3D Modeling a Watering Can in SelfCAD
In this article, we will learn how to 3D design a watering can in SelfCAD, a 3D modeling software that is advanced yet easy to use. With 3D designing software, we can create the prototype of the actual object and even 3D print it using a 3D printer. We will use the basic 3D Shape tool of SelfCAD, and then we shall later modify it using the Extrusion tool.
Let’s get going!
Step 1: 3D designing the Watering Tank
Select the cylinder from the basic shapes section or use the shortcut (P+Y). Set the Top Radius to 40, Bottom Radius to 70, Height to 150, Horizontal Segment to 9. Finalize the Cylinder.
Use the Face Selection tool to select the face of the design. Then Click on Solid+Wireframe to set rendering mode. The wireframe shows the 3D model lines structure as shown below.
Step 2: Creating the Spray Way of Watering Can
Let’s now create a spout for the watering can. Select the 3D model, choose the extrusion tool and set its value to 20.
We have extracted the Spout at the bottom of the can, as shown in the 3D model above. Now we will edit the 3D model that we have selected and extracted. In the panel, you can see the Advanced Setting. Click on Add Option, set the operation to Rotate. Here, set X to -10, Z to 30. We will keep on modifying the Spout and then the Mouth of the watering can.
Now again, in the panel, you can see the Advanced Setting. Click on Add Option, set the operation to Scale. Here, set X to -20, Y to -20, Z to -20. In advanced Setting, Click on Add Option, set the operation to Extrusion. Set Amount to 100. Next, in advanced Setting, Click on Add Option, set the operation to Extrusion. Set Amount to 20.
Finalize the Extrusion and our 3D model will be as shown below.
This is the magic of Extrusion. We made part of the watering can and modified it with advanced settings. Many other operations were available and we used rotation and scale.
Step 3: Deleting the Face that we don’t need
Select the part of the 3D model that you don’t need and delete it using the delete option.
We deleted the face of Mouth to keep it open. Now we need to keep the tank top. So we will delete the face of the 3D model with the help of Polygon Selection.
Next, Click on Delete to delete the selected part of the 3D model using shortcut (Del).
Step 4: Adding thickness to the Watering Tank
The top part looks very wide. Let’s make it thicker with the Add Thickness tool. From the Modify Category of the toolbar, choose Add Thickness. Set Thickness to -4. Finalize the Add Thickness.
Step 5: Creating the Handle of Watering Can
Now it’s time to create a Handle for the watering tank. Select the regions you need the handle to appear on the 3D model using the face selection tool.
After making the selection, choose the extrusion tool and set its value to 40.
In the advanced settings section of the extrusion tool, click Add Option, set the operation to Extrusion. Here, set the amount to 10. Finalize the Extrusion.
The green area of the 3D model shows that they are selected. We will deselect the region, click on the area to deselect it, or click on the grid to deselect it in one go.
Next, we will select the regions or use marquee selection.
We have selected the bottom of the just created 3D model to extend it to create the handle. From the Modify category on the Toolbar, choose the Extrusion tool again. Here in the tool panel, set Extrusion to 84.26. Finalize the Extrusion.
Tada! Our Watering Tank is ready. Now we can color or texture it.
Final thoughts:
We created the object with Cylinder and then modified it with the help of the Extrusion Tool. The Extrusion tool made our work a lot easier. We just need to know which object to extract and what to select. After the design process, you can use the in-built slicer of SelfCAD to slice your design and generate the G-Code file that you can send to your 3D printer. We hope you found the tutorial informative and handy. Let us know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below!
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.
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