How I CAD stuff - a lame video

[Rainmaker]

This won't be the best video you've ever watched about CAD, but I felt like making it, and so here it is. For anyone who is curious how I think about things when I'm CADing (is that a word?). I need to do a better job next time with screen record and stuff though. This was just a quick and dirty. My intent really is to show some of you beginner CAD users that the best way (IMHO) to make solid shapes in a platform like Fusion is SKETCH and EXTRUDE, rather than creating a cube or other basic shape and cutting it up to the right shape. (not sure if i'm articulating this well)

Cdn_Cuda sent me an eye cover for his System X Dragon cocker, with hopes that we could make something a little less obnoxious.

And here it is:

[shooter311]

Great looking final product, I don't see any layer lines at all (Resin printed?)! I'll have to check out the video, I have been using Tinkercad and I know I need to move away from that so I can get more out of my printers!

[Rainmaker]

Great looking final product, I don't see any layer lines at all (Resin printed?)! I'll have to check out the video, I have been using Tinkercad and I know I need to move away from that so I can get more out of my printers!

Thanks! Nope, it's just regular FDM printed. The black material just isn't showing the layer lines very obviously.
IMO, for part design, there's no better CAD program than a Solidworks-style platform. And Fusion360 is along those lines (and free). I've messed around a little with a few others, and just keep coming back to Fusion. YMMV

[Siress]

Cool. I'm thrilled that a free CAD software has been adopted so widely. I know that SolidWorks offered a free license for personal use to those that contacted them - though not sure if they're still doing it.
I highly recommend this for screen recording next time: https://obsproject.com/

I used Solidworks every day from ~2009 to may of this year for prototyping structural and elastomeric materials, complex mold assemblies, sheet metal assemblies,...using complex 3D surfacing techniques, parametric models, rendering and animation, etc. There's a learning curve for the tie-ins needed for ANSYS to utilize design optimization, for CAM software used by CNC machines, etc... I say all of this to say: Nice work with the modeling. You followed the best practices. Let me know if anyone has a challenge in this area and I'll take a look for you guys.

The number one thing I try to teach people is to model parts with as few sketches as possible. Utilize driven sketches and sketch relations where such relations exist. Future you will be happy you did when present you starts changing things around.

[Rainmaker]

Thanks for the compliment Siress! And the tip on the screen recording. I was at a complete loss for how to do it (recorded the video with XBOX Game bar, and audio separately with Bandlab, haha)

[shooter311]

I contacted SolidWorks for a free license. It said it was for small companies. I filled it out using my LLC and they denied it saying I needed more prototypes. Which is weird because the questionnaire just asked if I had a prototype with a drop down for Yes and No. So I am not sure where I went wrong, but I had my hopes up for that!

[Siress]

Sorry to hear that, shooter311. Try giving them a call. They've given out licenses to those that use it for personal fun/hobby, small businesses, educators, students, etc... It seems whimsical in nature, though.

[Spider!]

Good idea! There is so much in these cad systems that you don't know where to start. I had spent some years in 2d cad and did some 3d renders, but it's not the same now.

It had not occurred to me to make a solid and whittle it down in cad. I can see how someone might try that. "It's a trap!"

After sketch and extrude, making construction planes was really important for me.

[KMDPB]

Lame video it is not! thanks for sharing! its cool to see someone else's modeling techniques.

[ReconSWS]

Someone should curate a tutorial thread. Not it.

[Spider!]

So, there's drawing stuff, and there's designing stuff. This just smacked me in the face again.

Rainmaker is also a designer. Knowing what to draw is another "thing".

You have to design things with the process in mind (3d printer, CNC, laser cutter, etc.). The easiest thing I can think of is to pick something from the internet that has features you would like to learn to do and print it out. That way you learn what overhangs and such you can do, along with fitting parts together.

Making threads, snap fits, clips, friction fits, inserts, etc. frees you up to do a lot more.