Precision Modelling Guide (Includes Video Tutorials)

[robbur]

A Guide to Precision Modelling in Blender

The Precision Modelling Guide offers a detailed walk through of blenders mesh modelling capabilities and should allow a new user to become familiar with Blenders way of doing things. For Hobby Engineers and Artists this guide will show you how to:

model parts,
build complex assemblies
extract geometry from the assemblies to create new parts.

The Guide uses three tutorials to walk you through Blenders mesh modelling capabilities.


http://www.rab3d.com/
An 11 part tutorial that takes a new user of Blender through the process and tools to accurately model a 608 Bearing



Part 1 - Laying out the reference geometry.
Part 2 - Detailing the bearing Race cross section.
Part 3 - Adding the Ball Bearings.
Part 4 - Modelling the Bearing Cage.
Part 5 - Detailing the Bearing Cage Securing Clasp.
Part 6 - Adding the Dust Shield.
Part 7 - Modelling the Circlip.
Part 8 - Low vertices bearing.
Part 9 - Rendering the Bearing.
Part 10 - Creating a Page Template.
Part 11 - Laying out the Bearing within the template.

http://www.rab3d.com/

This tutorial takes the bearing produced above and models a guide assembly from it, introducing a few new tools and techniques on the way.



Part 1 - Modelling The V-Roller.
Part 2 - Constructing the axle, washer and nut.
Part 3 - Producing Detailed Threads.
Part 4 - Laying out the Assembly Drawing.

http://www.rab3d.com/

This section covers constructing a casting model from an assembly of components. The section details how to extract geometry and locations from the component assembly, for use on the casting design.



Part 1 - Laying out the component assembly
Part 2 - Initial casting design
Part 3 - Support Brackets
Part 4 - Completing the casting

[Edit]
I have now compiled all the precision modelling tutorials into a down-loadable pdf book.



The Precision Modelling Guide to Blender is a 151 page walk-through of Blenders mesh modelling tools and design techniques. Illustrated with over 600 images it gives a clear and concise introduction to using blender. By progressing through the guide you will be introduced to many of Blenders commonly used modelling tools and also a few of the not so well known ones. The tools are presented in a real working design example with explanations of why the tools are used and not merely a demonstration of the tools in use

Don't be fooled by the name the guide is useful to anyone wanting a clear introduction to Blenders mesh modelling tools.

The Precision Modelling Guide can be downloaded from www.rab3d.com

Edit 23/06/2008:
VideoTutorials of the Guide are now being added to the site.

Edit 2/07/2008
Due to my Unlimited Bandwidth host putting an undisclosed limit on my bandwidth I have had to temporarily remove the pdf guide from my site. I will reinstate it when I find a more reliable host.

Precision Modelling Tutorials
My Web site

[robbur]

Modelling a 608 Bearing
Just a quick update.

Parts 1 to 10 are now finished.

Part 1 - Laying out the reference geometry.
Part 2 - Detailing the bearing Race cross section.
Part 3 - Adding the Ball Bearings.
Part 4 - Modelling the Bearing Cage.
Part 5 - Detailing the Bearing Cage Securing Clasp.
Part 6 - Adding the Dust Shield.
Part 7 - Modelling the Circlip.
Part 8 - Low vertices bearing.
Part 9 - Rendering the Bearing.
Part 10 - Creating a Page Template.

Part 11 Laying out the Bearing within the template is underway.

C & C welcome.

[PapaSmurf]

WOW!!!!! You get two cookies. No, three..heck, have the whole box. Excellent excellent job. You need to tell Tony (Bugman_2000) about this for his upcoming book. Thank you for giving this to the community. I would love to immortalize this by folding it into the wiki (or you can, we would love to have you as a wiki author) off the tutorials page so that it lasts forever (like well-machined bearings!).

[Wrightboy]

Dude this is amazing, i'm learning so much lol.
But i've hit a slight problem, i'm on the material part, my materials are appearing on the wrong side...the outside is staying gray, and the inside is getting the image map and gloss etc...

[5_on_it]

Originally Posted by Wrightboy Dude this is amazing, i'm learning so much lol. But i've hit a slight problem, i'm on the material part, my materials are appearing on the wrong side...the outside is staying gray, and the inside is getting the image map and gloss etc...

You probably need to flip your normals. In Edit mode, hit Cntrl-N. Then select 'Recalculate Normals Outside" Just make sure you have all the faces of your mesh selected first.

[Wrightboy]

Nope, nothing, and for kicks I even flipped them all inside with no change.

EDIT:
Actually maybe I just "think" it looks wrong, what do you think?
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f51/Wrightboy731/Race.jpg

I think it might be something to do with what it's reflecting, the cage also had some wild reflecting - http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f5...oy731/Cage.jpg - if you'll notice in this pic the outer edge is reflecting the balls that are on the inside...that's kind of odd lol.

[5_on_it]

Originally Posted by Wrightboy EDIT:Actually maybe I just "think" it looks wrong, what do you think?

Hmmmm... I think you may be onto something.From what I can see those renders look ok. Maybe a little rough in the AA dept, but the reflections look fine.

[Wrightboy]

Well once I made that close up render I saw that it was just the reflection, why I thought something was wrong was because whenever I did the full render I would get this http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f5...boy731/608.jpg

The race looks awfull in that, I guess just because it's got so much stuff getting reflected onto it.

[robbur]

Originally Posted by Wrightboy Dude this is amazing, i'm learning so much lol. But i've hit a slight problem, i'm on the material part, my materials are appearing on the wrong side...the outside is staying gray, and the inside is getting the image map and gloss etc...

Glad you found the modelling bit useful. At first that's all I intended to do but got carried away with the rest.

You found my first "clanger" I tried to get a good reflection with Ray Mirror, but it was getting to complicated for a basic introduction. So I disabled Ray in the Render panel (screen grab next to the rendered bearing) and just used the reflection map. I never took the bit about setting up ray tracing out. I will do that now.

[5_on_it]

One of you should try rendering this in Indigo with an HDRI. I think it would look awesome!

[Felix_Kütt]

has anybody submited this to blendernation?

[Lord of the Rings Junkie]

Thank you for an excellent tutorial! I learned quite a bit and I'm very proud of the result. I'll never forget how to make those fillets with reference geometry now.

[Edit] 5OnIt, I think I'll try that...

[MagicMyshu]

this is above and beyond man, do you mind... if I ... hugz yew!

seriously, I did not know how I would ever gain some insight on this kind of thing, but yes, thanks a lot, now I have this. This is getting bookmarked and wow, thanks man this is a huge awesome thing you've done here

[gat]

yes, wow! really learned a lot of new techniques as well as how to render a layout. Really good stuff and extremely useful! THANK YOU!

[rusted]

hi robbur,
thanks for the excellent and carefully put together tut

[LarryPhillips]

Excellent tutorial. My first taste of precision mechanical modeling. I learned a ton! I can't believe how smooth it went. The only hiccup in the modeling was mirroring the objects (local X instead of Y for me). You must have put a lot of time into getting this just right. Thank you!

Off to learn the drawing bit now. Looking forward to more tuts from you.

Thanks again.
.

[snailsnail]

Really wonderful, well written, useful tutorial. Marvelous.

[Kannon]

Wow, that's awesome. I had some slight precision problems in blender with the balls (and so, the cage.) But I learned a lot. Awesome tutorial. Especially the fillets, been looking for a way to do that in blender forever.... never thought to do it how you showed it.

[jason]

as many have said, wow. very thorough and a great addition to blender tutorials.

[Harry Beaver]

great tutorial !! i'm speechless ...