Assignment: CAD

For this assignment, I was tasked with either creating something in CAD, or following a tutorial and writing about. Since my experience in CAD was minimal to none, I decided that following through the tutorial, and then creating my own tutorial based off of the stuff I learned. In this tutorial I will teach the following skills:

Sketching – drawing a 2 dimensional representation of a face in CAD
Extruding – taking a sketch and turning it into a 3 dimensional object
Assembly – taking multiple 3 dimensional parts and sticking them together
Mechanical Drawings – converting your 3 dimensional parts and/or assembly into a 2 dimensional drawing
BOM – Bill of Materials – creating a list of all items required to fabricate an assembled object

Sketching:

Start a new drawing – Open On shape and create a new drawing.

Look at the top left, where there is a button labeled “Sketch” and click on it.

From there you can label your sketch, and pick a plane in which you want the sketch to be on. There are three default planes, however more can be added should you want later on.

Here is a video demonstrating all of the above:

Extruding – taking a sketch and turning it into a 3 dimensional object

Draw Your 2D Shape: Use the sketch tools to draw the 2D shape you want to extrude.

Finish your Sketch: Click the green check mark to complete your sketch that you created in the last step.

Select Extrude Tool: Click on the “Extrude” tool in the toolbar.

Select the Sketch: Click on your 2D sketch to select it.

Specify the Extrude Depth: Enter the depth to which you want to extrude your sketch. You can also set the direction and options like “Solid” or “Surface.”

Complete the Extrusion: Click the green check mark to finish.

Here is a video demonstrating how to do this:

Assembly – taking multiple 3 dimensional parts and sticking them together

Create an Assembly: Click on the “Assembly” tab at the bottom to open a new assembly workspace.

Insert Parts: Click on the “Insert” button and select the parts you want to include in the assembly.

Position Parts: Use the transform tools to position your parts roughly where you want them.

Mate Connectors: Use mate connectors to define how parts fit together. For example, use the “Fasten Mate” to lock two parts together or the “Revolute Mate” for rotational movement.

Here is a video demonstrating how to do this:

Mechanical Drawings – converting your 3 dimensional parts and/or assembly into a 2 dimensional drawing

Create a Drawing: Open your 3D part or assembly and click the “Create Drawing” button.

Select Template: Choose a drawing template that suits your needs. There are standard templates or you can make custom ones, but I will not be covering that.

Place Views: Drag and drop your 3D model into the drawing space. You can orient them as you please.

Add Dimensions: Use the dimensioning tools to add necessary measurements to your drawing.

Annotate: Add annotations, notes, and other details to clarify the drawing

Here is a photo showing what a mechanical drawing looks like:

BOM – Bill of Materials – creating a list of all items required to fabricate an assembled object

Open Assembly: Go to your assembly in On shape.

Create BOM: In the assembly workspace, look for the BOM table icon and click on it.

Add Items: Ensure all parts of your assembly are listed in the BOM table. You can add descriptions, quantities, part numbers, and other relevant information.

Customize Columns: You can customize the BOM table to include specific details like material, supplier, or cost.

Hopefully this tutorial will help you with you first CAD project in On Shape, and if it was, refer it to your friends who are starting out with CAD too!