For the first lab assignment, I chose to model my mini dorm rice cooker. Coming into this assignment with some 3D modeling experience modeling architecture in Fusion360, I wanted to model something with more irregular shapes. The last time I used Fusion360 was during spring term, but I did some 3D modeling in Blender over winter break. 3D modeling in Blender vs Fusion360 is fairly different, which became a little inconvenient when navigating and using shortcuts to create the model. However, I do prefer Fusion 360 over Blender for modeling everyday objects as the interface is more intuitive for beginners.
Process
Overall, the process was a lot easier than I expected. I didn’t run into any errors or major issues that would have prevented me from achieving a certain shape. I did find some difficulty navigating around as my mouse middle click was not letting me orbit, forcing me to manually click and drag. In addition, there were cases where I forget to make a new body when extruding, leading to sections of the model unintentionally joining together.
An instance where I had to reach a compromise was the inner lining of the ceramic bowl. Instead of creating a separate bowl, inside the rice cooker body, I created a wall starting from bigger cylindrical body to the black rim, and then hallowed out the entire structure to give the illusion of a ceramic bowl inside the rice cooker.
I can envision a lot of of uses for Fusion360 in the areas of research and teaching. Fusion360 is an especially great program for creating 3D forms that have symmetry. For example, during my Visualizing the Ancient City class with Professor Chris Saladin, we used Fusion360 to recreate ancient buildings from diagrams and other evidence found in various text sources. While I think other programs like Blender can be better for 3D modeling organic artifacts or objects, being able to 3D model rigid objects can be very beneficial for visualizing ancient objects from just textual evidence.
Some tools and features I would definitely recommend to new users would be the sketch dimension and constraint tools. These tools ensured that my objects were placed exactly where I wanted them to. They also allow for more forgiveness and efficiency especially when you’re modeling objects off the origin or a specific axis.
3 thoughts on “Lab 1 – Mini Rice Cooker”
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Hey Cynthia, as a beginner in Fusion, I am really impressed by what you have built. By just looking from the pictures, I was completely blown away. And after closer inspection of the 3D model, I was completely blown away again. From the different types of plastics and metals to the little hole on every lid of a rice cooker, the attention to detail you put it was incredible. I was especially impressed by how you created the illusion of a ceramic bowl inside the rice cooker. Overall, amazing work!
Great job modeling your rice cooker! It’s clear that you’ve applied your previous 3D modeling experience as your model is extremely well done. The model looks incredibly realistic, and I admire how you utilized different textures to achieve that effect. I also appreciate how you mentioned the challenges of transitioning between Blender and Fusion 360 since understanding the nuances of switching between programs can be helpful for others. Keep up the great work!
Hi Cynthia! The 3D model you created of your rice cooker is so impressive! The details you included such as the steam vent and the buttons really brings it to life. I am also impressed by your use of texture, the glass lid and its plastic handle creates a nice contrast. I really apprecate your tip on the sketch dimension and constraint tools, I will make sure to explore them more in the future. Thanks!