Inventor
Widgets
We used Inventor to create six widgets. Inventor is a software that is used to sketch and design. You can create designs in a 2D or 3D models. You can layer the designs to make a more complex shape. There are many tools that help create these models such as the dimension tool, line tool and rectangle tool. these tools help you create and measure your design. One of these widgets we used to show the process and to 3D print.
I sketched out my widgets on this triangle graph paper. Each side of the triangles represent .25 of an inch.
Widget 1 Widget 2 Widget 3 Widget 4 Widget 5 Widget 6
These are the widgets that I created. Each are 1 inch by 1 inch by 1 inch.
Step-by-Step Widget 5
I started out by making the backwards L shape in Inventor. I used the measurement tool to get it to the proper proportions. Then, I finished my sketch and expanded it by an inch. I adjusted the view on the widget to looking down onto it. From this view, I cut out the rectangle on bottom. I used the measurement tool again to make the rectangle the proper size and spacing. Next, I finished my sketch and expanded the rectangle inward to cut it out. I readjusted my view again to look at the widget from the front and made another sketch on top. On this sketch I created the square and triangles that I needed to cut out. I used the measurement tool to proportion the shapes. I finished the sketch and expanded. this time I needed to select each shape before cutting it out. I then expanded the sketch inward again to cut it out. That created my final widget.
The next software I needed to use was MakerBot. MakerBot is software that the 3D-printers use to create. In order to have this widget on MakerBot I exported the file. Once in MakerBot, I adjusted the sizing scale to 1000% to make the widget an inch by and inch. I used the rotation tool to lay my widget in a proper way to print. Then, I adjusted the printing settings and exported the file onto my flash drive to print. I plugged the flash drive to the 3D printer and had it print my widget.
This project taught me a lot of skills on how to create and design. I also learned how to 3D print and use multiple software to get a design. I learned a lot about how to dimension objects and be precise with measurements. Overall this project was very eye-opening and makes me want to do it again.