There’s no better way to prototype a project than using pixels rather than wood. Any changes you make to your design cost you nothing but your time. I’ve gone through three redesigns on the modular sled so far and as I build it and use it, I may have more design changes for an improved future version.
Two popular modeling software options for woodworkers are Sketchup by Google and Fusion 360 by AutoDesk. Both offer free versions for personal use.
Design Tools
Choosing the right tool will depend on your familiarity with 3D modeling. SketchUp is much easier to learn and will serve the basic functions of 3D design and assembly for most woodworkers. Fusion 360 is more powerful and is suited for those already familiar with modeling software. Of course these are not hard and fast rules. Anyone can learn Fusion 360. It will just take longer than learning SketchUp. If you’re using this type of tool for the first time, you’ll be in the shop with a completed design faster with SketchUp. As you become familiar with modeling and your skills surpass the limitations of SketchUp, you can move on to Fusion 360 or purchase the pro version of SketchUp. Think of it this way; if you’re a beginning golfer, you don’t spend money on the clubs Tiger Woods uses. You start with more forgiving and less expensive beginner clubs. If you get good enough and outplay your clubs, that’s when you upgrade.
Coming from a machine design background, I started using 3D modeling tools at the end of the last millennium. It’s hard to recall how good (or bad) the software was back then, but I’d guess today’s SketchUp is superior to the tools available to professionals then.
SketchUp and Fusion 360 are both capable tools. Especially for hobbyist woodworkers.
Here are three features of Fusion 360 I found beneficial:
Mating:
This is the missing feature that drove me from SketchUp to Fusion 360. I’m used to creating an assembly by mating parts together rather than positioning them. The mating functions in Fusion 360 (they are called joints) are not the same as you’d find in SolidWorks or other professional tools. I find they’re complex, and I’m still learning. The benefit of using joints? Once you mate parts, they’re linked to one another in as many degrees of freedom as you specify, allowing movement along the unconstrained axes.
Drawings:
If your goal is to create professional woodworking plans, Fusion 360 will output your design to drawings. The free version of Sketchup doesn’t have this function. There are no limitations to creating a drawing package in Fusion 360, but they don’t make it easy in the free version. You can’t use a custom drawing template but the standard template with a title block is adequate. Also, you can’t export a drawing from the free version of Fusion 360. Two workarounds are to take a screenshot of your completed drawing or print it to a pdf. If I’m creating a woodworking plan, I take a screenshot of the drawing and import it into Microsoft Word as an image. Once I complete the plan, I’ll export the Word document to a pdf.
AutoDesk would like you to buy the paid version, so once you’ve completed your design, paying for a subscription unlocks efficient ways to manage your drawing output. If you’re regularly making a profit from new designs, it would make sense to upgrade to the paid version. Your productivity will increase significantly.
Rendering:
This isn’t a critical function, but it’s nice to include a rendering in your documentation. Especially if it’s going to be distributed to your customers. It’s also a great tool to help a customer visualize a finished piece. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Above are renderings of the modular sled and a spline joint jig I’m working on. As you can see, the quality of the image gives an accurate representation of the finished work, and adds professionalism to your documentation.
Whether you choose SketchUp or Fusion 360, you can’t lose. Prototyping for free and validating your design save you time and money in the long run. There are plenty of tutorials on the web for either software, so go for it!
Header photo by David Malecki on unsplash
