+++
title = "3D Modeling and CAD"
date = 2018-07-05
authors = ["Aron Petau"]
description = "Modelling and Scanning in 3D using Fusion360, Sketchfab, and Photogrammetry"

[taxonomies]
tags = [
  "3D printing",
  "design for printing",
  "functional design",
  "fusion360",
  "parametric modelling",
  "photogrammetry",
  "polycam",
  "private",
  "scaniverse",
  "sketchfab",
  "university of osnabrück",
  "virtual reality",
  "work",
]
[extra]
banner = "render_bike_holder.png"
show_copyright = true
show_shares = true
+++

## 3D Modeling and CAD

### Designing 3D Objects

While learning about 3D Printing, I was most intrigued by the possibility to modify and repair existing products. While there is an amazing community with lots of good and free models around, naturally I came to a point where I did not find what I was looking for readily designed. I realized this is an essential skill for effectively operating not just 3D Printers, but any productive machine really.

Since youtube was the place I was learning all about 3D Printing, and all the people that I looked up to there were using Fusion 360 as their CAD Program that’s what I got into.
In hindsight, that was a pretty good choice and I am in love with the abilities parametric design gives me.
Below you will find some of my designs.
The process is something that I enjoy a lot and wish to dive into deeper.

By trial and error, I already learned a lot about designing specifically for 3D Printing, but I often feel that there are many aesthetic considerations in design that I am not familiar with.
I want to broaden my general ability to design physical objects, which is something I hope to gain during my master’s.

<iframe src="https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue2cf184b/shares/public/SH9285eQTcf875d3c539feb2bfae6da3d872?mode=embed" width="100%" height="600" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

<iframe src="https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue2cf184b/shares/public/SH9285eQTcf875d3c53974bf27fea6ee1a20?mode=embed" width="100%" height="600" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

<iframe src="https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue2cf184b/shares/public/SH9285eQTcf875d3c539ed795f9645d8b981?mode=embed" width="100%" height="600" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

<iframe src="https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue2cf184b/shares/public/SH9285eQTcf875d3c539bc7225ced67e5e92?mode=embed" width="100%" height="600" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

<iframe src="https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue2cf184b/shares/public/SH9285eQTcf875d3c5397f64c69f2093b1b5?mode=embed" width="100%" height="600" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

<iframe src="https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue2cf184b/shares/public/SH9285eQTcf875d3c539e8166aea2f430aed?mode=embed" width="100%" height="600" allowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>

{{ image(url="/images/breast_candle.jpg", alt="A candle made of a 3D scan, found on <https://hiddenbeauty.ch/>", pixels=true, start=true) }}

Check out more of my finished designs in the Prusaprinters (now Printables) Community

<div class="buttons">
  <a class="colored external" href="https://www.printables.com/social/97957-arontaupe/models">My Printables Profile</a>
</div>

{{ image(url="/images/vulva_candle.jpg", alt="A candle created with a 3D printed mold made in Fusion360", pixels=true, start=true) }}

## 3D Scanning and Photogrammetry

Besides coming up with new objects, incorporating the real world is also an interest of mine.

### Interaction with real objects and environments

In the last few years I have played around with a few smartphone cameras and was always quite sad, that my scans were never quite accurate enough to do cool stuff with them. I could not really afford real 3D scanner and had already started cobbling together a raspberry Pi camera with a cheap TOF sensor, which is a simple, but not quite as good replacement for a laser or a lidar sensor, but then Apple came out with the first phones with accessible Lidar sensor.
Recently, through work at the university I got access to a device with a lidar sensor and started having fun with it.
See some examples here:

<div class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"> <iframe title="DigiLab Main Room" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; xr-spatial-tracking" xr-spatial-tracking execution-while-out-of-viewport execution-while-not-rendered web-share width="800" height="600" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/c880892c6b4746bc80717be1f81bf169/embed?ui_theme=dark&dnt=1"> </iframe> </div>

<div class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"> <iframe title="VR Room DigiLab" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; xr-spatial-tracking" xr-spatial-tracking execution-while-out-of-viewport execution-while-not-rendered web-share width="800" height="600" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/144b63002d004fb8ab478316e573da2e/embed?ui_theme=dark&dnt=1"> </iframe> </div>

This last one was scanned with just my smartphone camera. You can see that the quality is notably worse, but considering is was created with just a single, run-of-the-mill smartphone sensor, I think it is still pretty impressive and will certainly do something towards democratizing such technologies and abilities.

<div class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"> <iframe title="Digitallabor UOS" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; xr-spatial-tracking" xr-spatial-tracking execution-while-out-of-viewport execution-while-not-rendered web-share width="800" height="600" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/2f5cff5b08d243f2b2ceb94d788b9cd6/embed?ui_theme=dark&dnt=1"> </iframe> </div>

## Perspective

What this section is supposed to deliver is the message that I am currently not where I want to be navigating the vast possibilities of CAD. I feel confident enough to approach small repairs around the flat with a new perspective, but I still lack technical expertise when approaching a collection composite parts, having to function together. I still have lots of projects halfdone or half-thought and one major reason is that there is no real critical exchange within my field of study.

I want more than designing figurines or wearables.
I want to incorporate 3D printing as a method to extend the abilities of other tools, have mechanical and electrical purposes, be foodsafe and engaging.
I fell in love with the idea of designing a toy system, inspired by [Makeways on Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/makeway/makeway-create-intricate-courses-watch-your-marbles-soar), I have already started adding my own parts to their set.

I dream of my very own 3D printed coffeecup, one that is both foodsafe and dishwasher-surviving. For that, I would have to do quite a bit of material research, but that just makes the idea so much more appealing.
I would love finding a material composition incorporating waste to stop relying on plastics, or at least on fossile plastics.
Once in Berlin, I would want to talk to the people at [Kaffeform](https://www.kaffeeform.com/en/) producing largely compostable Coffee Cups incorporating a significant amount of old ground espresso, albeit using injection molding for their process.
The industry selling composite filaments is much more conservative with the percentage of non-plastic additives, because with a nozzle extrusion process there is much more to go wrong.
Still, I would love to explore that avenue further and think there is a lot to be gained from looking at pellet printers.

I also credit huge parts of my exploration process into local recycling to the awesome people at [Precious Plastic](https://preciousplastic.com), who I will join over the summer to learn more about their system.

I find it hard to write anything about CAD without connecting it directly to a manufacturing process.
And I believe that's a good thing. Always tying a design process to its realization, grounds the process and attaches to it some immediacy.

For me to become more confident in this process, I am still missing more expertise in organic shapes, so I would be happy to dig more into Blender, an awesome tool that in my mind is far too powerful to dive into it with just youtube lessons.

## Software that I have used and like

<div class="buttons">
  <a class="colored external" href="https://alicevision.org/#meshroom">AliceVision Meshroom</a>
  <a class="colored external" href="https://scaniverse.com/">Scaniverse</a>
  <a class="colored external" href="https://sketchfab.com/arontaupe">My Sketchfab Profile</a>
  <a class="colored external" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lvonasek.arcore3dscanner&hl=en&gl=US">3D Live Scanner for Android</a>
</div>
