Even when designing an object with a particular production process in mind, prototypes developed along the way typically require different materials and processes and the model often needs to be modified to reflect those processes.įor example, a design for an injection molded part would be completely different from a folded paper part. Initial CAD models created earlier in the product development process typically focus more on aesthetics than manufacturing methods.

However I'll be using the free hobbyist license of Fusion 360 and their free Slicer for Fusion 360 application to create the patterns for this set of prototypes. To speed up the development of these more complicated models I will be using CAD software.

I’ve chosen to explore two different techniques for this round: folding and slotting. Along those lines, in episode two we relied on found objects and the same orthographic views to derive the shapes and dimensions, no CAD software experience necessary.įor this third round of prototypes we’re looking for better resolution than our previous mixed media prototypes at an accurate scale. While we referenced James’ CAD model in the first episode to create our 2.5D orthographic prototype, those orthographic views could have been hand drafted to reach a similar result. You don't need to know how to use CAD to prototype your idea! For these first few basic prototyping videos I found it important to focus on tools that are economically accessible to just about anyone reading this post to show you how far you can take your ideas today with materials you likely already have on hand.

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