Design and Applied Technology | Product visualisation and 3D modelling

Module 5: Product Visualisation and 3D Modelling

Hey everyone! Welcome to one of the most exciting topics in Design and Applied Technology. Ever wondered how movie makers create incredible fantasy worlds, or how engineers design a new smartphone before a single piece is made? The magic is in product visualisation and 3D modelling!

In this chapter, we'll explore how designers turn a simple idea in their head into a detailed picture or model that everyone can see and understand. This is a super important skill, whether you're designing a video game, a new building, or the next cool gadget. Let's get started!

Part 1: Bringing Ideas to Life - Product Visualisation & 3D Modelling

Before you build anything, you need a plan. Visualisation is all about creating that plan in a way that looks real. It helps you spot problems, share your idea, and get people excited about your design.

Making Graphics POP! The Visual Impact

A boring black-and-white sketch might not convince anyone. To make your design ideas look professional and appealing, you need to add visual impact. Think of it like adding filters to a photo to make it look amazing!

Here are some key techniques:

• Colouring: Adds mood and realism. Is it a bright red sports car or a calming blue chair?
• Shading & Highlighting: These create the illusion of light and shadow, making a 2D drawing look 3D. It gives the object depth and form.
• Rendering: This is a computer process that adds textures, lighting, and backgrounds to a 3D model to make it look like a real photograph.

Thinking in 3D: 3D Modelling Concepts

Sometimes a drawing isn't enough. You need to actually hold the idea in your hands. This is where 3D models come in. They can be physical mock-ups or digital models on a computer.

Physical Models (Prototypes & Mock-ups)

These are hands-on models you can touch and feel. They are great for checking the size, shape, and feel of a product (ergonomics).

• Common Materials: Card board, medium density fibreboard (MDF), high density foam board (HDFB), acrylic, and common metal alloys.
• Common Techniques:
  • Surface development: Creating a 3D shape from a flat "net" (like folding a cardboard box).
  • Mock-up fabrication: Building a model to show the appearance and size, but not necessarily function.
  • Prototyping: Creating a working or semi-working model to test the function.

Analogy Time! Making a physical model is like building with LEGOs to show your friend a castle design. A computer model is like designing that same castle in a game like Minecraft.

Quick Review: Physical vs. Visual Models

Physical Models (like a cardboard mock-up) are great for checking ergonomics and physical presence. However, they can be slow and expensive to change.

Visual Models (like a computer render) are perfect for checking colours and appearance. They are fast and cheap to change, but you can't physically touch them.

Key Takeaway for Part 1

Product visualisation is about making your ideas look real and exciting using techniques like colouring and rendering. 3D models, both physical and digital, help you test and communicate your design before you start manufacturing.

Part 2: The Language of Design - Technical Visualisation

To build something correctly, everyone on the team (designers, engineers, factory workers) needs to understand the plan perfectly. Technical drawings are like a universal language for designers, using specific rules so there's no confusion.

Drawing How We See: Pictorial Drawing

These are drawings that show an object in 3D, much like how we see it in real life or in a photo. Perspective sketches are a great example. They are used to quickly communicate the overall look of a product, a building's interior, or a shop's window display.

The Blueprint: Engineering Drawing

When it's time to actually make the product, you need exact instructions. That's the job of an engineering drawing. These aren't just pretty pictures; they are precise guides for production.

• Orthographic Projection: This is the most common type. It shows the object from different flat views, usually the front, top, and side. It removes perspective so you can get exact measurements.
• Other Key Types:
  • Assembly drawings: Show how all the parts fit together.
  • Sectional drawings: Show a "slice" of the object to see inside.
  • Detail drawings: Show a small part up close with all its dimensions.

Analogy Time! A pictorial drawing is like a photo of a cake. An engineering drawing is the recipe, with the exact amount of every ingredient and step-by-step instructions.

Rules of the Road: Standards and Conventions

Imagine if everyone used different symbols for "door" on a building plan. It would be chaos! That's why we have standard practices, conventions, and symbols. These are the "grammar rules" of technical drawing that ensure every line and symbol is understood by professionals everywhere.

For example, a thick, solid line means a visible edge, while a dashed line means a hidden edge.

Showing the Data: Data Presentation

Sometimes you need to communicate more than just a shape. You might need to show sales data, user instructions, or your company's identity. This is done with:

• Charts and Diagrams: To present data clearly.
• Logos, Symbols, and Signs: To communicate ideas or brand identity quickly.
• Sequential Illustrations: Step-by-step drawings, like the assembly instructions from IKEA.

Key Takeaway for Part 2

Technical visualisation is the language of design. Pictorial drawings show what an idea looks like, while precise engineering drawings (like orthographics) give the exact instructions needed for production, using globally understood standards and symbols.

Part 3: The Digital Toolbox - Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) means using specialised software to create 2D drawings and 3D models. It has completely revolutionised the design industry. Don't worry if this seems tricky at first, the core ideas are quite simple!

Building Before You Build: Virtual Prototypes

A 'virtual' prototype is a 3D model of your product that lives entirely on the computer. It's like having a perfect digital twin of your design. This is incredibly powerful because you can:

• Simulate and Analyse: Test how strong the product is, how it will handle heat, or how air will flow around it, all without making a physical object.
• Modify Easily: Want to change the colour or make it 2mm wider? It takes just a few clicks, instead of days of work on a physical model.
• Store and Share Data: The design file can be easily saved, copied, and emailed to team members anywhere in the world.
• Transfer to Manufacturing: The CAD file can be sent directly to machines like 3D printers or CNC laser cutters (this is linking CAD to CAM - Computer-Aided Manufacturing).

Choosing the Right Tool: CAD Modelling Techniques

Not all digital graphics are the same. It's important to know the two main types:

• 2D vs. 3D Modelling:
  • 2D CAD is like electronic paper for creating flat drawings like orthographic projections or floor plans.
  • 3D CAD is for building virtual 3D objects that you can spin around and view from any angle.


• Vector vs. Raster Graphics:
  • Raster Graphics (like photos, .JPG, .PNG) are made of tiny dots called pixels. If you zoom in too much, they become blurry and "pixelated". Best for photos and realistic images.
  • Vector Graphics (like logos, .AI, .SVG) are made of mathematical paths (lines and curves). You can scale them to any size—from a business card to a billboard—and they will never lose quality. Best for logos, illustrations, and designs for laser cutting.

Common Mistake to Avoid!

Don't try to use a raster image (like a JPG photo) for laser cutting a logo. The machine needs the clean lines from a vector file to follow. Always choose the right tool for the job!

Key Takeaway for Part 3

CAD is the use of computers to design products. It allows us to create powerful 'virtual' prototypes for testing and analysis. Understanding the difference between 2D/3D and Vector/Raster helps designers choose the right technique for their project.

Part 4: CAD in the Real World - Applications

So, where is all this amazing technology actually used? Everywhere! CAD and visualisation are at the heart of modern design and entertainment.

CAD and Visualisation in Daily Life and Industry

Here are some real-world case studies:

• Animation & Movies:

  Artists build 3D models of characters and worlds. They use 3D scanning to capture real-world objects and motion capture (mocap) suits to record an actor's movements and apply them to a digital character. Think of characters like Gollum from Lord of the Rings or the aliens in Avatar.

• Logistics & Planning:

  Companies use simulation to plan the most efficient layout for a factory or warehouse, or to figure out the fastest delivery routes for their trucks.

• Engineering Analysis:

  Mass property analysis automatically calculates a model's mass, volume, and centre of gravity, which is crucial for designing stable cars and planes. Structural analysis (like Finite Element Analysis - FEA) applies digital forces to a model to see where it might bend or break—like a virtual crash test!

• Architecture & Virtual Reality (VR):

  Architects let clients take a virtual "walkthrough" of a building using a VR headset before construction even begins. This gives a true sense of the space and design.

• Education:

  Interactive 3D models can help students understand complex concepts, from human anatomy to how an engine works.

Did you know?

For the movie Avatar, the actors wore special motion capture suits with cameras on their heads that recorded their facial expressions. This data was then used to animate the digital Na'vi characters, making their performances incredibly realistic!

Key Takeaway for Part 4

From designing safer cars and creating blockbuster movies to planning efficient factories and exploring buildings in VR, CAD and visualisation are essential tools that have transformed almost every industry by allowing us to design, test, and experience ideas in the digital world.