1© 2009 Autodesk Working Accurately: Dimensions Freeform, creative design... …is also accurate, constrained, and disciplined.

2© 2009 Autodesk Working Accurately A concept will only be successful if all the dimensional constraints have been fully considered and integrated into the final design.

3© 2009 Autodesk Product Design Dimensions An ‘envelope’ of dimensional constraints Be creative in solving the design problem within the constraints

4© 2009 Autodesk Vehicle Design Dimensions Width x Depth x Height Wheel DiametersSide Glass Radius Track Wheel Base

5© 2009 Autodesk Packaging Design Dimensions Width x Depth x Height Handle Blow Ratio and Ergonomics Handle Ergonomics Neck Diameter Label Area

6© 2009 Autodesk Where to Start – Setting Units Preferences>Construction Options To set the modeling units and the tolerances for data export You will typically only change the main units. Opening a File The Construction Options settings are saved with the file. When opening a new file, if the settings are different, you are prompted to decide which settings to use.

7© 2009 Autodesk Where to Start – Setting Up the Grid What is the Grid Used for? Snapping to Center Lines for symmetry and rotation axes Sense of Scale The other grid lines give a sense of scale Snapping at a Spacing Occasionally you will change the grid spacing to give a particular spacing for snapping Setting the Grid Spacing

8© 2009 Autodesk Entering Dimensions: Prompt Line Entering Coordinate DimensionsTyping Coordinates Type ‘r’ or ‘a’ [enter] to switch modes. X, Y, and Z can be separated by a space or a comma. Trailing zeros can be omitted. Zeros before values are needed. The ‘r’ or ‘a’ can be combined with the coordinate input. Absolute zero is useful for the origin. You can’t specify units with the dimension. You can’t do equations. While addressing in absolute mode, an object will be: (1) moved to the grid position specified, (2) rotated to the absolute degree value specified for each of the three axes, or (3) scaled based on its original size. When in relative addressing mode, objects are moved, scaled, or rotated relative to the object’s current position, scale, or rotation.

9© 2009 Autodesk Entering Dimensions: Information Window X Y Z Displays information for the picked object(s) View the current dimensions Change one coordinate at a time Primitives and the Information Window

10© 2009 Autodesk Duplicate Object Transform Info The same way of showing dimensions in the Information Window is used in the Duplicate Object tool. Number Type in the number of additional objects you need. For example, a six-spoke wheel will need five spokes duplicated from the original. Transform Type in the transform required for each duplicate. Reset Returns all the values to zero and one. Option Window Click on the small square to open the option window.

11© 2009 Autodesk Exercises EX1-Information-window-1.wire EX2-Information-window-2.wire EX3-Duplicate-translate.wire EX4-Duplicate-rotate.wire EX5-Spiral-staircase.wire

12© 2009 Autodesk Working Accurately – Keypoint Curves

13© 2009 Autodesk Keypoint Curves: Accurate Drafting Displaying Keypoints: Marked by a bright blue square. Object Display>Control Creating Keypoint Curves Just follow the prompts. Moving Keypoints Keypoint Curve Toolbox>Drag Keypoints Move the end or center keypoint. Curves that are touching will stay connected as the end keypoint is moved.

14© 2009 Autodesk Keypoint Curves and the Information Window Attributes Keypoint curves have a special section in the Information Window called ‘Attributes’ where you can change the key dimensions. 90 o sweep45 o angle Information Window

15© 2009 Autodesk Curve Fillet Create a Fillet Curve Curve Edit>Create>Fillet Curves Modify a Fillet Curve Windows>Information>Information Window Object Edit>Query Edit Construction History The curves change to green, to show they have construction history.

16© 2009 Autodesk Keypoint Curves – Guidelines Guidelines are provided so that you can snap perpendicular to lines on the screen. However, in practice, guidelines can clutter up the screen, and it is recommended to delete them if they are not needed. You can prevent guidelines from being created by setting the maximum number of guidelines to zero in the General Preferences. Change to Zero Choose ‘Modeling’

17© 2009 Autodesk Measuring Dimensions Use Curve Snap to get accurate readings. The Information Window shows the settings for the dimension locator and can be used to change them. Locators>Measure

18© 2009 Autodesk Presenting Dimensions Windows>Information Window File>Export>Current Window Preferences>Interface>User Colors Change Locator Color Change Background Color Create a JPEG or TIFF Adjust Locator Size

19© 2009 Autodesk Exercises EX6-Keypoint-lines.wire EX7-Keypoint-circles.wire EX8-Golden-section.wire EX9-Wheel-dimensions.wire

20© 2009 Autodesk Importing Canvas Images 2D Image on a ‘Canvas Plane’ 2D images can be used within the 3D modeling environment. A ‘Canvas Plane’ is the ‘piece of paper’ that can be sketched on or moved within the 3D workspace. 3D Geometry Using the 2D sketch as a reference can help to maintain the character of a design as you develop it in 3D. Importing a Canvas Choose a modeling window. File>Import>Canvas Image Pick, scale, and move the image to fit the workspace.

21© 2009 Autodesk Exercises EX10-Import-canvas-image.wire Current Project In this exercise, you will start to combine images with geometry. It is important, therefore, that you are setting the current project correctly so that you can locate the images in the ‘pix’ directory. Task Create an outline ‘box’ to accurate dimensions. Import canvas images. Scale and move the images to match the geometry.

22© 2009 Autodesk Projects P1-Checkers-board.wire P2-Car-layout.wire P3-Furniture-layout.wire P4-Staircase.wire Advanced: P5-Speaker-mechanism.wire