Project One Tips and Tricks

ON CREATING AN ACCURATE FREE-FORM 3-D NURBS MODEL. . .

A good Rhino 3-D model:

  • Includes all necessary details up to but not including surface texture
  • Makes use of labeled layers to distinguish between different components
  • Is constructed entirely of valid closed polysurfaces that correspond to the different components
  • Contains only coplanar components, not overlapping components
  • Contains no naked edges (Analyze > Edge Tools > Show Edges)
  • Contains no invalid or bad objects (Analyze > Diagnostics > Check)

Typically, you will model all components of your object several times before you get it right. Strive for a minimum number of surfaces, and employ additive methods over subtractive methods wherever possible. Take breaks, drink water, and get enough sleep.

ON CREATING A DIMENSIONED ORTHOGRAPHIC LINE DRAWING. . .

Click here to download selected excerpts from Francis Ching’s Design Drawing, which reviews technical drawing conventions.

You are not draftspeople; you are not expected to generate technically perfect dimensioned drawings. Still, you need to be able to communicate your designs to the technical experts who will help you fabricate them. A reasonable set of dimensioned orthographic drawings:

  • Includes only those views that are necessary (typically Top, Front and Right)
  • Is dimensioned to an appropriate level of accuracy
  • Does not include any duplicate dimensions
  • Does not include any dimensions that overlap on the same side

To generate the basis for a set of 2-D drawings, use the Make2D command, selecting 4 View (USA), Show hidden lines and Maintain source layers. Note that the fourth view is whatever arbitrary position your Perspective viewport is set to. You could also create an isometric view instead (see below).

(TOTALLY OPTIONAL, AND AS OF V5, REDUNDANT) ON CREATING AN ISOMETRIC LINE DRAWING. . .

Note that you are not obliged to create an isometric line drawing. You may choose to create a perspective line drawing or any other projection that clearly depicts your small object.

The isometric view, however, is the least visually distorted of the axonometric projections, and is commonly employed in the representation of small objects. The isometric angle of view is approximately 35 degrees above the ground plane.

In order to create an Isometric viewport (to use in place of the Perspective viewport when generating 2-D information):

  • Create the geometry required to align the camera and target with the correct angle of view (see — or better yet, steal from — the sample Project One).
  • Right-click on the Perspective viewport window and select Viewport Properties; select Parallel Projection, and Place the camera and target
  • Right-click on the Perspective viewport window again and select Set Views, Named Views and save the view as Isometric
  • Be careful to reset your Isometric viewport before outputting your rendering or 2-D information via the Make2D command.

ON ENHANCING A LINE DRAWING USING ILLUSTRATOR. . .

Adjusting the appearance of your 2-D information in Rhino is awkward at best. A better choice is to export your 2-D information as an AI file (File > Export Selected > Adobe Illustrator). Advanced Illustrator techniques are beyond the scope of this course — but you’ll need to know the following to get through Project One:

  • When exporting your 2-D information, select “Snapshot of current view,” unless you need to make scaled drawings (for Project One, you don’t).
  • When you first open your exported 2-D information, you’ll need to set up your Artboards (Document Setup > Edit Artboards). Make two 11″ x 17″ sheets, landscape format.
  • You’ll need to scale your 2-D information using the Selection Tool. Hold down Shift to constrain the proportions of your lines.
  • Next, you’ll need to adjust the line weights and colours. Note that the Illustrator maintains whatever layers you set up in Rhino. To select all of the objects in a layer, click beside the circle in the Layers pane, and a box will appear. Change the layer’s Stroke and Colour as appropriate. Check the sample Project One for suggested line weights and colours. Note that the layer order determines which lines are on top. If you cut-and-paste in Illustrator, make sure “Paste Remembers Layers” is selected, otherwise you’ll lose the layers you created in Rhino.
  • Chances are your dimension text doesn’t look right. Select one and then all of your text elements (Select > Same > Appearance), and adjust themas you see fit.
  • Don’t forget to insert your rendering (File > Place). Embed the image into your Illustrator file.
  • Print to PDF to generate the file required for both your printing and linking. Export to JPEG to generate the files required for viewing on the blog.

ON CREATING A RENDERING USING RHINO RENDER. . .

Just as in a photography studio, a good rule of thumb is to use the minimum number of lights that ensures that all visible surfaces render neither pure white nor pure black. A typical initial setup includes two spotlights 90 to 120 degrees apart pointed 45 to 60 degrees down towards the object (see — or better yet, steal from — the sample Project One). Adjust the intensity of these lights via Properties. Under Render Properties, make sure you have an appropriate Resolution setting, and consider using a Transparent background in order to facilitate a clean layout (File > Save As > PNG).

ON ENHANCING THE RENDERING USING PHOTOSHOP. . .

Photoshop is an essential tool for most high-impact renderings. At the very least, use Photoshop to make adjustments to the tonality, saturation and contrast of your rendering. Photoshop is also where you’ll typically add context, people and sometimes texture. Advanced Photoshop techniques are beyond the scope of this course.

ON OUTPUTTING A FILE FOR 3-D PRINTING. . .

The correct filetype for most 3-D printing applications is the STL file (File > Export Selected > Stereolithography). The default STL settings are appropriate for most small objects. If your file is unwieldy, try increasing the tolerance setting to generate less polygons; if you require a great deal of precision, try decreasing the tolerance setting to generate more polygons. 

In order to successfully print, your STL must be watertight, which typically requires a watertight 3DM constructed entirely of valid closed surfaces or polysurfaces. Open your exported STL, and double check that your mesh is contains no naked edges (Analyze > Edge Tools > Show Edges). Repair any naked edges as necessary (FillMeshHoles).