4. Computer controlled cutting

For this week’s assignment I decided to work with Fusion 360 to make a parametric chess board made from interlacing pieces. However, as it was my first attempt at using the program I was satisfied at the end with making a simple box. Overall, I had frustration navigating the program, however after some trial and error I managed to understand how it works. My greatest challenge were: Not placing new components in the right place Over constraining the sketch Not figuring out basic commands

For the parameter table I managed to draw parameters, connecting all the features of the drawing together. I still need to experiment with this more, to understand how to best organize the parameters in a drawing.

Organizing the model

I split the box into two parts: the base and the walls. In my first attempts my sketches and executions got mixed up. Some walls ended up on the base components, which confused things in the end. I made a second attempts

For the base sketch. I made a new sketch on the XY plane, starting with a basic square. I wanted a box and walls to be interlaced by a number of notches so I started to draw the parameters accordingly. I first defined the outermost parameter, the X &Y side of the square. Then I define the corners to 5cm, then I define the notches as the (sides -2(corner)/7). To define 7 equally spaced notches on each side. I defined the depth of the notch by the material thickness which could be readjusted according to the material and the kerf of the lazer.

Unresolved issue:

After I successfully sketched one side I tried to copy it to the other side but realized I needed to mirror it instead. I did this until I connected all 4 sides. However, something was not working with the sketch. Some parts were not connecting and it was acting funny. So I decided to just manually draw the rest of the sides like I did with the first side.

After finishing the sketch I extruder the form, to make a new body, by the material thickness set in the parameter.

The second step was to model the 4 walls. I started on the left side drawing a sketch on the edge of the extruded base. I learnt to use the project tool to project lines and points from the previous form into the current sketch. I did the same in the wall sketch. Then extruded it. Instead of redrawing the wall, I decided to mirror it by going back to the main components - mirror - component and using the XYZ planes in the middle - This is the advantage of building the model in the center 0,0,0 points.

For the final two walls I tried a different method using the combine command. I made a new component - projects points from the extruded lines - made a rectangle and extruded in. There was overlap with the two walls. I then cut the walls from either other using the command tool. Finally I mirrored the final wall across.

After I made the parametric box. I copied it and flattened all the components on the XY plane. I then projected all the components into sketches that I then exported into a DXF file by right clicking the sketch folder.