Computer-Aided Design

Inkscape:

A free and open-source vector graphics editor used to create vector images, primarily in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format.
You can create logo, illustrations, paintings and many more.

Where i did start from?

I hadn't used inkscape before, so it was a little tricky to understand the tools. It looks very similar to other vector tools like illustrator but it's not exactly the same. Even simple as crop feature which isn't directly available in inkscape.

How to crop in inkscape?
To crop in Inkscape, you need to create a shape on top of the area you want to crop.

I decided to make a poster for puppet show.
Downloaded images from pinterest to trace using "trace bitmap" tool. Used text tool to add text, then use pen tool to draw puppet's green strings and pink hands.

For creating boat i used loft tool to creates a 3D shape that transitions between two different 2D sketches or faces. Loft can be used for making organic, complex or tapered designs. Mirror tool can access for 2d sketching as well as solid modeling too.

Inserting svg file and extruding to make 3D model

To insert an SVG file, we first need to create one. We can download an SVG from the internet or design it ourselves using vector software.

For this model, I created using Inkscape to make vector design, used trace bitmap tool to trace raster file to vector. I downloaded cloud image from freepik and character img from pinterest by Aayna Vinaya. As the character img wasn't getting traced properly, so i used gemini to create line sketch of the charcter. Then insert it in inkscape and traced it.

Prompt: "Create vector sketch of this given image using pen tool without fill just using strokes."

You can open this svg file using "insert svg" opt. Then select the plane, got option for transfrom, scale as per requirements.

It automatically switches to the Create Sketch interface, where the SVG file's vector design opens as a sketch. From this sketch, you can extrude to create the 3D model.

In fusion, for switching from Design environment to Render environment: by clicking on drop-down arrow next to Design. This will divert you to render workspace.

For adding materials:

Appearance

Materials have a default color, but I wanted to change it.

1. For that, right-click on the specific material and select Edit. You will see options to change roughness, color, reflectance, and more.
2. Go to Advanced >>Parameters>> Color, then from the color drop-down select Edit Color. Now you can paste HTML/hex color codes.

Assembly and Rendering

There are two ways to assembly, top-down and bottom-up.
Top-down is like making every body and component at one place. Bottom-down is making each bodies/component independently, then insert them at one place.
I used bottom-down method. For inserting the models, you can either drag and drop or use "insert into current design" opt which you can find from each models drop-down button.

In the Canvas render settings, there are two modes: Fast and Advanced. Choosing Fast results in quicker rendering with fewer iterations, while Advanced provides higher quality with more iterations with slow rendering speed. i setted to fast.

In the setup >> Scene Setting, you can control the brightness, camera exposure, focal length and change the environment lighting. You can also upload a custom environment. Once the setup is done, use "Capture Image" to export and save the rendered image to your computer.

Rendering and Animating

I download an add-on blender kit which has paid and free 3D models, materials, brushes and HDRs for Blender.
To access it, I opened Blender and simply dragged and dropped the downloaded ZIP file into the software. After that the add-on is ready to use.

BlenderKit works like a search engine for assets inside Blender. You can search for assets such as models or materials and drag and drop them directly into your scene. For example, i wanted glass material, so if you search for “glass”, it shows multiple glass material options that you can apply instantly. This is very useful because it saves time—you don't need to create complex materials or geometry nodes from scratch.

For animating in Blender, I first select the object I want to animate and add keyframes using the shortcut key "I". To move the object, use G (grab), and to move it in a specific direction - press X, Y, or Z. After moving the object, i add another keyframe. Press N to open the transform panel, where values of the X, Y, and Z can change manually. This method was used to animate clouds and waves.

I also needed the character, sauce pan, and chai glasses to move along with the boat. For this, I selected all the objects and selected the boat at the end, then pressed Ctrl + P to set the boat as the parent. Now all the objects move together with the boat.

For animating the boat, I wanted to rotate it, but the rotation was not working properly because the origin wasn't placed on it. So right-clicked on the boat and selected Set Origin >> Origin to Volume. After setting the origin, I was able to rotate the boat correctly.

For setting up the camera for rendering, I used an Empty object, which can be added using Shift + A >> Empty >> Empty Cube. This Empty helps the camera to focus or track a specific point in the scene.

By using the Empty, I was able to bring my whole object into the center of the frame, as my whole object was big. I added a constraint to the camera using Track To, and selected the Empty as the target. This way, the camera always stays focused on the Empty.

In Blender, there are three main render modes: Workbench, Eevee, and Cycles. You can access them from the Render Properties panel (camera icon) on the right side. Workbench is mainly for modeling and basic viewing. Ee vee is very fast and good for quick previews or animations. Cycles is slower but gives realistic lighting and better quality. I chose Cycles for my final render.