Sketching from scratch/from nothing with a blank sketch.

You can Sketch from scratch, drawing new 2D shapes without any guides or support because you know what shape you need and what size it needs to be.  Below is an example where a 200x200x25mm cuboid is required.  Consequently, a 200x200 square has been drawn and it will be Extruded 25mm thick later.

Sketching from an exiting drawing or photograph.

As a part of your project, you are likely to have design ideas that you have drawn, drawings of your final product after developing it or even photographs of the model you made of your favourite idea.  These can be used as a starting point for your sketching.  Below is an example where I have already sketched my 2D shapes on paper and I now want to turn them into 3D shapes.  Consequently, I have uploaded my image file into Onshape and I can now sketch over the top so that I have the sketches I need to turn them into 3D shapes later using the 'Revolve' and the 'Extrude' features.  See the videos below.

Onshape 'Features'

Once you have drawn your sketches, you need to use these sketches to create 3D forms.  This can be done using predominantly the following Features.

• Extruding

• Revolving

• Sweeping

• Lofting

You will learn how to perform these key Features.  It will then be up to you to choose which features you need to use to create the 3D forms/products/product parts that you want to model.

Manipulating the 3D forms you have created.

After creating the basic shapes, you will need to waste, shape and add materials to apply the final touches to your 3D form.  Some of the tools you will use to do this are:

• Fillet

• Chamfer

• Shell

• Hole

Example of drawing basic sketches and applying basic features and manipulations.

Look at the image below.  You will see how we have drawn sketches and then used a variety of 'features' and other skills to model a small desk tidy.

Modelling the 3D Form by Applying the 'features'