Nova
Project Attributes
Futuristic
Stylish
Complex Organic Form
3D Modelling & Rendering
The Process
THE PROJECT
Our 3rd year CAD class was instructed to model a product or vehicle in SolidWorks. It had to have a complex organic form and incorporate a minimum number of lofts and sweeps. After modelling the product or vehicle, students were instructed to make technical drawings of it and use Photoview 360 to produce renderings.
IDEATION
No research was required for this project, so I jumped straight to making concept sketches to develop a design. I explored both product and vehicle concepts at this stage. Once I had concepts drawn in perspective, I chose one of the vehicles and drew the front, top, and side views to put on the planes in SolidWorks and use as reference images when making the model.
REFINEMENT
I had to rebuild the SolidWorks model three times to fix surface inconsistencies. Once the bodywork was done, I added the smaller details to the vehicle, such as the wheels and lights.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
The technical drawings were quick to make. It was just a matter of dropping the CAD model into a SolidWorks drawing and adding some annotations and dimensions.
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RENDERINGS
The renderings took longer. I repeatedly tried different background images and lighting arrangements until I found some good arrangement options to produce nice renders.
TAKEAWAYS
It is difficult to go back and edit a complex surface model in SolidWorks. It is beneficial to have a strong understanding of what you want your surfaces to look like before you jump into SolidWorks.
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I recently discovered that Fusion 360's form environment is a great alternative for when you need to make an organic form but still want it to have thickness and dimensions. Unlike SolidWorks, you can usually go back and edit your form in Fusion 360 without breaking other features.