3D CAD Course

Lesson 1 • Navigating the CAD Interface

Covers the layout of a typical 3D CAD workspace including menus, toolbars, and viewports. Proficiency here accelerates every later modelling task.

Lesson 2 • Units, Tolerances, and Document Setup

Establishes correct unit systems, precision settings, and document templates before modelling begins. Proper setup prevents costly errors throughout a project.

Lesson 3 • Coordinate Systems and Planes

Explains Cartesian coordinates, origin planes, and reference geometry used to anchor all 3D models. Students gain spatial reasoning essential for accurate part creation.

Lesson 1 • Sketch Environment Basics

Introduces the sketch plane selection process and the tools used to enter and exit sketch mode. Connects directly to how 3D features are initiated from 2D profiles.

Lesson 2 • Drawing Geometric Entities

Covers lines, arcs, circles, rectangles, splines, and polygons used to build sketch profiles. Accurate geometry here ensures clean 3D features downstream.

Lesson 3 • Geometric and Dimensional Constraints

Teaches how to apply relations such as parallel, tangent, and coincident, plus smart dimensions. Fully constrained sketches are the standard for professional parametric design.

Lesson 4 • Sketch Editing and Repair

Addresses trimming, extending, mirroring, offsetting, and repairing broken sketch geometry. These tools speed up sketch creation and fix common errors before feature creation.

Lesson 1 • Sweep and Loft Features

Introduces path-driven sweeps and multi-profile lofts for organic and complex geometry. These features handle shapes that extrude and revolve cannot produce.

Lesson 2 • Revolve Features

Teaches revolving a sketch profile around an axis to create cylindrical and rotational geometry. Revolve is essential for shafts, bottles, and any axially symmetric part.

Lesson 3 • Extrude and Extrude Cut

Covers boss-extrude and cut-extrude operations with depth options, draft angles, and end conditions. These are the most frequently used features in any solid modelling workflow.

Lesson 4 • Holes, Patterns, and Mirror

Covers the hole wizard, linear and circular patterns, and mirror features for efficient replication. Patterns dramatically reduce modelling time for repetitive geometry.

Lesson 1 • Design Intent and Parametric Strategy

Teaches how to embed design intent through relations, equations, and strategic constraint placement. Models built with intent update predictably when dimensions change.

Lesson 2 • Multi-Body Part Modelling

Introduces working with multiple solid bodies within a single part file for complex designs. Multi-body techniques enable weldment design and Boolean operations.

Lesson 3 • Feature Tree Organisation

Explains the model tree hierarchy, feature renaming, folders, and rollback bar usage. A well-organised tree is essential for collaboration and long-term model maintainability.

Lesson 4 • Editing and Repairing Features

Addresses feature editing, parent-child relationships, and resolving rebuild errors. Efficient repair skills keep projects on schedule when design changes occur.

Lesson 1 • Advanced Mates and Mechanical Relations

Teaches gear, cam, slot, and path mates that simulate real mechanical motion. These mates enable functional validation of mechanisms before physical prototyping.

Lesson 2 • Standard Mates and Constraints

Covers coincident, concentric, parallel, perpendicular, and distance mates to position parts. Correct mating fully defines component position and enables motion simulation.

Lesson 3 • Assembly Performance and Large Assemblies

Addresses lightweight components, SpeedPak, and display states for managing large assemblies. Performance techniques are critical when working with hundreds of components.

Lesson 4 • Assembly-Level Features and Patterns

Covers assembly cuts, holes, and component patterns applied at the assembly level. These features handle geometry that spans multiple parts and cannot exist in a single part.

Lesson 1 • Section and Detail Views

Teaches creating section cuts, aligned sections, and magnified detail views for internal geometry. These views reveal hidden features that standard orthographic views cannot show.

Lesson 2 • Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Applies smart dimensions, ordinate dimensions, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing symbols. Accurate tolerancing is the bridge between design intent and manufacturing.

Lesson 3 • Drawing Sheet and View Setup

Covers sheet format selection, scale, and projection angle for placing standard views. Correct setup ensures drawings communicate design intent without ambiguity.

Lesson 4 • Drawing Output and Standards

Addresses layer management, line fonts, print settings, and export to PDF and DXF formats. Proper output ensures drawings are legible and compatible with downstream workflows.

Lesson 1 • Introduction to Configurations

Explains what configurations are, when to use them, and how they differ from separate files. Configurations are the foundation of scalable, variant-driven product design.

Lesson 2 • Design Tables for Automation

Teaches building spreadsheet-driven design tables to auto-generate multiple configurations. Design tables eliminate manual repetition when managing large product families.

Lesson 3 • Assembly Configurations

Covers component suppression, mate suppression, and display states within assembly configurations. Assembly configurations enable showing different product states in a single file.

Lesson 1 • Surface Editing and Repair

Teaches knitting, filling, offsetting, and repairing surfaces to create watertight geometry. Clean surfaces are required before converting to a solid body.

Lesson 2 • Surface Modelling Fundamentals

Introduces extruded, revolved, swept, and lofted surfaces as distinct entities from solids. Surface modelling enables complex shapes and precise control over curvature.

Lesson 3 • Advanced Feature Techniques

Covers flex, wrap, dome, and deform features for shaping geometry beyond standard extrudes. These tools address industrial design and ergonomic shaping requirements.

Lesson 4 • Curvature Analysis and Quality Control

Uses zebra stripes, curvature combs, and draft analysis to evaluate surface quality. Analysis tools ensure surfaces meet aesthetic and manufacturing requirements.