In the spirit of learning by making and diving in head first, we are starting with some relatively easy 3D modeling. This course’s collective projects in the past have revolved around Carleton’s built environment and building histories, and fabricating an interactive reproduction of it in 3D. We are modeling objects this year and will be discussing the theoretical implications of such a project throughout the term, but since the skills required to model in 3D are complex, we will begin practicing in week one.
There are MANY different tools for 3D modeling, and which you use depends not only on price and availability, but also on the intended output. Modeling for architecture you might use SketchUp, which we have used extensively in this class for modeling buildings in the past. For computer graphics usage, e.g. for making a video game or animated movie, you might use Maya or the free and open source Blender. When modeling real world objects, there are also laser and photographic methods of scanning to produce high fidelity models, which we’ll get to later in the course.
The 3D software that our school’s MakerSpace has chosen to support is Autodesk Fusion360. It is almost as easy to use as SketchUp but optimized for engineering usage and so makes parts that can be 3D printed effectively. Most importantly, it is free for educational use, and our MakerSpace director, Aaron, has created some excellent introductory tutorials for using the software that will help you get up and running.
Getting Started with Fusion 360
- Go to the Autodesk website and create an educational account, if you don’t already have one.
- Then go directly to the webversion of Fusion360 at https://fusion.online.autodesk.com/ and Take the Tour to get oriented to the interface
There is a downloadable version that you are welcome to install on your computer as well, but the online account allows you to switch between lab and personal machines more easily.
We will start by modeling a simple die to get a feel for the software. Check out this example from user tnRaro posted on Sketchfab, a popular 3D model sharing site.
- What basic shapes make up the die?
- How are the pips oriented?
- What else might you need to know to model such a thing accurately?
We will walk through the basic steps of modeling this together in class, but Aaron has put up a great series of Fusion 360 tutorial videos on the makerspace website that you can check out for more advanced tips and tricks.
Lab Assignment, Part I (Due Sunday)
Your assignment is to use the techniques you just learned to make a model of an object you know very well that has some meaning for you. Don’t worry about photo-realistic accuracy, just try to get the basic features in place, so that someone who knows the object could recognize it. We’re just trying to get a practical understanding of the ways you need to look at an object differently when you need to understand how all its parts fit together.
When you are happy with your model, SAVE IT to your Autodesk account and DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSWORD
Export
- Go to https://fusion.online.autodesk.com/ and log in to your account
- On the home screen, open the saved file so that you can find some views to export
- Use the Orbit tool or the Views presets in the right side toolbar to find some good angles of your beautiful model
- Export several views as PNG images.
- Finally, go to our Google Drive Shared Folder create a folder for yourself, if you haven’t already, and save your images there.
During the next class we’ll set up blog access, and you’ll use images of your model to write your first lab assignment post along with some thoughts on your process.
As you model, think about…
- how easy/hard it was,
- what elements particularly bogged you down,
- what compromises you had to make,
- what technique or tool that you wish you had figured out sooner so that you can provide a tip for other novice users and share your knowledge.
Resources
There are lots of Fusion360 tutorials available online (just google Fusion360 + what-you-want-to-do and you’ll be overwhelmed with options), but here are a few list of resources to get you started.
- Fusion 360 tutorial videos on the makerspace website from our own Aaron Heidgarten-Green
- Fusion 360 Self Paced Learning tutorials from Autodesk
Feel free to leave a comment if you’re having trouble, or if you discover something really great, and feel free to respond if you know the answer to a question.
Happy modeling!
