Week 1 Lab: 3D Modeling

As the first lab assignment, I made a lego block in Fusion 360. In the process, I encountered several challenges even though I chose something relatively easy to make. Since this was my very first experience in 3D modeling, I had to learn about the basics from Youtube videos. However, it still took me a long time to figure out how to adjust the object’s size. In the tutorial, Fusion 360 allows people to adjust the length by dragging one side out. Since I was using the trackpad instead of a mouse, I had to put in the values manually. Also, I often couldn’t move or place components correctly due to the limitation of the trackpad. As a tip, it is important to change the angle when adding new components. Moreover, the software version that was installed on my laptop couldn’t trace the outside walls of the design when I hollowed the block from the bottom. I tried to recreate the design from the bottom but it didn’t work. Therefore, I had to compromise and gave up having the circles shown from the bottom as real lego blocks have. The other compromise I had to make was the color. Although Fusion 360 provides users with multiple colors and materials, I couldn’t find the one I want, and I could figure out how to customize the color. One suggestion I can provide for other novice users is to use a mouse instead of the trackpad for 3D modeling. The process can be very tedious, and using the trackpad would only make it more difficult. In Fusion 360, rectangles and circles are relatively easy to make since they are available in the toolbar. Other shapes might be more difficult to create. Thus, modeling objects such as dice, cube, and snowball should be more beginner-friendly.