Week 6

Model from an image

We had to model a 30mmx50mm model, in order to keep the printing times down (a max of 1hr)
So, I could not print anything of my final project, at least nothing came to mind. So I decided to model a PC mouse.

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Why a PC Mouse?

Our assignment, is to create a non subtractive design or rather an addative manufacturing proccess and what better to make such a design, sculpting a mouse with lots of curves?

This cannot be made by a laser-cutterm but rather with thermoplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA).

I searched for some images as my template for the mouse and ended up going with this one

SteelSeries Rival 100

This functioned as the basis for the sculpt, But the design is wholly my own.

I imported the png image to Fusion 360 and needed to calibrate it with the calibrate function of Fusion 360. This was needed to create a dimension for the canvas.

After I had set the postion and the dimensions with the calibrate function, I proceeded to draw a box on the top plane in Fusion 360.

Calibrate the reference image for the Postion and the Dimensions

Box Creation

In order to have symmetrical faces on the 3D box, I mirrored the top face of the box with its opposing face.

Mirror The Faces

Now with the mirrored faces, I want to flatten the bottom of the box and in order to do that, I select the "Bottom" view in the perspective tool. I then proceed to select all bottom faces and right click to select "crease" This will flatten out the rounded edges of the model, but there will still be some curvatures from the other faces.

In order to flatten the creased faces, we reselect all faces and in the "Modify" list we select the flatten command. We now have a flat surface.

Flatten the Bottom of the Box

From here, we can sculpt the model according to the reference image

Sculpt Mouse to the reference.

I followed this tutorial, for the basis for the sculpting

Finish the sculpting in your own vision of any 3D model the wy you want to, but coming back to the mouse.
I wanted to add a scroll wheel. In oder to do this I first tried to cut a 3D sphere in 3 pieces. This was not the best method, because once I started to move the middle piece away from the cut, it became whole again.

Tried cutting the sphere

What I ended up doing, or the mouse wheel is making a new Body and a new Component.
This method assured met that I could meld the new component into the new body, which I cut into the sculpted mouse.

The Results are not that bad