Opening the tutorial file (optional)

If you successfully completed Part 5, you can proceed directly to the next step, Creating a cylinder for the power button.

If you were not successful in part 5, open the file called vacuum_part6.wire, located in the wire directory of the CourseWare project. This file contains the completed model from Part 5.

Watch Part 6 of the tutorial.

Creating a cylinder for the power button

First, you will create a cylinder surface for the outline of the power button.

1. Return to the wireframe view using the diagnostic Shading in the Control Panel
2. Choose Layouts > Top or the F5 hotkey to switch to the Top view.

   

3. Choose Surfaces > Primitives > Cylinder . Double-click the icon to open the cylinder options.

   

4. Set the Sweep to 180 and the Sections to 4 to create a half cylinder. Set the Caps to 0 from the pull-down menu, to only create the side wall of the cylinder.

   

   Click the Go button to create the half cylinder.

5. In the Top view, hold down the (Windows) or (Mac) key to turn on grid snapping, and click near the origin. Snapping the cylinder on the origin ensures that it is centered.

   

6. With the cylinder still selected, choose Transform > Non-p Scale . Type in 4,-3,2 to scale the half cylinder to an oval shape, and to invert it so it is on the right side of the grid.

   

7. Choose Layouts > Left to switch to the Left view.

   

8. Choose Transform > Move . Hold down the and (Windows) or and (Mac) keys to turn on curve snapping. Point the cursor at the top edge of the upper surface and click and hold down the . With the mouse button still pressed, move the cylinder until it is roughly half way between the handle and the air vents.

   

   The cylinder moves along the edge.

9. Choose Transform > Rotate and type in 0,-40,0 to rotate the cylinder around the y-axis. Check that the cylinder is entering the upper surface at a good angle. If you need to adjust the angle further, click and drag the middle mouse button to adjust the y-rotation.

   

10. Choose Layouts > Perspective , or the F8 hotkey to return to the perspective view.

    

11. Choose Pick > Nothing to deselect the cylinder.

    

Creating two surfaces for the button and the recess

The cylinder you have just created will be used twice. First, you will use it as the sidewall of the power button, then a second copy will be used to create the sidewall of the recess in the main body.

The upper surface will also be used twice. A copy will be used to create the top of the power button. Most of the surface will be trimmed away, but the part that is left will be flush with the vacuum body.

The original upper surface will be trimmed to create the recess for the button.

To avoid confusion with these copied surfaces, you will first create layers for the body surfaces, and for the power button surfaces.

1. Choose Layers > New to create a layer.

   

2. Rename the layer body.

   

3. Choose Pick > Object . Click-drag a pick box over all the geometry to select all the surfaces.

   

4. On the Layer Bar, click and hold on the body layer to see the pull-down menu. Choose Assign to assign all the surfaces onto the layer.

   

5. Choose Pick > Nothing to deselect all the surfaces.

6. Now, you will create a second layer for the power button.

   Choose Layers > New to create a layer.

   

7. Rename the layer power_button.

   

8. Choose Pick > Object . Pick the half cylinder and the upper surface of the vacuum body.

   

9. Choose Edit > Copy followed by Edit > Paste . The two surfaces are copied and left selected.

   

10. On the Layer Bar, click and hold on the power_button layer to view the pull-down menu. Choose Assign to assign the two copied surfaces onto the layer.

    

    You now have two copies of the cylinder and top surface, one on the body layer, and one on the power_button layer.

11. Choose Pick > Nothing to deselect the surfaces.

Creating the power button

Next, you will use the copied surfaces to create the power button. You will use the Surface fillet tool to trim and round the edge of the power button.

1. On the Layer Bar, click and hold on the body layer to see the pull-down menu. Choose Visible to make the body surfaces invisible.

   

   Only the two surfaces you copied are visible.

   

2. Choose Surfaces > Surface Fillet . Double-click the icon to open the option box.

   Change the settings to Construction Type RADIUS and Radius 0.25.

   

   Close the Surface Fillet option window.

   You are prompted to select the first set of surfaces.

3. Click the upper surface to select it.

   

   The surface is selected and highlighted in pink, and an Accept button appears in the bottom right corner of the view.

   

4. Click Accept to select the first surface for filleting.

   You are then prompted to select the second set of surfaces.

5. Click the half cylinder surface to select it.

   

   The surface is selected and highlighted in yellow, and an Accept button appears in the bottom right corner of the view.

6. Click Accept to select the second surface for filleting.

   Arrows appear on both surfaces, indicating on which side of the surfaces the fillet will be built.

   

   The pink arrow needs to point in towards the inside of the vacuum surfaces. If it is pointing out from the surfaces, click the arrow to reverse it.

   The yellow arrow needs to point inwards on the cylinder surface. If it is pointing outwards, click the arrow to reverse it.

7. Click Build.

   The fillet surface is created, and the upper and cylinder surfaces are trimmed to create the power button.

   

8. Choose Pick > Nothing to deselect all the surfaces.

   

Creating the power button hole

Next, you will use the Surface Fillet tool to trim and round the edge of the power button recess.

1. On the Layer Bar, click and hold on the power_button layer to see the pull-down menu. Choose Visible to make the power_button surfaces invisible.

   

2. Make the body layer visible by choosing Visible from the pull-down menu.

   

   

3. Make the body active by clicking the layer tab to make it yellow. This means all new surfaces will be assigned to this layer.

   

4. Choose Surfaces > Surface Fillet . The settings you used before are used for this fillet surface, and so you don’t need to open the option box.

   You are prompted to select the first set of surfaces.

5. Click the upper surface to select it.

   

   The surface is selected and highlighted in pink, and an Accept button appears in the bottom right corner of the view.

   

6. Click Accept to select the first surface for filleting.

   You are prompted to select the second set of surfaces.

7. Click the cylinder surface to select it.

   

   The surface is selected and highlighted in yellow, and an Accept button appears in the bottom right corner of the view.

8. Click Accept to select the second surface for filleting.

   Arrows appear on both surfaces, indicating on which side of the surfaces the fillet will be built.

   

   The pink arrow needs to point in towards the inside of the vacuum surfaces. If it is pointing out from the surfaces, click the arrow to reverse it.

   For the recess, the fillet needs to be created on the other side of the cylinder, so the yellow arrow needs to point outwards on the cylinder surface. If it is pointing inwards, click the arrow to reverse it.

9. Click Build.

   The fillet surface is created, and the upper and cylinder surfaces are trimmed to create a recess for the power button.

   

   NoteBecause you changed the direction of the yellow arrow for this second fillet, the result is different from the filleting of the power button.
10. Choose Pick > Nothing to deselect the fillet surface.

    

11. Make the power_button layer visible by choosing Visible from the pull-down menu.

    

    You have now completed the main vacuum cleaner body surfaces.

Save your work

1. Choose File > Save As to save the current scene.
2. Save your work in the wire directory of the Lessons project.
3. Name your file myvacuum6.wire.