February 01, 2023

Week 2

Computer-aided design

This week's fun assignment was:

  • Model (raster, vector, 2D, 3D, render, animate, simulate, ...) a possible final project;
  • Compress your images and videos, and post it on your class page

For the final project

  • Model a print in place hinge;
Week 2

Computer-aided design

Some vectors and some not so much vector

I use Fusion 360 in Windows. It's actually one of the few reasons why i have Windows in double boot as I usually only use Linux for work and for whatever else in life.
I decided to investigate if it was at all possible to use Fusion in Linux and found that there is a snap install altought in beta.
By the way, I do know about the web version. I just prefer to use the desktop version.
Here is the link for the Snap install: Fusion 360 Snap
So, opened the terminal and typed: sudo snap install --beta fusion360 --devmode

The installation went alright and I took the time to install Blender. I already have Inkscape installed.
So tried to run Fusion in Linux and it took a while to load. I was expecting it to be faster.
I was able to open the file I had been working on in Windows and it was all there but it was sooooo slow i decided to give up
The course is pretty fast paced so it doesn't allow me to fumble around trying to find a solution for something that is not really necessary in this moment
I will try to find a solution for this later.

Remenber me writing that Fusion is just one of the reasons I keep Windows around? The other ones are Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Audition and Premiere

Back in Windows to run Fusion 360.
On the top of my head a couple of things that one should never forget:

That last one is transversal to every pice of software that one uses. I have seen people using inches in Fusion 360 and that is just wrong.

Changing measurements
Changing measurements in Adobe Illustrator

That last one is transversal to every piece of software that one uses. I have seen people using inches in Fusion 360 and that is just wrong for me.

My first step was to measure a tshirt. I remov.ed the background in Photoshop and added the lines in Adobe Illustrator

tshirt measurements

Then in Adobe Illustrator added the measurements simulating the folding segments.

tshirt measurements

After the initial setup of Illustrator, I started by drawing a simple rectangle but things moved fast as I alreay know how to use illustrator

tshirt measurements
First square

Things moved so fast that in a couple of minutes i had a file ready to send to Lightburn. Lightburn is the software i use for my Laser Cutter

tshirt measurements
Bad contrast, but file is ready
tshirt measurements
Lightburn. File ready for Laser cutting

Replicating the process in Inkscape.

I also did the same design but in Inkscape.

The tool is a lot like Illustrator so the design process is the same.

I used the "create rectangles and squares" tool and well as the "Draw bezier curves and straight lines" tools

Board layout in Inkscape
Inkscape file

One thing that I noticed is that the file size is a lot smaller in Inkscape than in Illustrator as it saves in SVG.

Board layout in Inkscape
Inkscape file

Start modeling in Fusion 360

Back in Windows to run Fusion 360.

So, I started modeling in Fusion 360. I started by creating a new project and like I wrote before, the first step is to save

save it

After that, we see if our measurements are fine

Defining measurements
CM or MM?

Almost everyone has a different way of working in Fusion 360, so there are some other configurations that one can look into:

Defining measurements
Other settings

Fusion 360 comes with Tutorials and they are very good

other settings
Getting help
other settings
Other settings

Now we are first going to create a sketch, turn it into a component, add a repeating pattern and then clone it because we have two parts that are equal.
I'm going to sketch, extrude, constrain, offset and in the end a simple animation.
I'm also going to model a parametric, print-in-place, hinge.

New components
Creating a component

My instructors warned me about torque and the weight of the boards, so I decided that by removing material the boards will be lighter.
Fusion has a cool tool for this as one can control the number of repetitions

New components
Adding a rectangular pattern
New components
A fillet just for style

And now...the Extrusion!

New components
3mm for the MDF and a lot to cut the board

Time to duplicate!
In Fusion there are a couple of ways to duplicate and one must be carefull cause some of this ways link components.
I usually just to "paste to new"

New board

Now I just had to repeat the process for the middle boards

Middle boards

Modeling a parametric Hinge that is a print in place for the final project

So this part is going to be used in the final project. Well, probably not this one but this principle.
In fusion a user can define User Parameters and use this values in equations

User parameters
Defining a user parameter

Now we can use this parameteres in equations

Using parameters
Notice the way that the distance is set.

Another example

Parametric equation

One hinge almost complete

Almost complete hinge

First version

Final version

A simple animation made in Fusion 360

Fusion has a animation interface integrated.
It is very simple to use and it is very intuitive but it does lack some features that I would like to see in the future.
One of those features is the export of mp4.
But it was usefull to test my ffmpeg skills.

Printing the hinge

Final version

I tried printing the hinge.
It printed ok but still needs work.

Trying out Blender

I'm trying out Blender to compare it do Fusion 360. I have used Blender a long time ago so I did a Tutorial do refresh (actually learn everything

Blender is a very powerful tool and it is free. It is also very complex and it has a steep learning curve.
I'm going to try to use it to make something simple.

Blender
Blender as opened
Blender
Trying out the planes
Blender
Extruding

So I didn't finish the project but i did get the hang of it. Currently i do prefer Fusion 360 more, as I just know how to use it more.

I will certanly use Blender in the future.


Files


Learned this week (in no special order)

  • How to animate in Fusion 360;
  • Adding parametric personalization to a model;
  • Creating a print in place 3D model for printing;
  • Shape constrains;

Usefull commmands:

Variable bit rate 1080p MP3:

Ffmpeg -i input_video -vcodec libx264 -crf 25 -preset medium -vf scale=-2:1080 -acodec libmp3lame -q:a 4 -ar 48000 -ac 2 output_video.mp4

Fixed bit rate 1080p MP2:

ffmpeg -i input_video -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1000k -vf scale=-2:1080 -acodec mp2 -b:a 256k -ar 48000 -ac 2 output_video.mp4

No audio:

ffmpeg -i input_video -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1000k -vf scale=-2:1080 -an output_video.mp4

Crop size (width:height:xoffset:yoffset):

ffmpeg -i input_video -vf crop=1500:800:200:100 -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1000k -an output_video.mp4

Trim time (-ss start time, -t duration):

> ffmpeg -i input_video -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1000k -an -ss 00:00:10 -t 00:00:10 output_video.mp4

Mix audio and video:

ffmpeg -i input_video -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1000k -vf crop=1120:876:0:100 -i input_audio -acodec mp2 -b:a 256k -ar 48000 -ac 2 -ss 00:00:20 -t 00:00:20 output_video.mp4

Crop, pan, composite:

ffmpeg -i input_video_1 -i input_video_2 -filter_complex '[1:v]crop=175:95:930:860[cropout];[cropout]scale=350:190[scaleout];[0:v][scaleout]overlay=10:10[outv]' -map '[outv]' -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1000k -map 0:a -acodec mp2 -b:a 256k -ac 2 -t 00:00:05 output_video.mp4

Numbered images to video:

ffmpeg -r 30 -i %04d.jpg -vcodec libx264 -b:v 1000k -vf scale=-2:1080 -an output_video.mp4

Notes and Thoughts

  • This computer doesn't have the necessary performance for complex 3D Modeling;
  • I should learn more Blender;
  • I really have to draw the full projecto to understand how it all works;
  • To model or edit images one should use a mouse. The trackpad doesn't cut it;