3D Communication Of Designers Intent

Making a 3D model in Autocad or it's extension Mechanical Desktop is one task, communicating the designers intent to other parties is another.

Here is an unannotated drawing (or layout) made from the model of a plastic cover intended to slide over a protruding thread that could be damged or damage something else. The end view and side section view is probably sufficient alone for comprehension but including in the iso-view is a nice touch that is sometimes appreciated. The iso-view could be shown at half the normal size off in a corner to leave plenty of space for the annotated 2D views that the shop-floor people usually need.

The iso-view used alone may well be all you need in an economically produced catalogue or flyer.

Here is a bit-mapped image approximately 400x300px intended to communicate further the designers intention for promotional purposes via the internet or printed materials. The particular format required needs to be specified by the publisher. A copy of the cap has been broken out and shown slid over a shaft which appears slightly to the rear in this iso-view. Perhaps the broken out cap and shaft should be more in the foreground and the full part left casually to the rear. Perhaps they should overlap to save space in a catalog.

Just How Much More Do You Want?

How can the presentation be enhanced? We could put a thread on the shaft and fillets always improve appearance. Maybe one point light, twiddle with ambient and render just to the layer colors. In any event the designers work is long over and perhaps a specialist with the skill set and personality traits necessary to pursue enhancement within a specifically allocated budget. The allocated budget for enahancement should reflects a level of real need not just a desire to make it "look better" which can be very subjective.

Here I used a solid cylinder for the non-threaded part. The thread wall is actually a helix surface which was like a hollow tube. I sat it on the solid cylinder and then made a circular region and sat it on top like a drink coaster. It would look a whole lot better tilted away so you could not see the top.

Here I used a solid cylinder for the non-threaded part. The thread itself is an acis solid. Again the top looks pretty stark. There is no lead (or run out onto the cylinder).

Here I used a revolve of a thread profile. Gives a parallel 'thread'. It is sat on a solid cylinder.