I love Fusion 360’s Sweep tool. It allows you to create some very complex and intricate shapes. Today we’re going to get very creative with the Sweep tool. I've included the step by step video tutorial below.
This project was inspired by Joel Telling, aka the 3D Printing Nerd. Joel ran a design contest along with thangs.com where the mission was to design the best speaker cover. The two judges, Sophie Wong and Just Blaze had two main requirements:
The design should demonstrate the power of 3D printing
It’s gotta look cool
Well, challenge accepted!
I sat back and thought of a design that would meet both criteria. In order to show the power of 3D printing I wanted to create a model that couldn’t be created with a laser cutter or CNC mill.
I started to think of something curvy, wavy, twisty. Maybe a braided rope or a twisted wire kinda look. Once I settled on the type of design I wanted, I knew I had the perfect tool to get the job done.
Enter the Sweep tool. The Sweep tool allows you to sweep a sketch profile along a path. Plus, you can level up the Sweep by using the Twist Angle option. This allows the profile to not only sweep along the path but also twist while sweeping.
The result is this sort of twisted wire look that we get. I then performed a circular pattern to create six of these twists.
I used the same approach for a twisted base plate as well. The result is a beautiful twisted piece of functional art.
Ok, I’d say one of the design requirements has been achieved.
It definitely looks cool. At least, I think so.
The next challenge will be 3D printing it.
Since one of the goals of this challenge is to show the power of 3D printing, I’ll have to sweep this project under the rug if I can’t show a successful print.
Stay tuned for the result!
My big aha! moment with Fusion 360 happened when I finally understood how to use Constraints. Get my free Fusion 360 Constraint Cheat Sheet and see what I mean.
Here's the step by step video. Follow along and I'm sure you'll learn a few new techniques.
Enjoy!
Excellent video, Valdimir! Thanks for sharing!
And for those of you who haven't tried Vladimir's Fusion 360 Series, check them out. Vladimir's casual manner makes learning Fusion 360 a piece of cake. He steps you through each part of the design process so you can see what it take to create a model. And, it really isn't as hard as I once thought. Thanks, again, Vladimir!