WEEK 2: Computer-aided design

As an architect, I've been using CAD software for 15 years, so I'm focusing this week in testing shapes for the final project as well as trying some new softwares I've never tried before. I dedided to use some 2d softwares to start drawing some sketches. I had already used Inkscape, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Gimp which are the most common softwares to work with vectors and with raster images Then I modeled it in 3d using FreeCad and Rhinoceros + Grasshopper.

This week, I also did some more research about the final project, sepecifically about its shape and formal design. It can be seen here

Raster softwares

Photoshop:

Photoshop is the most common and famous software to work with raster images. What I did is taking a picture of a design I like for my final project, and trace it with the pen tool. Then I filled the path with pixels with "stroke path". In the end I filled the shapes with a gradient.

Vector softwares

Illustrator:

I followed the same proccess in Illustrator. First used a image as a trace reference, and then I drew the shape using the tool pen and filled it with a plane colour.

3D softwares

FreeCAD:

I wanted to try FreeCAD because is a free software, because I've never used it before and because is based in parametrical design. I used these tutorials in Spanish to learn how to use it, this guy explains it clear and slow. While following the tutorials, I've been trying to build the 3d model of my final project. It turned out a bit confusig at the begining due to my habit to work with other kind of 3d softwares such as Rhino or Sketchup. Compared to them, the way you work with FreeCAD is completely different, and it requires you to follow certain steps, so it's an cumultative work. The modeling proccess starts with a sketch, where you define certain parameters. Afterwards you can do operations with this skecth like extrusions and others. In the end, I was able to model a test of my final project without any problem, and now I already find easy to work with it.

The proccedure I followed was:

1. Create body
   
2. Create sketch
   
3. Choose plane
   
4. Create lines and circles
   
5. Set a parameter for the radious
   
6. To extrude the sketch, I used "Pad" and then I used "Pocket" to makke a pocket
   
7. To make a fillet I used "Fillet" and then selected an edge and set the radious
   

Screenshot of the basic sketch to extrude:

Final result:

Rhinoceros + Grasshopper:

I already used Rhino and Grasshopper before, because they are really powerful to 3d design, and they are widely used in architecture design. Although it would be faster to model everything in Rhino directly, I decided to use also Grasshopper in order to make the model parametrical. Therefore, I was able to modify the proportions of the model afterwards.

I modeled two versions of the lamp, in order to start testing designs. They are both based in some references I found this week for the final project (see final project page here)

The first one was a candle shaped lamp, with a candle holder shaped base. Both parts are with rounded edges.

The proccedure I followed to model it was:

1. First we define the center point, the radious and another two points that will define the polyline that we will revolve around the central axis.
   
2. We make a polilyne from the points
   
3. We make a fillet to the polyline
   
4. We make a offset of the polyline to give it thickness
   
5. We join the two polylines in one adding the missing lines
   
6. Lastly we revolve the defined profile around the central axis
   
7. Then we only need to bake it in Rhinoceros

Final result:

3d model of the first version:

The second test, was based on the Geordie Lamp, one of the references I was working with.

3d model of the second version:

Conclusion:

About the 2d softwares, I would say that they depend the use you want to make of them. For instance, Photoshop or Gimp are really powerful to work with photos or raster files, and they can also be used to graphic design in case you don't need to scale it.

Illustrator and Inkscape, are the proper software to work with vectors, and to do scalable graphic design.

Talking about 3d softwares, I would recommend Rhinoceros in general, because it's a kind of an all-terrain software. If you use Grasshopper within it, it becomes really powerful and it has almost no limits.

To more specific work like industrial design, where you need to design specific industrial components, I would go for FreeCAD (or an equivalent professional sofware)

Files of this week:

TIF file | SVG file | Candel 1 STL file | Candel 2 STL file | FreeCAD file