Quick concepts part 1: Concepts overview

00:01

Hello, my name's Matt Lombard. Welcome to the first of a three-part video tutorial on making fast concept models with Shapr3D. Part one will be about the tools. So that's mostly about sketching, using extrude and revolve and maybe the loft and sweep features in a way that are geared toward making fast, reusable, and reconfigurable models.

00:26

We'll also talk about the differences between history and direct modeling as they relate to making quick edits. And of course, with each part of this, we'll do some actual modeling so it doesn't feel like just an academic exercise. Part two will be about the techniques you can use to help you with making quick concepts. So we'll talk about bodies, move features, and we'll get into more advanced history versus direct topics.

00:55

as well as more advanced editing, body management, reuse of various elements and so on. Part 3 will be some examples of how to put all of this into use for iterative concepting. I'll walk you through a couple of examples of making a concept model and then showing half a dozen iterations in just a few minutes. And then we'll also add as much detail as you have time for.

01:22

If you really want to iterate quickly through design ideas, there is generally something that is going to get left behind. In this method that I'm presenting here, what gets left behind typically is the detail. The smaller the detail is, the more time it costs you to add it to the model. You should model enough detail only to convey your concept and do it in such a way that parts of it can be reused for your next concept. In any case, let's get started with part one.

01:52

Preparation is really critical for working quickly. You have to be familiar with your setup and not fumbling with your hardware or looking for settings. Most of you are probably using a tablet with a stylus. I'm using a laptop with a big monitor and a space mouse. I've got more of a traditional CAD setup. Either setup is fine as long as you are comfortable and well acquainted with it.

02:19

Shapr3D really excels with a touch screen and a stylus, but there are times when a keyboard or a right mouse button really come in handy. Both ways of working have their advantages and disadvantages. Another option is to use the best of both worlds when it comes to hardware and interface. Tablets can be used with a physical keyboard as well as a pen or stylus. This gives

02:49

keyboard shortcut command and control in addition to mobile portability. The next thing to make sure you have prepared is the software itself. I recommend working with all of the snap options turned on. Snapping to the grid, guidelines or points and 3D points can help you save a lot of time and accuracy problems while sketching.

03:13

I would also recommend making sure you are working in units that you and other people who work with your models are familiar with. Don't be a renegade because that kind of thing can cost you or others a lot of time down the road when picking up your models for more edits. Let's talk about sketching. The fastest way to get going is to sketch on the standard planes.

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If you look at the view cube, X is red, Y is green, and Z is blue. The front plane is the XZ plane, normal to the Y axis. Does this really matter? There's nothing special about any of the planes or any of the axes, but some people or some companies may have conventions for where to start front, top or side. So consult people that you work with for what conventions they use.

04:12

Orientation is easy to change for your model, so I treat all directions as equal. Although I probably use the front XZ plane as the starting point, just out of habit. Shapr3D does use an isometric view as default view. This will become very important. They have assigned this view to the hotkey CTRL 1.

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Whenever you are in plan view that is looking normal to or square onto a grid and you need to escape back to a 3D view, this default isometric view will do the trick nicely. So remember control one. Starting your model sketching on the standard planes helps in two ways. First, the planes already exist, so you don't have to create them. And second, they are centered on the origin.

05:03

so you don't have to do anything special to get your model symmetric about the origin. There are a lot of benefits that you can get later on by using existing symmetry. So the use of standard planes is highly recommended. The standard planes are not displayed by default, but what you can do is use the view cube to pick a face or use the views menu to pick a view.

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Regardless of where the grid is shown by default, it will move to your new view. Views based on the standard planes also have keyboard hotkeys or shortcuts. You can see these listed from the view menu. Front is Ctrl 2, back is Ctrl 3, and so on. Memorizing these can help you work through your model very quickly. You can sketch on standard planes, construction planes, or planar model faces.

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You can also reset some of the navigation settings to use your mouse to control the view. This doesn't necessarily apply to you if you're using a tablet, but if you're using a traditional CAD setup with a mouse, these settings can help you work much faster. Thanks for watching part one. Come back for part two, where we'll talk about more techniques, how to use bodies.

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how to use move features and advanced history in direct editing.