Introduction: Presentation: Final Model, Drawings + Renderings
- Model Design Drawing Sketches
- 3d Model Design Drawing
- Life Drawing Models Website
- Model Design Drawing Techniques
If you have been taking this class with the intention of designing something for your own personal use, then now is the time that you would take your final design and make a finished version in the final material!
We have some great fabrication classes to help you with that if you don't have experience in the material you'd like to use, or just want to brush up on your skills:
Create amazing 3D woodworking designs before you head to the hardware store. Pre-build that dream cabinet or treehouse in 3D before you tackle it in real life. I Draw Fashion shows you how to draw fashion sketches for beginners. Illustrated step-by-step tutorials, drawing tips, free croquis and body templates. How to draw fashion figures How to draw clothes, fabrics and patterns Fashion design contests and more. Improve your skills & create unique fashionable drawings! Nov 05, 2020 The model for your design, called a croquis, should be drawn in a pose that will show off the items best. You can show the model walking, sitting, bending, or in any other position. As a beginner, you may want to start with the most common pose, which is a runway sketch that shows a model standing or striding on a runway. Tubing and Piping Design: We also provide the 3D mechanical design for efficient tubing and piping. This helps improve the manufacturing process and provide assembly efficiency. Industrial Equipment Design: We have an experienced team of 3D model design experts who help convert 2D drawings into 3D structures for mechanical industrial products.
Metalworking with randofo
This tutorial shows how to draw a prom and fashion dress. Publishing: Suart86All Rights Reserved (P) & (C) Suart86 2018.
Mold Making & Casting with me
Welding with audreyobscura
Woodworking with mikeasaurus
Lamp Making with me
And classes that cover almost everything electronic.
Depending on the fabrication method you plan to use, this could mean having to make 2D CAD drawings for cutting parts on a CNC machine or creating a 3D rendering for use with a 3D printer. I cover both of these processes below.
If you don't require any further info to move ahead with your final product, then thank you so much for taking my class! And please send me photos of your finished thang.
If you will be presenting your design or handing it off to be manufactured, you will want to follow along with this final lesson.
There are 3 main components to a completed design:
- Presentation model/prototype
- Technical drawings
- 3D rendering
Step 1: A Presentation Model/Prototype
As I mentioned earlier, you can absolutely make most final prototypes using hand and standard studio/workshop tools. The final presentation model is meant to be a clear representation of what the finished product would look like. It doesn't have to function as the finished, manufactured product would, nor does it even have to be out of the same material that the product will be produced in (painted foam is commonly used). It just needs to communicate the form, scale, and look of the product so that others can understand your vision (think movie prop).
Full disclosure: In most cases, a 3D rendering of the finished design will suffice, especially for manufacturing (the image for this lesson is a 3D model of my project NOT a real one!). But if you are trying to get funding or convince someone of the genius that is your new idea, having a physical model that they can see in space and touch is incredibly helpful.
Step 2: Technical Drawings
The job of technical drawings is to visually communicate dimensions, specifications, and how something is constructed. A set of technical drawings is called working drawings, and these are sent to manufacturers so they have all the information they need to work from (shapes, dimensions, material specifications, etc.) when producing your product.
These can still be hand drawn, but if you use a CAD (computer aided design) or vector based software to create your drawings (like AutoCad or Adobe Illustrator), those drawings can also act as a 'pattern' and be exported as a file type that communicates with laser cutters, water jet cutters, etc. – any CNC machine that cuts flat parts. Providing CAD files can save you money, as it will save the manufacturer's from having to generate those drawings themselves.
If you'd like to learn how to make your own rapid prototyped parts form CAD drawings, check out the following free Instructables classes:
Laser Cutting with JON-A-TRON
CNC with JON-A-TRON
A technical drawing usually contains top down drawings of the individual pieces, front, side, and section views –all with dimensions, a 3/4 view of the complete product, and sometimes an exploded view of how the parts fit together.
As I mentioned in the ideation lesson, JON-A-TRON also has a class on Design Sketching that covers all of the terms and how to draw the different views you'll need for your drawings.
If you don't already know how to use a 2D CAD or vector based software, I recommend downloading a free trial version of AutoCad LT and going through their great tutorials.
Step 3: 3D Rendering / Drawing
Generating a 3D model of your product is a great way to:
- create a visual representation of your 'finished' product for use in presentations, pitch decks, and to send to manufacturers to aid production
- get away with NOT having to do your technical drawings in a separate 2D software
3D CAD/CAM (computer aided manufacturing) software will not only create beautiful renderings, but allow you to generate technical drawings with dimensions, do 3D exploded drawings of all the parts – showing how they go together – and export files for 3D printing or CNC machining.
If you're interested in learning how to 3D render and print, I highly recommend trying the 3D CAD/CAM software Fusion 360. Full disclosure, it's an Autodesk product (Autodesk owns Instructables), but it really is just a super easy-to-use, intuitive software. Plus it's FREE for students, teachers, hobbyists, and start-ups!
Autodesk Fusion 360 (free)
This is a powerful 3D modeling platform that's easy to learn but has endless potential. With it, you can design complex 3D objects for practically any kind of fabrication, digital or otherwise.
Click here to sign up for free as a Hobbyist / Enthusiast / Startup or as a Student or Educator.
- Follow one of the links above to download the app (don't use the App Store on Mac).
- Enter your email and download the free trial.
- Install and setup a free Autodesk ID account.
- When you open Fusion, select the Trial Counter in the upper toolbar (it tells you how many days are left on your trial).
- In the next dialog box, select 'Register for Free Use'.
- Sign up as a Start-Up or Enthusiast (Free). You can also Sign up as a Student or Educator (Free) if you're a student or educator at a registered institution. This will give you free use of Fusion 360 for as long as you need it (not just a 30-day trial).
- Select the 'I accept Terms and Conditions' checkbox and click Submit.
Once you've downloaded the software, check out JON-A-TRON's 3D Printing Class. It will take you through creating a 3D rendering step-by-step! And then once you've got a handle on generating those, he'll show you how to 3D print your creation!
NOTE: My 3D renderings were done by Michael Sagan, the head of the Fusion 360 Customer Success Team (I've just started learning the program!) and they also have lots of helpful resources, also know as Virtual Labs that troubleshoot the Fusion 360 learning curve. They also have great webinars you can sign up for coming up on different Fusion 360 features. Check them out!
Another way to get a 3D rendering of your design into a 3D software without having to draw it, is to 3D scan your final prototype. My co-worker MikaelaHolmes has a great (free!) class on 3D scanning using photogrammetry – which means that you don't need an expensive 3D scanner, just a camera! This is an easy and low-tech way to get high tech results!
The future is now. :)
Step 1: A Presentation Model/Prototype
As I mentioned earlier, you can absolutely make most final prototypes using hand and standard studio/workshop tools. The final presentation model is meant to be a clear representation of what the finished product would look like. It doesn't have to function as the finished, manufactured product would, nor does it even have to be out of the same material that the product will be produced in (painted foam is commonly used). It just needs to communicate the form, scale, and look of the product so that others can understand your vision (think movie prop).
Full disclosure: In most cases, a 3D rendering of the finished design will suffice, especially for manufacturing (the image for this lesson is a 3D model of my project NOT a real one!). But if you are trying to get funding or convince someone of the genius that is your new idea, having a physical model that they can see in space and touch is incredibly helpful.
Step 2: Technical Drawings
The job of technical drawings is to visually communicate dimensions, specifications, and how something is constructed. A set of technical drawings is called working drawings, and these are sent to manufacturers so they have all the information they need to work from (shapes, dimensions, material specifications, etc.) when producing your product.
These can still be hand drawn, but if you use a CAD (computer aided design) or vector based software to create your drawings (like AutoCad or Adobe Illustrator), those drawings can also act as a 'pattern' and be exported as a file type that communicates with laser cutters, water jet cutters, etc. – any CNC machine that cuts flat parts. Providing CAD files can save you money, as it will save the manufacturer's from having to generate those drawings themselves.
If you'd like to learn how to make your own rapid prototyped parts form CAD drawings, check out the following free Instructables classes:
Laser Cutting with JON-A-TRON
CNC with JON-A-TRON
A technical drawing usually contains top down drawings of the individual pieces, front, side, and section views –all with dimensions, a 3/4 view of the complete product, and sometimes an exploded view of how the parts fit together.
As I mentioned in the ideation lesson, JON-A-TRON also has a class on Design Sketching that covers all of the terms and how to draw the different views you'll need for your drawings.
If you don't already know how to use a 2D CAD or vector based software, I recommend downloading a free trial version of AutoCad LT and going through their great tutorials.
Step 3: 3D Rendering / Drawing
Generating a 3D model of your product is a great way to:
- create a visual representation of your 'finished' product for use in presentations, pitch decks, and to send to manufacturers to aid production
- get away with NOT having to do your technical drawings in a separate 2D software
3D CAD/CAM (computer aided manufacturing) software will not only create beautiful renderings, but allow you to generate technical drawings with dimensions, do 3D exploded drawings of all the parts – showing how they go together – and export files for 3D printing or CNC machining.
If you're interested in learning how to 3D render and print, I highly recommend trying the 3D CAD/CAM software Fusion 360. Full disclosure, it's an Autodesk product (Autodesk owns Instructables), but it really is just a super easy-to-use, intuitive software. Plus it's FREE for students, teachers, hobbyists, and start-ups!
Autodesk Fusion 360 (free)
This is a powerful 3D modeling platform that's easy to learn but has endless potential. With it, you can design complex 3D objects for practically any kind of fabrication, digital or otherwise.
Click here to sign up for free as a Hobbyist / Enthusiast / Startup or as a Student or Educator.
- Follow one of the links above to download the app (don't use the App Store on Mac).
- Enter your email and download the free trial.
- Install and setup a free Autodesk ID account.
- When you open Fusion, select the Trial Counter in the upper toolbar (it tells you how many days are left on your trial).
- In the next dialog box, select 'Register for Free Use'.
- Sign up as a Start-Up or Enthusiast (Free). You can also Sign up as a Student or Educator (Free) if you're a student or educator at a registered institution. This will give you free use of Fusion 360 for as long as you need it (not just a 30-day trial).
- Select the 'I accept Terms and Conditions' checkbox and click Submit.
Once you've downloaded the software, check out JON-A-TRON's 3D Printing Class. It will take you through creating a 3D rendering step-by-step! And then once you've got a handle on generating those, he'll show you how to 3D print your creation!
NOTE: My 3D renderings were done by Michael Sagan, the head of the Fusion 360 Customer Success Team (I've just started learning the program!) and they also have lots of helpful resources, also know as Virtual Labs that troubleshoot the Fusion 360 learning curve. They also have great webinars you can sign up for coming up on different Fusion 360 features. Check them out!
Another way to get a 3D rendering of your design into a 3D software without having to draw it, is to 3D scan your final prototype. My co-worker MikaelaHolmes has a great (free!) class on 3D scanning using photogrammetry – which means that you don't need an expensive 3D scanner, just a camera! This is an easy and low-tech way to get high tech results!
The future is now. :)
Step 4: Become a Professional Designer
I wrote this class primarily for hobbyist makers and entrepreneurial inventors. Becoming a professional product designer (for a company) would require a much more rigorous education than I'm providing here (i.e.: a degree). :)
If you're interested in pursuing a career in product design, here's a link to a list of some of the top programs in the USA and abroad that was compiled, and well researched, by a prospective student:
What to look for in a program
A good product design program will offer classes in:
- Design drawing/sketching
- Concept development
- Design research
- Design history
- Model making: analog & digital
- Digital visualization: Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, CAD/CAM software
- Rapid prototyping
- Advanced manufacturing
- Material innovation
- Product life-cycle analysis (sustainable and circular design)
- Services design (human-centered design)
- Design ethics
- Business 101
With a focus on leadership, cross-disciplinary projects, and critical thinking.
Karen Hofmann, chair of product design at Art Center College of Design, says:
'As we move forward, we are anticipating that in the next decade designers will continue to be innovatorsand inventors—but that they will also have the opportunity to take on moresignificant leadership roles in organizations, from startups to leadingmultinational corporations and even governments.'
'As business organizations continue to embrace design, the role of the designer expands as well. Designersare not only responsible for visualizing and making, they now are'facilitators' as the design process has become more participatoryand collaborative inside of organizations as well as with the emergence of openinnovation models.'
There are exciting opportunities for future product designers and for how the design process can be applied.
How to get ahead before you even start
READ / The following books are essential reads for any designer:
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things by Don Norman
The Green Imperative: Ecology and Ethics in Design and Architecture by Victor Papanek
Elements of Design: Rowena Reed Kostellow and the structure of visual relationships by Gail Greet Hannah
The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda
Manufacturing Processes for Design Professionals by Rob Thompson
WATCH / Netflix is doing an AMAZING series on different design disciplines called Abstract: The Art of Design (you may need to be logged in to access the link). Every episode is a peek behind the curtain and I found each designer featured incredibly inspiring. WATCH IT!!!!! Do it. Now. Really.
LISTEN / Podcasts are a great source of design thinking, design history, human-ness, and inspiration. My favorites are:
99% Invisible with Roman Mars
Adventures in Design with Mark Brickey
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
OBSERVE & BE INSPIRED / Every day, try to notice details that you maybe have never paid attention to before. How do the things you use work? How do they feel in your hands? How do they look? Which door handles are successful, which are completely counter intuitive. And be inspired by these details!
Step 5: Happy Design Trails!
Thank you for taking my class. :)
Best,
Paige
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Layout Planning Reliable train operation starts with a solid track plan. Many plans you see look great on paper but when laid out full size in the defined space fall short of acceptable standards. You may have discovered this while researching plans for your layout. Seldom does a plan fit your exact space, accomplish the track operations you want or meet your expectations for scenery and structural elements. If you have a design in mind, or sketched out, you may have experienced difficulty getting all the pieces to fit. Model Scenery and Structure has a solution!
Model Scenery and Structure uses our Design Inquiry Form and active ongoing interaction with you to develop track and design plans that meet your layout objectives. These plans reflect your railway operating preferences with integrated space allocation for structural elements.
including roadways, buildings, bridges, water features, landscaping and terrain topography. All track and design plans will comply with NMRA standards for turn radius (with easements and super elevation), centerline spacing, grades (with transitions), turnout sizes and any other applicable standards. Model Scenery and Structure can also rework, or cleanup, a plan or sketch you may already have and bring it up to standards. Strict adherence to NMRA standards assures solid layout design and most importantly reliable train operation.
Model Design Drawing Sketches
The Bench Plan, Final Design Plan, and Wiring Plan along with the Switchboard Diagram for Computer Control may be incorporated in the Layout Plan Set.
Refer to the Design section for more information on our various Plan Sets.
Layout Plan Set The Layout Plan Set is made up of the plans you choose to have prepared. The Bench Plans, Final Design Plan, Wiring Plans and the Switchboard Diagram for Computer Control may be incorporated in the Layout Plan Set. Each of these plan sets are discussed below and in the Design section. Your Layout Plan Set is a comprehensive, detailed set of CadRail drawings that will make building your railway a manageable and enjoyable experience. With the guidance provided by the plans you will eliminate redoing, rebuilding, overbuying and a lot of frustration. The Material List that is included with all but the Basic Track Plan is a valuable tool when ordering materials. Get it right the first time! We are sure you will find the amount invested in the plans is more than paid back by the time the project is completed. The finished product is a model railway that operates reliably providing years of trouble free service and looks exactly like the layout you designed.
Basic Track Plan The Basic Track Plan is an drawing of your layout project with accurate track and turnout geometry! Drawn in CadRail, with track, turnouts and track elevations indicated all according to NMRA Standards. Utilizing the information on your completed Design Inquiry Form the track will be designed to accommodate your locomotives and rolling stock reliably with ample curve radius', turnout size and track centerline spacing. Easements for all curves and transitions for each elevation change are designed in the plan. Space for elements such as structures, hills, mountains, water features, roadways etc. will be blocked out on the plan. We will complete a first draft for your review and then work with you to refine the plan. Several reworks are expected in the Basic Track Plan development and included in the fee. The reworks allow you to tweak the plan so it's just right!
The Basic Track Plan is useful as a platform from which further development of the layout design and operation can be derived. It's a prerequisite for the Final Design Plan and Layout Plan Set development. The Basic Track Plan can be used to build your layout if you can handle the bench work, deck details and the wiring without guidance. The Basic Track Plan provides adequate information to produce a functional and reliable layout.
Basic Track Plan fees are ZERO COSTwhen you go to the next step in layout planning. The initial fee, starting around $100ºº, depending on the size of your proposed layout, is applied toward the cost of the Layout Plan Set if you choose to proceed with the project. The Basic Track Plan fee is determined after we have had a chance to review the completed Design Inquiry Form and discuss he project with you directly.
Full Size Plan Prints are available from Model Scenery and Structure. These prints are modified to show track, turnouts, switch machines and key elements like roadways, signals, buildings, water features etc. in detail. The Full Size prints are taped or glued to the layout deck to create your layouts exact track geometry and features in full scale. This eliminates drawing the plan on the deck mechanically and creates an accurate representation of the layout. The prints are 11″ x 17″ and have grid lines that make alignment a snap. This is a huge timesaver and assures the completed project will look like the plan.
Final Design Plan Set
The Final Design Plan Set is a complete CadRail drawing set. The Final Design Plans will use the Basic Track Plan as a starting point. All track, turnouts and track elements will be located on the Final Design Plan and specified in detail. Roadways, water features, structures, bridges, tunnel portals etc. will also be located and detailed. Track and topography elevations will be called out. A material list will be prepared for all track work, turnouts and structural elements. The Final Design Plan is generally a set of five to nine pages or more. Refer to the Design section for more information on the Final Design Plans and our fee structure.
Bench Plan The Bench Plan is based on an open frame design that supports the layout deck. This allows access to hidden track from below the layout and facilitates component wiring not to mention retrieval of derailed locomotives and rolling stock. Troubleshooting, maintenance and adding components is easy with unrestricted access below the table. On elevated, multi-level layouts and those using a helix the bulkhead framework supports the various elevations and shapes of the deck. The track bed and terrain topography supports are integral portion of the bench work. The completed bench and deck are ready to receive track and wire mesh for the plaster that shapes the terrain, hills
and mountains. Foam can be used in lieu of wire and plaster. The open frame bulkhead fabrication can be compared to building a boat upside down. The Bench Plan provides detailed CAD drawings of all bulkheads, deck cuts and elevations. Support legs or cabinetry with a power component module or control panel are included in the plan. All cutting dimensions and a complete material list are provided to simplify bench fabrication. The bench can be designed for modular fabrication should you plan to relocate or add to the layout in the future. The Bench Plan Set may be incorporated in the Layout Plan Set. The fee structure for our Plans can be found in the Design section.
Wiring Plan
The Wiring Plan is a detailed diagram, or schematic, detailing track, turnout and component wiring for a DCC or DC operating system. Pin to pin connections are called out along with wire gauges and wire runs. Model Scenery and Structure has extensively used and prefers Digitrax™ DCC products. They provide most every function needed on the layout. (Other brands can also be used.) Wiring schematics for power, power management, turnout control, detection, signaling and sound control specified in the Basic Track Plan or Final Design Plans are provided in the DCC Wiring Plan. DC system schematics for track power, block power control, turnout control and auxiliary modules for signals, sound and train control via sensors called for in the Basic Track Plan or Final Design Plans are included in the DC Wiring Plan. The design, configuration and wiring schematic for the DCC component boards or the DC control panel are included in the wiring plan. The Wiring Plan provides a guide for reliable wiring of your layout. This assures the track and components will function as expected. This plan saves time and allows for efficient use of wire in the correct gauge run to the correct connection points. The Wiring Plan Set may be incorporated in the Layout Plan Set. The fee structure for our Plans can be found in the Design section.
Switchboard Diagram
3d Model Design Drawing
Computer Control for hands free automatic operation can be integrated in your DCC layout plans! Model Scenery and Structure will develop and configure your Switchboard Diagram for computer train control. We recommend and use the RR&Co.™ TrainController™ software connected to a PC running Windows® 7 or 8 through the RR-CirKits™ Loco-Buffer™ interface. Used in conjunction with the Digitrax™ DCC components your layout can operate manually, automatically or both simultaneously. The Switchboard Diagram, or plan, of your layout is the basis for all computer operations. The Switchboard components are configured to define each block, detection section, transponder zone, turnout, turntable, signal, sound module and all other digital components included in your layout. Each of your locomotives data is recorded and train schedules are input to the program. When completely configured the system can be controlled manually with a Digitrax™ handheld throttle, the RR&Co.™ SmartHand™ throttle, with SmartHand Mobile™ or on your Android™ or iPhone™ (from anywhere) and the entire layout can run automaticallycontrolled by your computer or SmartHand Mobile™ device.
This is state-of-the-art model railroading!
Life Drawing Models Website
Model Scenery and Structure can prepare the Switchboard Diagram and configure the components in the software program to get your trains rolling . . . . Automatically!
Model Design Drawing Techniques
The Switchboard Diagram for Computer Control may be incorporated in the Layout Plan Set. The fee structure for our Plans can be found in the Design section.
