Week 2 - CAD Modeling
4 Modeling Softwares for One part
For this weeks assignment and learning, I created a leg joint for a stand that will hold up my frisbee launcher. I used these 4 different programs to create this part and learned a basic proficiency in FreeCAD. I also judged each CAD software against each other and said my likes and dislikes of the software.
Basic Creation Overview
- Create a sketch on the top plane
- Create a center point rectangle on origin with dimensions 2 in hight and 1.25 in width
- extrude the rectangle 0.25
- create a new sketch on top of the rectangle
- create 4 construction lines, 2 horizontal and 2 vertical. dimension like the picture below
- create 4 circles on the intersects of the lines and add an equal constraint between them
- dimension one circle to have a 0.2 in diameter
- create a point to point rectangle connecting from the top of the rectangle (farther from the circles)
- extrude the rectangle 2 in
- Sliding piece complete!
Onshape
I have used onshape for a long time and throughout this comparison, I stick with my original opinion that Onshape is one of the best CAD softwares today. My reasoning for loving onshape is the simplicity of the interface while being able to do most of what solidworks and fusion 360 can do. In my opinion, it combines the Pros of both Solidworks and Fusion 360 along with its simple and easy to use mate connectors to produce one of the best CAD softwares available today.
Solidworks
Solidworks is another program that I have had past experience in and also love to this day. The interface of solidworks is more advanced than onshape, but it also keeps the same easy to learn sketching and extrusion system. Not only that, but it also has the assembly area just like Onshape. One of the main differences from onshape in the assembly area is when one creates a mate, they do so by many coincident mates from plane to plane whereas onshape uses a 3 axis mate connector icon to create mates.
Fusion 360
Though I have had experience with fusion 360 through my school, I never quite fell in love with it. My main problem with fusion 360 is the lack of an assembly area meaning a whole design must be loaded and assembled in one document increasing the complication of timelines and the lag of loading in the file. Despite my dislike, Fusion 360 is still a solid CAD software with a well designed interface. One positive advantage of fusion which elevates it over Solidworks in the CAD community is that it is a free software and has many extra features such as Eagle used to create circuit boards.
FreeCAD
I will be honest, FreeCAD is one of the worst CAD softwares I have ever seen. However, I also understand that it does a lot more that just CAD and might not have been designed with part creation as a priority. Back to the CAD modeling though, the interface is simple, yet also difficult to navigate at the same time. To start a sketch, one must be in the right part of FreeCAD and also follow many steps to get to the sketching area. Once in the sketching area, there are symbols for what each button does but because I am used to other CAD softwares, the different symbols used by it through me off. Lastly, I respect FreeCAD for being a free software, but I personal don't think that FreeCAD would be a quick and efficient way to model something.
2D Raster Software - GIMP
Gimp is a 2D Image Manipulation software that allows the user to edit photos in many unique ways. It is very similar to Photoshop, a widely known software but is a free open source software. To learn about gimp, I used a tutorial by Brett In Tech
What I built
Using gimp, I created a simple logo for my frisbee launcher.
Personal Thoughts
Gimp is a decent 2D image software. Though the interface looks complex at first view, everything is grouped together nicely and it uses the same layers based drawing as Inskape does, which I have used before.
UI Tour
I created a quick drawing explaining the interface of GIMP.
Inkscape - 2D Vector Software
Using Inkscape, I decided to design a sticker to print on week 3. The sticker I chose to design was a dead among us character. To start, I brought the image into inkscape and then I followed these steps :
- Create a bitmap of your image with black and white area cutouts
- Delete the trace image
- Go to path > stroke to path
- Path > Cut path
- remove extra lines
- ensure all lines are hairline. (Object > Fill and Stroke > Stroke Style > width > 0.005)
These 6 steps are an easy reference of how to turn an online image into a 2D image without pixel gaps.
Gravity Sketch
What is Gravity Sketch? Gravity sketch is a 3D design software which uses a VR headset. We used a Oculus 3 quest to run gravity sketch.
My Opinion on Gravity Sketch
After taking the easy bike tutorial, my first thoughts could be summed up into one word. Wow. Gravity sketch is an amazing CAD software, with a super simple user interface and a fun yet intricate software which allows the user to create decent rough sketches.
What I Created :
I drew out a rough sketch of my final project. Though it looks a bit funny, I was very impressed with how close to my idea gravity sketch allowed me to create. Below is a picture of what I made :
Fun VR
To take a break from the design process, me and some friends did some beatsaber fun to relax
This Weeks Contribution to my Final Project
As I mentioned before, the sliding piece I designed in all 4 of these software is one of many pieces of the final project I started designing in Onshape, the program I chose to design in due to its easy assembly use and friendly import options. Below is a picture of what I accomplished this week.
Reflection :
This week, I learned how to use FreeCAD and how to extract important information from tutorials. I have also widened my CAD knowledge in the 3 other CAD softwares by learning new features such as how to industry sized holes and smooth edges. This week has also taught me how to use image manipulation programs such as GIMP to create 2D images and edit pictures. Lastly, I was able to start the 3D model of my final project and create a logo for it as well.