In the illustration below you will see where I had originally made my first representation much too small and not accurate to the actual size.

The other complication I had was in the initial construction of my model. When I began using Fusion 360 I was challenged with how to get the shape I needed. The leaf shape is not a basic shape to make. (The numbered complications line up with the illustration below.)

1. When I first tried to create my shape with the line tool it ended up with sharp corners instead of the more organic arc shape I was going for. I then found a three point arc tool in the sketch options.
2. However, when I first started attempting to make my shape with the arc tool I clicked to place the first point on the negative x axis, the second point I placed between the negative x and y axis, my third point I placed on the negative y axis. When I attempted to make the rest of my leaf shape it came out lumpy from all the points I had used to create the shape.
3. I finally figured out the three point arc tool and created the correct shape.
4. However, I tried to then use my hot key Q to extrude the face and it instead only extruded the walls of the shape. This took me quite some time to figure out that I needed to have the face of the shape I created selected to extrude the shape.

These are all happy mistakes I have now learned from and feel much more proficient in using Fusion 360.

Rendering¶

Rendering is when you take the model you have just finished making and add accurate texture, lighting and color. You then use the Render tool to take a capture of your final stage in the creation of your representation.

In the Render View of Fusion 360 I was able to apply texture and color to my gray model. However, I realized that my model appeared to be floating in mid air. I decided to go back to the Design View and build an L shape with the line tool and extrude to add my shelf in view. I made my shelf excessively tall and wide in order to keep the edges from appearing in the renders or animation. I was able to texture this the same way as my final project and add an image of my sketches to the shelf.

In order to add texture to a face open the Appearance Tool (in the top tool bar next to the view option represented by a color wheel thumbnail). It automatically provides you with a list of different textures you could apply. You selected the ones you want and add to your queue. When you assign your texture you drag it onto the face where you want it applied. Each face can have its own texture representing different materials. Fusion 360 provides many different material options such as woods, plastics, mirror materials, metals and even allows you to choose different color and opacity options.

When all these actions were complete and my model was applied with all the texture it needed I was able to Render the shot. I used the view tool in the top right corner (it appears as a box with the different faces and arrows to allow directional changes) to adjust the view. When the view was as I wanted, I then clicked the tea pot thumbnail labeled Render. You have the choice to use your local rendering or to push it to the cloud to render. I chose to locally render and was really please with the results.

Animating¶

Animating my model means that I add motion to it. My project isn’t intended to move but I can show motion by displaying the inside. I animated my project to slide apart. The top slides to the right and then makes a spin. The back then completes a spin showing the solar panel on the back with the through hole for the electronics. The animation then slides the front back over and zooms out for the final shot. I was attempting to do a simulation, however there are no plans for applying any physics to my project. It is meant to sit on a windowsill and produce light.

1. My first step was to change the view form render view to animation view. This then provided me with the ability to record my movements with the model and the camera. I set the camera to the starting point.
2. I then began my steps to recording my animation. My first move was to click the time slider at the bottom of the screen and adjust it from zero to two seconds. I then slid the lid of my model to the right using the transform tool (located at the top with options and looks like 4 arrows pointing up, down and side to side). These two functions combined recorded the movement.
3. I moved the time slider up from two seconds to four. I then selected the lid of my model again and had it spin 180 degrees, also using the transformation tool. This exposed the inside of my model to be seen.
4. I slid the time slider to six seconds. I then rotated the back piece of my model 180 degrees to show the back section where the solar panel and through hole are located.
5. I moved the time slider up two more seconds to eight seconds. This time however I decided to include multiple movements. I spun both the back and the front by 180 degrees so that they were facing the correct direction.
6. I moved the time slider another two seconds and used that time to slide the front back over the back and put my model together again. I then zoomed out and ended the animation.
7. I then published my animation to my computer, which saved the video to my desktop.

3D Animation¶

In order to save room on my site I decided to use Youtube and post a link to my video.

From Youtube¶

Files -¶

Download Gimp Zip

Download Inkscape Zip

Download Fusion 360 Zip