#2 Computer-aided design
After a very exciting week of exploring 3D Design, I found out that Inventor is the tool that better adjusts to my needs and personal working style. It is a very logical process, and if you catch the essence on how it works, then you can run smoothly through the entire program. I started the process as follows:
1. First I made a few sketches, since my original project idea had changed a little. Instead of proposing an entire traffic light, I figured it out that it was better to just make an adaptable device that can attach to any existent traffic light. I called this device The Parasite.
2. I then made the sketch on Adobe Illustrator, which is a tool that I know very well as a graphic designer.
3. The Parasite will be attached with a pair of magnets to the hood of the traffic light post. This way, it can take a picture to the car plates in case a driver doesn't stop at the red lights.
4. I started experimenting with Tinkercad. It is a very intuitive program. Even though I first had to log in, it is very simple. I didn't needed any tutorial, I just went through and ended up with a very cool model of my project. The program actually looks kind of childish, and sometimes a little bit tricky, not very professional. However, it is a good way to start and get familiar with 3D modeling.
5. I also tried a bit of FreeCad. As a parametric program, it is very similar to Inventor. I watched a Spanish tutorial, but after actually getting hands on with the program, i didn't feel very comfortable. It is still a very good option but I guess it depends on how you feel with the interface.
6. As I said at the beginning, I felt very comfortable with Inventor and I think it is a very good way to get started with 3D modeling and understanding the logics of building complex parts and systems. I have to thank the great teacher Ciro Mejia for his dedication, namely explaining to us how to use Inventor. I think that the way he teaches was crucial to my understanding. Now I have a great foundation to keep exploring 3D design with this useful tool.
7. Despite these positive aspects, I struggled a lot while assembling the parts of the Parasite, and I finally couldn't get it done. It is not crucial for this system to be well assembled because it is more like a box in which other parts are going to be attached (antenna, sensors, camera, etc). So in the end I just put all the parts together myself, and it looks ok. But the archive is no good. I will keep working with Ciro's help to keep improving my skills with this tool.
