First steps to Direct Modelling Section 1 - Look at the Sketch, Select and Pull tools

This tutorial is in progressive sections and will guide you through the use of the main model creation commands in DesignSpark Mechanical. The first two sections will help you build two models (using the Sketch, Select and Pull tools) and the third section will show you how to assemble the models together (using a range of Move functions). Following sections will illustrate further skills, including Fill (removing features) and Combine (cutting into one model using another model or merging two models together). You will then be able to design your own parts and assemble them using the same tools and functions.

The models created in sections 1 & 2 are used in later tutorials they are also attached to the tutorials.

SECTION 1 - PIN CUBE

1. Open DesignSpark Mechanical
2. Select File > New > Design if moving on from a previous design and close the welcome screen
   
3. Ensure the Design tab on the Ribbon bar is selected
    
4. Select Plan view in the Design options on the Ribbon bar /
   
   
5. From the Sketch tools select Rectangle
   
   
6. On the sketch grid, left click & hold, drag and click again to create a rectangle
7. Type 25 to set the dimension in one axis/
   
8. Press Tab key on the keyboard to switch axes
9. Type 25 to set the dimension in the other axis
10. Press Enter – you should now have a 25mm square sketch on the grid in plan view
11. Select Home view (top left on Ribbon bar)
    
12. Select the Pull tool on the Ribbon bar
    
    
13. Left click on the square sketch surface and pull the shape up a few millimetres  in the direction of the yellow arrow using left click and drag (alternatively hover the cursor over the square and left click & drag it up) and keep the left mouse button held down then
    
    
14. Type 25 to set the new height of the cube
15. Press Enter (and release mouse button)
16. Press Home to reset the view
17. Left click in white space to end the extrude action
18. To round off the edges of the cube, multiple select them using Ctrl + left click (to select them all you will need to tumble the cube using the middle mouse button & manipulate mouse). To select all edges more easily you can edit the Selection filter (white cursor arrow at bottom of screen) by deselecting Smart and Faces. 
19. Whilst still in Pull mode drag a box around the model. All edges should then be selected and highlighted orange, but none of the faces.  
20. Using the Pull tool, left click and drag the yellow arrow towards the centre of the cube a small distance
21. Type 2 to set the radius of the round
22. Press Enter – the cube should now have all edges rounded 
23. From the sketch tools on the ribbon bar select Circle (the sketch grid should appear active
24. Hover the cursor over a face of the cube to position the grid there, left click to start sketching (you should see that the grid is centred on the mid-point of the face of the cube)
25. Left click the sketch cursor on the centre point of the sketch grid, hold & drag to 10mm (along an axis to keep clean dimensions) (or type dimension) and release
26. In the same way as when you dragged the sketch to create the cube, use the Pull function to drag the circle up a short distance and release the drag
27. Type 7 to set the length of the pin
28. Repeat the last 4 steps on all faces of the cube. You will need to tumble the cube to view all sides by holding down middle mouse button and manoeuvring the mouse (the cube should now have 6 x 10mm diameter pins, 7mm long, on it)                             
29. To add a round to the end of the pins, ensure the Pull tool from the ribbon bar is active
30. Left click on the edge of the end of the pin to highlight
31. Left click and drag the arrow down a short distance
32. Type 1.5 to set the radius of the round                     
33. Repeat the last 3 steps for each pin
34. Save your file as PIN CUBE

 

THE PIN CUBE IS NOW COMPLETE.