Week02
Computer-Aided Design¶
Assignment¶
- Model (raster, vector, 2D, 3D, render, animate, simulate, …) a possible final project, compress your images and videos, and post a description with your design files on your class page
Reference: https://fabacademy.org/2026/nueval/computer-aided_design.html
Modelled experimental objects of a possible final project in 3D¶
To draw possible final project in 3D, I think Tinkercad is the most quick approach to draw.
Just accessed to Tinkercad and choose desired shapes, change size, location, color, that’s it!
I could save offline as STL and OBJ file. This is the link for the drawing. Tinkercad is easy entry tool but it’s not suitable for complex design.
Simulation¶
I think Tinkercad is 3D CAD for entry users, but it has simulation function. I recorded how it works.
Animation¶
I taught Autodesk Fusion can do animation from my instructor Take, so I tried to do animation with Fusion.
I draw windmill by using create sketch and extrude. There were a few things need to do for animation. First, hut and blade need to be separate body. Second, document type should be Assembly. Third, blade should be Component, you need to use Create Components from Bodies by right click Blade body.
Then goes to animation and set rotation of blade by using Transform Components. So that, windmill blade will rotate.
The file I made for this: W2_windmill.f3d.
Raster data¶
As you can guess from my sketch last week, I have no drawing talent. However, I’m sometimes asked to draw, for example assesment at Fab Academy. 
In these case, my prefer way is using memo app and apple pencil on iPad.
The original design file is: W2_memo.pdf
Vector data¶
When I cut boards by laser. I generate DXF by using Adobe Illustrator. This is laser cutting data of my servo driven syringe vacuum pump prototyping. On Illustrator, I just need to draw rectangle or circle taking care of size or location.
I’m using Illustrator for long time, so Illustrator is the most comfortable vector image software for me. I tried 2D CAD software such as Autodesk and Jw_cad, and found using Illustrator is the most comfortable to draw laser cutting images.
I asked my friend to cut t=4mm black POM (polyoxymethylene) board with this drawing. I choose POM because I thought acrylic could be cracked.
This is the prototype I mede at that time.
The original design file is: W2_lasercut.ai
Compressing image¶
I compressed picture by using Adobe Photoshop.
I usually change DPI to 72 and resize to 512px width.
Changing UI language
When I try to change UI language of Photoshop, I couldn’t find English option, there were only Japanese. So I googled solution. The easiest way is rename the UI language file.
There are language file named like tw10428_Photoshop_ja_JP.dat in these folder.
Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2022\Locales\ja_JP\Support Files
macOS: /Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2022/Locales/ja_JP/Support Files
You just need to rename it to like _tw10428_Photoshop_ja_JP.dat by adding “_”, then launch Photoshop. So, you may be able to use Photoshop in English UI.
Compressing video¶
I compressed that video using ffmpeg.
-ss option is to trim, -s to resize, using H.264 codec, sat quality by -crf.
Vector, again¶
One of the assignment on week 3 is to design a parametric construction kit. As I wrote above, I love Adobe Illustrator for vector drawing. But to do parametric on Illustrator, I need plug-in. So that I looked into Cuttle.
To use cuttle, just open Cuttle with your browser and start new project. To draw something, drag & drop your desired shape from left pane to center part. We can make and set parameter on right pane. When you draw something, you can set points of the shape with those parameters like Vec(20-width, depth).
Maybe we can have two kind of parameter on Cuttle. One is global, project crossing parameter. The other one is local, parameter that only can use in each components. Project is a set of components.
I will use Cuttle more deeply for next week assignment.
OpenSCAD¶
I remember I loved OpenSCAD and tried to install it on my Arm Mac. The official binary doesn’t works on it. To install OpenSCAD onto Arm Mac with brew, this was a solution.
Or you can download latest snapshot from “Development Snapshots” section of download page.