12 A Suitcase

Let’s now move on to a more complex object. You are going to build a suitcase using a rectangle (a 2-dimensional curve, as on a sheet of paper) that you will extrude and later modify. We suggest you set the display in shaded mode for this tutorial. (See chapter User Manual/Preferences/Work Space/Display Mode.)

First make sure that the scene is empty If there are any objects in the scene, you can delete them using the Backspace key. This key deletes the current object (the cyan object). You must press this key as many times as there are objects in the scene in order to clear the scene.

Drawing the rectangle, the basic suitcase shape
1. Click on the icon in the Control Panel or use the hotkey (the “0” key) to view the entire scene. 2. Go to the front view (“2” key). 3. Go to the top view (“5” key). 4. Select the 2D drawing tool in the Construction Palette. A sub-palette is displayed. 5. Select the Rectangle tool in the sub-palette. 6. Draw the rectangle: Click on a corner of the workbench to specify the first point. · Then click on the opposite corner to specify the second point. The suitcase will be built using this profile curve. 7. End the Tool action: There are two ways to end an action: validating the operation (we will see this later on) or putting the tool aside. Here, we will put the tool aside. There are two ways to do this: · If you are using the Workshop interface, moving the cursor outside the right side of the scene and then back in will put the tool aside. The tool palette reappears. · If you are using the Standard interface, selecting another tool will automatically drop the previous tool used. Go to the next paragraph.

Extruding the bottom of the suitcase from the basic shape
1. Go to front view (“2” key). 2. Select the Extrusion tool in the Construction Palette. The Wand cursor appears. 3. Extrude the shape: · Click on the rectangular profile you created. · Move the mouse so as to create the bottom of the suitcase (see diagram). · Click to set the first segment. · Apply a vertical constraint on the cursor movement. · There are two methods: · Using the Assistant Palette (recommended for beginners): · Select the vertical movement constraint button. · Using the mouse (you will use this method once you feel comfortable with the software) · Press the spacebar once. (This is the “toggle” feature, which is used in many of Amapi 3D’s tools.) This will constrain the cursor movement to the horizontal plane. · Press the spacebar a second time. This will constrain cursor movement to the vertical plane. · Move the mouse slightly upward so as to create the second segment of the extrusion. · Mouse click. · If you are satisfied with the extrusion, validate by pressing the Return key, or pressing the “OK” button of the Assistant Palette. · The top and bottom extremities are displayed in red. Amapi 3D highlights them in red to indicate that you may cap them. · In order to build our suitcase, we need to cap the bottom; so click only on the bottom red extremity. 4. End the tool action We will put the tool aside. There are two ways to do this: · If you are using the Workshop interface, moving the cursor outside the right side of the scene and then back in again will put the tool aside. The tool palette reappears. · If you are using the Standard interface, selecting another tool will automatically drop the previous tool used. Go to the next paragraph.

Applying a bevel to the bottom of the suitcase 1. Switch to the Modeling Palette (only if you are using the Workshop interface. If you are using the Standard interface, go to the next paragraph). Move the cursor out the right side of the Amapi window and back in to switch palettes. 2. Select the Chamfer tool in the Modeling Palette. A red preview of the bevel is displayed on the suitcase. 3. Move the viewpoint to have a better view of your object using the keyboard arrow keys. 4. You can edit the bevel’s characteristics. There are two ways to do this: · Using the keyboard: Press the “+” key three times to increase the radius of the bevel. You can decrease it using the “-” keys. · In the Assistant Palette: Click on the icons. 5. You could validate to end the action, but let’s practice setting a precise value for the radius of the bevel: · Press Tab. This gives you access to the numerical input window at the bottom left corner. · Enter “2” in the numerical input window to specify a bevel radius of 2 cm. · Press Return to validate this input. 6. End the tool action. There are two ways to end the action of a tool: validating the action, or putting the tool aside. We will here validate the action: · In the Assistant Palette: Click on the “OK” button. Or · On the keyboard: Press the Return key to validate the action and put the tool aside. · Note: In this case, if you had put the tool aside without validating, you would have canceled the action of the Chamfer tool. The bevel is applied to the entire suitcase.

Applying a thickness to the object 1. Select the Thickness tool in the Modeling Palette. A preview of the thickness is displayed in red. 2. You can specify the thickness precisely. There are three ways: · Use the “+” and “-” keys of the numeric keypad. Press the “+” key three times to increase the thickness. You can decrease it using the “-” key. · Press the Tab key to enter a precise numerical value. · In the Assistant Palette: Click on the icons.

3. Validate. Press the Return key. This will validate and put the tool aside, just like you saw previously with the Chamfer tool. Note: If you had put the tool aside without validating, the thickness operation would have been canceled and the thickness would not have been applied. The thickness value is applied to the entire suitcase.

Creating the top of the suitcase 1. Switch to the Assembly Palette (only if you are using the Workshop interface. If you are using the Standard interface, go to the next paragraph). Move the cursor out the right side of the Amapi window and back in to switch palettes. You are back to the Assembly Palette. 2. Select the Symmetry tool. A white bounding box is displayed around the object. It helps you to visualize the planes of symmetry you may use. 3. Click on the top face of the bounding box. You now have two separate objects: the top of the suitcase and the bottom. 4. End the action by validating or putting the tool aside as you’ve done with previous tools.

Rescaling the suitcase 1. Switch to a Left view (“4” key). 2. Your suitcase is probably slightly too tall. To solve that: · Select the Group Tool in the Control Panel. · Select the bottom part of the suitcase, · and the top part. · Each selected element is displayed in white. 3. Complete the action by releasing the tool (depending on the interface). The two objects are now considered a single object. 4. Select the Scale tool in the Assembly Palette. 5. To scale along a single axis: · Press the spacebar twice to set a vertical constraint or click the appropriate button in the Assistant Palette. · Click on the top of the suitcase and move the mouse downward until you reach the proper height of your suitcase. · Click to validate the new scale. 6. End the action the usual way.

Opening the suitcase 1. Select the Ungroup tool in the Control Panel. 2. Click on the box surrounding the suitcase: the top and bottom parts of the suitcase are once again two separate objects. 3. End the action. 4. Be careful: The Rotation tool is active only on the current object (displayed in cyan). Make sure that the current object is the top of the suitcase. If this is not the case, click on it. 5. Select the Rotation tool in the Assembly palette. A graduated circle is displayed on top of the current object. 6. To rotate the object: Select the “Center of Rotation setting tool”: · Click on the reference point icon in the Assistant Palette. Or use the hotkey: · On PC: Click on the right mouse button. On Mac: Hold the Option key and click the mouse button. The “Hand” cursor (used to perform the rotation), switches to a cross . Move the center of rotation: · Set the new position of the center of rotation: Set it at the bottom left corner of the current object. · Click to validate the action. Rotate: · The hand cursor is displayed and the circle of rotation is set at the new location. · Click on the circle to define the starting point of the rotation. Set the angle of rotation moving the mouse in the desired direction. · The angle value is displayed in the bottom left numerical value window, as it would be for any tool. You can define the rotation increment with the “+” and “-” keys. Or access this numerical window using the Tab key and type in a value. Set a value of 50° for instance. · The suitcase is now open. 7. End the action.

Construction of the handle 1. Switch to top view (“5” key). 2. Switch to the Construction Palette (only if you are using the Workshop interface. If you are using the Standard interface, go to the next paragraph. · Move the cursor out the right side of the Amapi window and back in to switch palettes. The Tools palette reappears 3. Select the Drawing tool in the Construction Palette. You will use it to create the basic outline of the object. 4. Click on one of the top right corners of the bottom part of the suitcase to set the origin of the axes.
5. Select the Arc drawing tool. 6. Draw the arc. · Click on the red axis (X axis) to set the center of the arc. · Move the mouse to set the radius of the arc. · Click precisely on the red axis, as it is the starting point of the arc. · Move the mouse to the opposite point. · Click again on the red axis. · The “+/-” Tuner icon appears. Amapi 3D allows you to modify the number of points defining the arc (using the “+” and “-” keys or entering numerical values after pressing the Tab key). 7. Put the tool aside to end the action (depending on the interface). 8. Switch to the Assembly palette (only if you selected the Workshop interface. If you are using the Standard interface, go to the next paragraph). 9. Click on the Snap tool . We will use it to place the handle. · Click on the center of geometry of the arc (the small gray sphere): a red circle is displayed around the sphere. · Click twice on the spacebar to set a vertical constraint or click on the “vertical constraint” button in the Assistant Palette. · Move the mouse cursor near the center of the suitcase and press on the Shift key to activate the automatic cursor-snap feature. · Click. The handle is automatically centered. 10. End the action (depending on the interface). 11. Switch to the Modeling Palette (only if you are using the Workshop interface. If you are using the Standard interface, go to the next paragraph). 12. Select the Thickness tool . It will be used to give volume to the handle. · A red preview of the thickness applied to the handle profile is displayed. You can edit the size of the thickness using the “+” and “-” keys. · Press Tab and enter a value of 2 cm, for instance. · Press Tab again and enter 8, the number of points for the circumference of the handle. · Press Return to validate the entries. · The thickness preview displayed is now more rounded. · Press the Return key to validate. The specified thickness is applied to the whole handle.
13. Put the tool aside to end the action (depending on the interface). 14. Zoom in on the handle. · To zoom in on a detail of the scene, you can either click on the icon in the Control Panel, or use the hotkey (the “1” key). · You will see a white rectangle that you will use to surround the area of interest. · Place it where you want and click. · Drag the mouse to define the rectangle’s dimensions. · Click. 15. Go to the Left view (“4” key) 16. Switch to the Assembly palette (only if you are using the Workshop interface. If you are using the Standard interface, go to the next paragraph). 17. Select the Snap tool You will use it to set the position of the handle. (Aligning an object is the same thing as moving it with a constraint along an axis (vertical or horizontal), so that a point of the selected object is on the same horizontal or vertical plane as the point of another object). · Click on a point on top of the handle. It is highlighted in red. · Press the spacebar twice to set a vertical constraint. · Click on a point on the edge of the suitcase. 18. Put the tool aside to end the action (depending on the interface).

Checking the alignment · Click on the orthogonal view icon in the Control Panel. · Check that both objects are indeed aligned. · Click on the icon: to switch back to a perspective view.

View the entire scene Click on the View All icon in the Control Panel or use the hotkey (the “0” key).

Render the scene Press the Return key to render the scene. This works because no tool is currently selected.