Skip to main content

First steps to Direct Modelling Part 2: Look at the Sketch, Select and Pull tools

This tutorial requires:

DesignSpark Mechanical V6.0

This tutorial is in progressive sections and will guide you with 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 and they are also attached to the tutorials.

SECTION 2 - HOLED CUBE

1. Open DesignSpark Mechanical and close welcome screen (or File > New > Design if moving on from a previous design)

2. Ensure the Design tab on the Ribbon bar is selected

3. Select Plan view in the Design options on the Ribbon bar

4. From the Sketch tools select Rectangle

5. On the sketch grid, left click, drag, and click again to create a rectangle

6. Type 25 to set the dimension in one axis

7. Press Tab key on the keyboard to switch axes

8. Type 25 to set the dimension in the other axis

9. Press Enter – you should now have a 25mm square sketch on the grid in plan view

10. Select Home view (top left of Ribbon bar)

11. Highlight the Pull tool on the Ribbon bar

12. 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

13. Type 25 to set the new height of the cube

14. Press Enter (and release the mouse button)

15. Press Home to reset the view

16. Left click in white space to end the extrude (pull) action

17. 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 then (whilst still in Pull mode) drag a box around the model.

18. All edges should then be selected and highlighted orange, but none of the faces.

19. Using the Pull tool, left click and drag the yellow arrow towards the centre of the cube a small distance

20. Type 2 to set the radius of the round

21. Press Enter – the cube should now have all edges rounded

22. From the Sketch tools on the Ribbon bar select Circle (the sketch grid should appear active)

23. 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)

24. Left click the sketch cursor on the centre point of the cube, left click, hold & drag to 10mm diameter and release.

25. In the same way as when you dragged the sketch to create the cube, use the Pull function to drag the circle down through the cube (ensuring the pull action has taken the extent of the drag well beyond the cube shape) and release the drag

26. Repeat the last 3 steps on 2 more faces of the cube (the cube should now have 3mm x 10mm diameter holes through it).

27. Add a chamfer to each hole in turn by enabling Select on the Ribbon bar and left clicking on one edge of one of the holes on the face of the cube

28. In this case, to save time, use the multiple select tool by accessing the “Selection” menu to the left of the design window.

29. In the search drop-down menu select Edges

30. In the tree menu below select Edges with same length (you may need to expand the menu tree window by pulling down its border to view the relevant options)

31. Enable the Pull tool on the ribbon bar

32. In the Pull mode menu to the left of the design window select the second icon to enable chamfering (you may need to drag the lower border of the pull options window down to see the menu options easily)

33. In clear space in the design window left click and drag downwards to add the chamfers and (either during or after the drag action) type 1 to set the chamfer to a 45-degree 1mm feature

34. Save your file as HOLED CUBE.

The HOLED CUBE is now complete.

RS DesignSpark is the go-to platform for students, makers, hobbyists and professional design engineers, providing design resources such as the award winning DesignSpark PCB and DesignSpark Mechanical CAD software. Join the community today at https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/register
DesignSpark Electrical Logolinkedin