Miniature Train

The thing we have been working on most recently is the Miniature Train project. We used Inventor to 3D model the train based off of sketches provided. We working in groups of three and divided the parts. Below show the parts I was responsible for.

Train body

Train stack

Linkage peg

After we completed all of the parts, we gathered the files onto one computer to continue with the train assembly. Here is the final train.

Final assembly

We will be using Inventor to 3D model our Maker Faire Projects, so the new skills learned from this project will greatly help. 

Screencasting

Today I used the program Screencastify to screencast the process of creating an Isometric model. The program is free, so I was able to download it onto Chrome. I was assigned the 6th isometric model to create a tutorial on. The process was fun; I enjoy speaking and explaining to people, and this video gave me a chance to do so.

Screencastify pull-down menu

The way Screencastify works is quite easy. You simply hit the "record" button and begin speaking. Because I downloaded the free version, the screencast can only run up to ten minutes total. I had to thoroughly plan out what I wanted to say before recording. However, once I began, the rest came naturally.

YouTube account

Once completed, I uploaded my video tutorial to YouTube. The video can be found in the link below!

Katheryn Woo - Isometric 6 Tutorial 

Isometric Models Day 2

Today we continued to work on our Isometric Models. Now that Mr. Sinde has gone through some of the tools, it's now up to us to continue to perfect our skills. So far, I have had a lot of fun working with Inventor. I hope we are taught how to use more tools in the program. With this knowledge, who knows what I'll be able to create? 

My "work station" for Isometric Modeling

Isometric Models Day 1

Today we continued to practice using Autodesk Inventor. Last class, I needed to finish up the Unit 4 Test on 3D Modeling, so this was my first day practicing after the Puzzle Cube Project. The new assignment is to create 3D objects on Inventor by following a PDF file full of various shapes. The file contains up to 20 shapes which we need to complete within the next few classes.

Isometric models PDF file

The new techniques introduced to us involved how to create arcs and holes. As always, it is important to begin with a 2D sketch before moving on to a 3D one. This prevents confusion in dimensioning and depth. There are many ways to create a part in Inventor; however, it is best to find the most efficient way. By starting with 2D sketches, I was able to recreate the object portrayed above.

Puzzle Cube Challenge Day 4

On the fourth day of working, we were told to create an Inventor animation file for our cube. The animation was relatively simple; it involved the individual parts of the cube moving back and forth from their original positions. For this step in the project, the computer did most of the work. All I needed to do was drag each part to a clearly visible position, choose the desired speed of which the cubes moved at, and hit the "record" button.

I would have included the animation with this post, but I believe I will be including the animation with a future iMovie file. I will be creating the movie as a short promo for my puzzle cube; although, I believe next class we will begin officially documenting our projects using PDF and Word files.

Puzzle Cube Challenge Day 3

Today I assembled the completed pieces of our Puzzle Cube. We still used AutoDesk Inventor, however, we had to open a new type of file. We were able to place each individual piece into the new file. To assemble one piece with another, I used the "constrain" tool. Using the constrain tool required a very visual take. I had to picture what edges of each piece would be touching so I could select which ones to connect.

Once finished, my screen showed the completed digital Puzzle Cube.

Final 3D sketch

After that, I began to create digital multi-view sketches. Surprisingly, making the multi-views was more difficult for me than the actual 3D modeling. The process was tedious and took a lot of patience. Being under a time constraint made it difficult to provide the accuracy necessary.

Part 5 multi-view sketch

Puzzle Cube Challenge Day 2

Today we began 3D modeling. We used the program AutoDesk Inventor 2015. Because we are students, we were able to get the latest version. Before we used Inventor in class, I was able to download it on my PC at home. It is a very power program, and it took over fourteen hours to download.

AutoDesk Inventor 2015 starting screen

Earlier, a couple of my friends and I used Inventor to 3D print small plastic pieces for our Optics Museum Project. I was hoping as a class, we would be able to 3D print our Puzzle Cubes; however, because the 3D printing material is rather expensive, we will be gluing and painting wooden blocks instead.

The process of 3D modeling in this project is rather simple. Being a relatively visual person helped me greatly. I started with a 2D sketch (xy plane). I used the line tool to draw the general outline of the front-view of the piece. Then I used the dimension tool to fill in the proper measurements of each edge. Once the 2D sketch was up to scale, I was able to continue with the 3D portion. The extrude tool is what changed the 2D sketch into a 3D one.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, we started by designing our Puzzle Cube pieces on paper. Although it was a laborious task, the isometric and multi-view sketches were very helpful when it came to 3D modeling. Here is a photo of one of the pieces I was able to create:

Puzzle Cube Challenge piece

Optics Museum Project Construction Day 6

Today was the last day to work on our projects. We taped the instructions to the back of the large box. The instructions were written to the target audience of sixth through eighth graders. The general idea of our instructions related to the law of reflection, and the difference between concave and convex mirrors.

Exhibit instructions

We also decided to include ray diagrams over each section of the exhibit, explaining the physics behind it. Because there was no official diagram explaining the plane mirror illusion, one of my partners created her own. 

Final project

The 3D pieces we printed were originally white in color. We decided we would paint each of them using nail polish to make the exhibit a little more exciting. 

Painted 3D printed pieces

Overall, this project was not a bad experience. I have had previous experience in 3D modeling, so creating the 3D printed pieces was quite enjoyable for me. One of the things I disliked about this project was the amount of time it took to get everyone and everything situated. We had to wait a while before all materials were shipped to the school. If I were to do this project again, I would probably try to come up with a more creative and complex concept. I felt that the final product was relatively simple in comparison to what we could have done. 

Optics Museum Project Construction Day 2

Today was the second day of our Optics Museum construction. For our project, my partners and I decided we would include a smaller wooden box within the large one (see "Optics Museum Project Construction Day 1"). This smaller box will serve as both a container and as an optical illusion. I plan on painting the wood using black acrylic paint, and diagonally inserting a plane mirror. After the plane mirror is secure, I will store small 3D-printed pieces in the box. The combination of the black paint and mirror will give the illusion that the box is empty.

The box's dimensions were based off of the plane mirror we ordered. My partner helped use the table saw to cut the wood pieces into the desired size. Because the walls of this box were only about 10cm x 10cm, wood glue was used rather than nails.

Box for plane mirror (approximately 10cm x 10cm)

I spent majority of the period modeling the small pieces for the plane mirror illusion. I have done 3D-modeling in the past, so designing using AutoDesk Inventor again today was quite enjoyable. Because these pieces will need to fit into the small box, they are each no larger than 3 centimeters.

"Puzzle piece" for plane mirror box created in Inventor

I began with setting the program so that dimensions were marked with metric units. This time, specifically for the purpose of size, I used millimeters. I used the "line" tool to sketch the general shape of the pieces. I corrected the scale by manually entering in dimensions after the basic shapes were determined. Then I used the "extrude" tool to convert the 2-dimensional sketch into the 3-dimensional model, soon to be used in the actual printing of the object. 

"Puzzle piece" for plane mirror box created in Inventor

For the next class, I plan on printing the pieces I modeled. If all goes well, we will be able to complete this portion of the project.