1 Topic by Staffordknot

  • Staffordknot
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-28
  • Posts: 199

Topic: How to construct a multi piece 3d object

Hi, I'm trying to design a childrens space toy and want some design principle help

1. Do i draw the entire toy and all its components as a single object then explode it afterwards? It has moving components, such as opening doors for example?

2. For example the outer surface of the space toy I want to stick or design clip on components in different coloured material. So pipes look like they are on the surface. Would you draw these all on the same model or do you draw each component flat on the xy surface?

3. Has anyone got any cad files ideally in sketchup of a model showing multiple objects combined or separated out to print so I can get a better idea of what I'm meant to do! 

Any help appreciated!

I have so many ideas just creating them is my problem! Lol

Thanks

2 Reply by fredhag

  • fredhag
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Richmond, VA
  • Registered: 2012-08-31
  • Posts: 38

Re: How to construct a multi piece 3d object

I am definitely not one to follow best practices as I keep a lot of versions in a single file, and I don't really document my work.  It would probably be best to use the annotate feature in SU to take notes of particular pieces or milestones in a design.  For me, I typically evolve my model by making a row of pieces, each one being a slightly more evolved version of another, and I have different rows for different pieces.  Lately, I will do a lot of the design while the parts are assembled in my SU file, and I simply hide the parts that are in the way so I can focus on one part (I will also use View -> Face Style -> X-Ray and View -> Edge Style -> Back Edges ).  I'm sure there are features I'm not using and plug-ins that may be able to help with this kind of work.  However, fuller CAD tools have parts, assembly, and simulation worked out.  I'm also bad as I use Groups occasionally when I should be using Components.

Attached is an example of all the things I did to my SD3 along with an assembled version of Coy Paeltz's SD3 enclosure.

Post's attachments

SD3 with mods.skp 767.02 kb, 9 downloads since 2013-04-29 

You don't have the permssions to download the attachments of this post.
Cheers,
Fred
Fredrick C. Hagemeister
http://blog.richmond.edu/ti3d

fredhag's Website

3 Reply by AdamMcCallister

  • AdamMcCallister
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-29
  • Posts: 18

Re: How to construct a multi piece 3d object

I cant write my own name my friend, however my partner who I'm diving into this with turned out to be a SketchUp savant. We've done a lot, and this is what I know he does and maybe it can help:

Start off by making a folder. then make folders in that folder. Fill these with labeled 3d models you can get for free, and then with the ones you design, and then for a certain project, and for us we clean em out once a month into a folder labeled month-year.

after you've the infrastructure, i always build individual components and then load them. this is a common practice in software coding, so it makes sense here. we have had issue with one piece and not another, and having separate files and separate history of changes really save ya.

Also build in easy to shape shapes in vague forms, and you may save a whole lot of time. We made a hitch in three pieces:
cylindrical pin
wall mount
hinge? (not sure what the term is)

and i think we have made 10-15 other things in 5% of the time by simply reshaping them, and using a set of common dimensions.

Also, plug-ins <3

4 Reply by Staffordknot

  • Staffordknot
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-28
  • Posts: 199

Re: How to construct a multi piece 3d object

All great advise thank you... So if i was designing a toy car and I want the door and bonnet to open would you draw the entire car as one object with the door mechanism all in place on the one model the separate these items for printing?

5 Reply by cmetzel

  • cmetzel
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Solidoodle2 #0091
  • Registered: 2012-08-22
  • Posts: 1,429

Re: How to construct a multi piece 3d object

Staffordknot wrote:

All great advise thank you... So if i was designing a toy car and I want the door and bonnet to open would you draw the entire car as one object with the door mechanism all in place on the one model the separate these items for printing?

Yes

6 Reply by Staffordknot

  • Staffordknot
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-28
  • Posts: 199

Re: How to construct a multi piece 3d object

Ok cool... Now how do i do it! Haha. Grrr wish i new more about cad, 2d drawing i'm great at.

7 Reply by Staffordknot

  • Staffordknot
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-04-28
  • Posts: 199

Re: How to construct a multi piece 3d object

Fred thanks for the file, I have been dissecting it! really appreciate it, its giving me some ideas on where to start. I notice your brackets have a 1mm clearance in diameters, how snug are these with the accuracy of the printer? I'm just trying to gauge how big offsets should be?