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Week 2: Computer-aided Design

This week I worked on comparing Onshape, Fusion and Rhino first and at last I choose to learn Fusion as a CAD software tools for my final project.

Image and Video Files Compression

For web documentation, keeping file sizes small is essential for fast page loading and staying within GitLab repository limits. Below are the workflows I used to compress images and videos.

Image Compression

1.I used Mac default preview tool to compress the images. When opening the photo,under the file menu, there is a option called "export",and you can change the quality and format of the image. But the downside is that it can only compress one image at a time, and very large images cannot be compressed to a significantly smaller size.

Description of image Description of image

2.I used the online tool called "Caesium Image Compressor" to compress the images. It is a free online tool that can compress images to a significantly smaller size. It is a very easy to use tool, you just need to upload the image and click the "compress" button, and then download the compressed image.

Caesium Image Compressor is a free, open-source image optimization tool developed by Matteo Paonessa. It supports Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms, offering both GUI and command-line versions. The software enables users to reduce image file sizes by up to 90% without significant visual quality loss. It supports major formats including JPEG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, BMP, and GIF. Key features include batch processing, real-time before/after preview, customizable compression quality, metadata management, and folder structure preservation.

Description of image

Video Compression

I used HandBrake APP to compress the videos. It is free, open-source, and available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It can significantly reduce video file sizes while maintaining good visual quality.

  • Download and open HandBrake.
  • Click Open Source and select your video file.
  • Under Presets, choose Web → Vimeo YouTube HQ 1080p30 (or 720p if smaller size is preferred).
  • Set the Format to MP4 and the Video Codec to H.264.
  • Under the Video tab, set Constant Quality (RF) — use RF 22–26 for a good size/quality balance (higher RF = smaller file but lower quality).
  • Set the Framerate to 30 fps (or match your source).
  • Under the Dimensions tab, set the resolution to 1280×720 or 1920×1080 as needed.
  • Click Browse to set the output destination, then click Start Encode.
  • Once done, verify the output file size — for documentation videos, aim for under 50 MB.
    • Description of image

    Fusion 360 Design.

    1.I download Fusion 360 and install it on my computer.

    2.Create a New Design & Sketch the Profile

    Launch Fusion 360 and click on the File menu, then select New Design to start a fresh project. Click Create Sketch and choose the XZ Plane (the vertical plane) as my workspace. Draw a rectangle with the following dimensions: Height: 55 mm Top Width: 40 mm

    Using the Fit Point Spline to draw the curve.

    sketchof image sketchof image sketchof image

    3.Use the Revolve Feature

    Go to Solid tab and cleck revolve button after selecting the curve sketch, then for the Axis, pick the vertical center line of the sketch.And set the Angle to 360 degrees. The key point of this step is that select the curve sketch first, then select the revolve button, and then select the axis instead of the whole sketch.

    Revolve Feature
    Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button.
    Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button
    Select the whole sketch as the axis
    After clicking the vertical center line and the revolve button, the whole sketch will become a solid shape.This doesn't look like what I want，it doesn't look like a cup—so I went back and adjusted the curves and axis of symmetry.
    Select axis and revolve: sketch becomes a solid shape Select axis and revolve: sketch becomes a solid shape
    Select the curve sketch as the outline then revolve again
    Fit Point Spline — curve refinement Fit Point Spline — curve refinement
    Fill a hole
    Go to creat form,under modify tab click fill hole button. Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button
    Set the thickness of the solid
    Go to Solid tab and under create form tab， choose modify and click thickness button. Set the thick to 4mm. Adjust the curvature of the outer wall.
    Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button
    Add the handle
    Draw the handle first.seclect Fit Point Spline to draw the handle.Then use the Pipe feature to add the handle to the cup, which under the Form button.At last adjust the size and dimensions of the cup handle Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button Go to Solid tab and under create tab click revolve button

    Source file

    cup.stl — Fusion cup design (STL export).