03-06-2020, 01:59 PM
Woohoo! I get to have the honor of first poster in this thread!
As promised, I'm getting this thread kicked off that covers my use of Autodesk Fusion 360 for modeling the ANH TIE. For those of you who may not be familiar with Fusion 360, it is a 3d cloud-based modeling tool that Autodesk launched in 2013, and is quite easy for the new user to jump in and create designs. The license is free for hobbyists and home users who meet the requirements of the non-commercial, annually renewed license. I had previously been an ardent SolidWorks user, but when the Fusion 360 team integrated a fully-featured CAM package a couple years ago, I made the switch. Generating toolpaths for CNC machining is quite easy, and it's super convenient that the integrated CAM is directly linked to your design geometry, so any updates propagate through to the toolpaths. Creating STL files for 3D printing is even easier - right click on the component and select export as STL - detail levels are fully adjustable for smooth prints.
So I'll start this first post with a handful of pics of the current progress of my TIE. I started with a 5.25" sphere and proportioned the canopy, rear cone, top hatch, and bottom hatch from available prop pics. Complex parts are modeled in separate files and then assembled together in another file. I have sought to link geometries sensibly using Fusion's parametric timeline feature, so adjustments to dimensions should propagate downstream with (hopefully) few errors. For example, I can change the canopy ring diameter and all the window mullions and details will stretch appropriately, and the cockpit hole will automagically resize to accommodate the change. I'd be happy to delve into more specific Fusion 360 modeling techniques if anyone is interested - we can tailor this thread to suit the audience.
You'll see in a couple pics that I have leveraged the kit part scans to refine some of the detail pieces. I import the scan as a canvas in Fusion and use the calibrate feature on the rulers that are included in the scans. I then draft the outline sketch directly over the top of the part and extrude it in 3D and add any further details. Having the kit scans available has been a new gold mine for me! Big thanks to joewhite and all the others that have worked on these parts maps and kit scans.
And yes, I am definitely going to release all the STL files and Fusion 360 files so ya'll can play around with this as you please. For free, of course! I figure that I'll post the files in stages when I have reached certain milestones in the model's completion. I think a logical first goal will be to complete the cockpit assembly with some provision for mounting the wing pylons, and then post all of those files. I will follow up with my own 3D printing process and assembly to keep this thread fresh and "real"
Of course, your thoughts and comments are solicited, but this will mostly be my own artistic interpretation of the source material, so I reserve the right to make the model "correct to my eye". Although you will be able to make changes to the model to your heart's content! There is actually a collaboration feature in Fusion that allows multiple users to work on the same model concurrently - some sort of cloud digital wizardry tracks the changes and users can ratify changes. I haven't messed with this feature, but I could be cajoled into this if a like-minded group of folks wanted to play (it would certainly accelerate the timeline based on my pace so far...)
As a first request of this forum, I would like to burden some kind soul with the task of a higher res image of the 1/35 Tamiya 8Rad hinged port that is part 7 in Joe's map (the detail at the front edge of the top hatch - circled in red below). The current kit scan image is a little blurry and I'd like to refine this part on my model. Thanks!
As promised, I'm getting this thread kicked off that covers my use of Autodesk Fusion 360 for modeling the ANH TIE. For those of you who may not be familiar with Fusion 360, it is a 3d cloud-based modeling tool that Autodesk launched in 2013, and is quite easy for the new user to jump in and create designs. The license is free for hobbyists and home users who meet the requirements of the non-commercial, annually renewed license. I had previously been an ardent SolidWorks user, but when the Fusion 360 team integrated a fully-featured CAM package a couple years ago, I made the switch. Generating toolpaths for CNC machining is quite easy, and it's super convenient that the integrated CAM is directly linked to your design geometry, so any updates propagate through to the toolpaths. Creating STL files for 3D printing is even easier - right click on the component and select export as STL - detail levels are fully adjustable for smooth prints.
So I'll start this first post with a handful of pics of the current progress of my TIE. I started with a 5.25" sphere and proportioned the canopy, rear cone, top hatch, and bottom hatch from available prop pics. Complex parts are modeled in separate files and then assembled together in another file. I have sought to link geometries sensibly using Fusion's parametric timeline feature, so adjustments to dimensions should propagate downstream with (hopefully) few errors. For example, I can change the canopy ring diameter and all the window mullions and details will stretch appropriately, and the cockpit hole will automagically resize to accommodate the change. I'd be happy to delve into more specific Fusion 360 modeling techniques if anyone is interested - we can tailor this thread to suit the audience.
You'll see in a couple pics that I have leveraged the kit part scans to refine some of the detail pieces. I import the scan as a canvas in Fusion and use the calibrate feature on the rulers that are included in the scans. I then draft the outline sketch directly over the top of the part and extrude it in 3D and add any further details. Having the kit scans available has been a new gold mine for me! Big thanks to joewhite and all the others that have worked on these parts maps and kit scans.
And yes, I am definitely going to release all the STL files and Fusion 360 files so ya'll can play around with this as you please. For free, of course! I figure that I'll post the files in stages when I have reached certain milestones in the model's completion. I think a logical first goal will be to complete the cockpit assembly with some provision for mounting the wing pylons, and then post all of those files. I will follow up with my own 3D printing process and assembly to keep this thread fresh and "real"
Of course, your thoughts and comments are solicited, but this will mostly be my own artistic interpretation of the source material, so I reserve the right to make the model "correct to my eye". Although you will be able to make changes to the model to your heart's content! There is actually a collaboration feature in Fusion that allows multiple users to work on the same model concurrently - some sort of cloud digital wizardry tracks the changes and users can ratify changes. I haven't messed with this feature, but I could be cajoled into this if a like-minded group of folks wanted to play (it would certainly accelerate the timeline based on my pace so far...)
As a first request of this forum, I would like to burden some kind soul with the task of a higher res image of the 1/35 Tamiya 8Rad hinged port that is part 7 in Joe's map (the detail at the front edge of the top hatch - circled in red below). The current kit scan image is a little blurry and I'd like to refine this part on my model. Thanks!
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