Week 2: Computer Aided Design

Softwares:

Assignment:

Model (raster, vector, 2D, 3D, render, animate, simulate, ...) a possible final project

Explore softwares for CAD and compress your images and videos and learn converting image formats.

Document everything and commit it to your gitlab repository.

This is my time table for the week:

Inkscape:

Inkscape is a free and open-source software application for creating and editing vector graphics which allows images to be scaled up or down infinitely without any loss of quality or sharpness. This makes the software fundamentally different from pixel-based photo editors, as it is designed for precision, scalability, and clean edges.

The program uses the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format as its primary file type, which is a universal standard for vector images on the web and in digital manufacturing. Common uses for Inkscape include designing logos, technical illustrations, detailed diagrams, and typography. It is also a practical tool for converting hand-drawn sketches or standard image files into precise vector paths suitable for fabrication processes like laser cutting, vinyl sign-making, or engraving.

Users have access to a suite of drawing and editing tools within the interface. These tools allow for the creation of basic and complex shapes, the manipulation of anchor points and curves, the styling of objects with fills and strokes, and the arrangement of elements using layers.

How to Install Inkscape:

This is how i installed Inkscape on my computer:

I searched up Inkscape Download for Windows on my browser and clicked on that link that said install on windows.

Once the installer package was downloaded, I opened the file and configured the software by completing all the necessary setup options.

I never really used Inkscape before so I referred to this tutorial to get started.

Just practiced a bit to get familiar with the tools by referring to the tutorial. I tried out making basic shapes and spirals and then filling them out with a different colour.

Then, I tried out the Bezier tool to make some parts curved in the shape. The Bezier tool in Inkscape is used to draw precise straight and curved lines by placing points and shaping them.

After some practice, I followed a tutorial to import and trace images in Inkscape to make the logo smoother.

I first used Gemini AI to generate detailed logo ideas for my project, including a design with a whale’s tail emerging from a wave. Out of the many suggestions, one stood out to me, so I asked the AI to generate an image to use as a reference. That was the prompt:

The AI generated a simple logo idea, which I saved and imported into Inkscape by going to File → Import and selecting the downloaded image. I resized the document to a square to make it easier to align elements and shapes on the page.

Next, I traced the image as the tutorial suggested. I went to Path → Trace Bitmap, clicked Apply, and a traced version appeared on the right side of the workspace with black outlines and a transparent background.

Next, to create a circular border like a real logo, I used the circle tool to draw two circles on the workspace.

Then, I positioned the smaller circle inside the larger one to form the circular border of the logo. Next, from the Object menu, I chose Align and Distribute and applied it to both circles.

I then arranged the circles together.

Then, to keep only the outline of the circle, I clicked ‘No fill’ to remove the inner color. Holding Shift, I selected black from the color palette, which made just the outline black.

I changed the width of the stroke as well.

I then adjusted the color using the gradient controls in the right panel. Since I imagine my bot having a light ocean blue color, I chose the same color for the outer border but a bit darker.

Then for the second border, I went for the color teal.

I did the same for the main illustration of our logo with blue.

Then, after scaling the main illustration, I placed it right in the middle of the two circle borders using the center vertical and center horizontal align. And I grouped everything together so that all would stay right in place.

Now this is the result:

Gimp:

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free and open-source software for editing and creating images and digital art. It works with raster images, which are pictures made of tiny colored dots called pixels. This is different from vector software because the image quality depends on its resolution—if you zoom in too much, you can see the individual pixels, and enlarging an image too much can make it look blurry.

It is a powerful and popular alternative to paid software like Adobe Photoshop. You can use GIMP for many tasks, like fixing photos, creating digital paintings, designing graphics, or making textures for 3D models. It includes tools for cropping, adjusting colors, adding text, applying filters, and combining images using layers.

How to install Gimp:

To install GIMP, I went to the official GIMP website and downloaded the installer for my computer. After running the file, I followed the simple on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

I started with basic tasks in GIMP, such as removing the background from an image and placing it onto a different background. To do this, I downloaded two images, one with a clear background of a location and another of a character without a background.

I then opened GIMP to begin editing. From the File menu, I selected Open to import an image.

From the View menu, select Zoom and then Fit Image in Window to make the image fill the screen, making it easier to work on details.

Next, select Layer → Transparency → Add Alpha Channel. This adds transparency to the existing layer, allowing you to erase parts of it so the background shows through instead of a solid color.

Then select ‘New Layer’. Selecting “New Layer” lets you edit separately without changing the original image.

Set “Fill with” to Transparency when creating a new layer so the layer starts with a transparent background.

Select the Fill Bucket tool and make sure the settings match the example in the picture. Then click on the background to remove it, leaving it transparent.

Removing the background from that image was difficult because of the text, which left many small traces. I decided to redo the whole thing again and use a cleaner image with fewer details to make background removal easier. This was the new photo I tried again with:

Following the same procedure, I copied the image after removing its background and pasted it as a separate layer onto the new background.

Then I scaled the minion to a reasonable size using the scale tool.

I tried it again with another background.

Gandalf’s there too now 😯 :

3D CAD Software:

Fusion 360

Autodesk Fusion 360 is an integrated design and manufacturing software that combines CAD, CAM, and CAE tools in one workspace. It allows users to create precise 3D models, explore surface and solid designs, and run simulations to test performance before making a product. Fusion 360 is widely used in engineering, education, and manufacturing to streamline the entire design process. Because it is cloud-based, projects can be accessed, shared, and edited from almost anywhere, making collaboration easy. With regular updates and a user-friendly interface, Fusion 360 supports efficient, modern workflows from design through fabrication.

I already downloaded Autodesk Fusion 360 as part of my Fab Academy prep, so you can click here to download it directly.

For this week’s assignment, I decided to model my final project in Fusion 360. To make the curvatures of the whale, I decided to make the model in Forms. First, change your workspace from Solid to Forms by clicking on ‘Create Form’ from the Create dropdown menu.

Forms in Fusion

Forms is a workspace in Fusion 360 used for creating organic, free-flowing shapes. It allows you to push, pull, and sculpt 3D geometry in a flexible way, making it ideal for designs like characters, toys, or curved objects. T-Splines are the underlying technology behind Forms. They allow smooth, continuous surfaces that can be easily adjusted without breaking the shape, combining the precision of CAD with the flexibility of sculpting. I used T-Splines to make my model from Fusion as well.

I inserted an image to use as a reference for modeling my project. Reference Image

Next, I clicked Create Sketch to begin tracing the image.

Then, from the Create menu, I selected the Spline tool and chose Control Point Spline to start shaping the curves. I chose the Control Point Spline because it allowed me to trace the image using points, which made creating the curves much easier.

After finishing tracing, I clicked on Finish Sketch to return to Forms.

Then I tried to extrude the shape in Forms to modify the curvatures, but while doing so, only the edge part of the sketch turned into a surface, making it look hollow like a cookie cutter. I tried using tools like Bridge to fill the gaps, but I later found out that some tools in Forms don’t work the same way on T-Spline surfaces, which is why it didn’t work as I expected. So I went back to the Solid workspace to extrude the sketch.

I tried to make the edges rounder using tools like Fillet and Chamfer, but those tools did not work on T-Spline extruded models.

Then, I went back to Forms to try and make the model rounder, but I couldn’t directly edit solid objects in Forms, and converting it back to a T-Spline surface caused some issues. I then made another mistake by trying again in Forms.

I replaced the image and used the Quadball to shape the whale. I modified each face on the Quadball to form the curvatures. And for the tail, I used the T-Spline again since I wasn’t in my right mind that day.

News flash, it ended up being a cookie cutter again.

I ditched the T-Splines since extruding it was hard and the normal tools did not work on it. To help me, I followed a tutorial that showed how to make a simple fish using the Forms workspace in Fusion 360. I selected ‘Pipe’ from the ‘Create’ option. I adjusted all the required dimensions and settings just like the tutorial.

I turned on Mirror Internal under Symmetry so that when I modified one side of the model, the other side would update automatically, keeping both sides consistent.

Then from Edit Form, I adjusted all the edges and surfaces to make it streamlined like a real fish. It wasn’t really a hard job to do but just a very lengthy process.

While I was at it, I decided to make another design just to practice. I made a gear slider.

Blender

Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation software used for modeling, sculpting, animation, rendering, and more. It allows users to create both realistic and stylized 3D objects, characters, and scenes. Blender is widely used in industries like animation, game design, and visual effects, and it supports a variety of workflows, including polygon modeling, sculpting, texturing, and simulation. Its flexibility and large community make it a popular choice for both beginners and professionals.

Since I was new to Blender, I followed the tutorial Mr. Rico shared with us, and also referred to another tutorial to help me create my model.

I imported a downloaded image into Blender.

Then, I created an offset plane to keep my reference image properly aligned while modeling.

Then I deleted the plane, leaving only one vertex so that I could use it to trace my image by holding ‘E’ for extruding while dragging the vertex to form a line. To grab the vertex, I pressed ‘G’. I traced half of the image to extrude it into 3D later.

Then, I used the Screw modifier to turn the traced shape into 3D. This also automatically created the other half, making the model perfectly symmetrical. It works similarly to the Revolve tool in Fusion 360.

Then, I applied the Subdivision Surface modifier to make the model’s surfaces smoother and more rounded.

This week, we practiced soldering in the lab as well and tested components for making a basic circuit for our practice.

Cardboard Prototyping:

This week, we built a cardboard prototype of our project in under two hours to understand how the components would look and fit together.