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Creating a Birdhouse.

  • An asymmetrical Birdhouse is very easy.
    • The basic 2D drawing contains all the shapes.
      • Box
      • Planes
      • Parallelograms
      • Circle/planes
    • Extrude and Scale make the 2D shapes into all the parts.
    • Only the face needs to be duplicated.
    • Solid Subtract makes the hole.
  • Start with a Grid with a value of 1 and a Snap Grid of .25
  • Drawing plane should be X-Y
    • Use OPTIONS to set working plane.
  • Set color to dark blue.
  • Start with a box as shown 5 X 1/2 units.
  • Set color to light blue.
  • This birdhouse is asymmetrical, so use plane command and draw the face.
    • Plane command is under the circle tool icon, and there you will also find polygon and parallelogram commands.
  • Use parallel by distance to draw a line 1/2 unit outside face.

  • Set color to red.
  • Select parallelogram command.
  • Double-click on Intersect Snap
    • A little box should appear at each intersection, if not hit F10 to turn on Snap Preview.
  • Set points in order shown.

  • Repeat the above for the other side.

  • Set color to green.
  • Use plane command to draw walls.
  • Double-click on Intersect Snap.
  • Set points in the order shown.
  • Repeat for right wall.

  • Set color to orange.
  • Draw circles as planes in 2 places shown.

  • Select outer face line and hit Del.

  • Switch to 3D mode.
  • All entities should be planes as shown with solid shading.
    • Change any line entities to planes with make plane command on edit or convert* menu.
    • (*Convert is on Speedmenu available on downloads page.)

  • Hit 'L' to bring up layer options.
  • Select Separate to put each color on it's own layer.
  • Find the layers of the face entity and both circles with Info Box and turn them off.
    • Should be layers 2 and 5 since that is the order the colors were used.

  • Select All with CTRL+A.
  • Hit 'X' for extrude command.
  • Gravity Snap to any corner.
  • Hit ' (apostrophe) for point relative.
  • Enter Z value of 5.
  • Hit ENTER.

  • Select both sides of roof.
  • Hit 'S' for scale command.
  • Enter Z value of 1.5
  • Check 'Selection Center' option.
  • Hit ENTER.

  • Hit 'L' for layers.
  • Show all layers. Unlock all layers.
  • Select face plane.
  • Hit 'X'
  • Gravity Snap to any corner of face.
  • Hit '
  • Enter Z value of 1/2
  • Hit ENTER.
  • Select face at point shown with Gravity Snap.
  • Hit 'N' to duplicate.
  • Gravity Snap to corner of wall at rear as shown.
  • Select larger circle.
  • Hit 'X'
  • Gravity Snap at 2 lower corners of face (1&2) to extrude circle 1/2 unit.
  • Hit 'S'. for scale.
  • Enter 'Z' value of 2.
  • Hit ENTER.
  • Solid Subtract circle extrusion from face solid to create hole.
  • Select small circle.
  • Hit 'X'
  • Gravity Snap to the right rear corner of the bottom, and then to the right front corner.
  • Hit ENTER.
  • With the perch still selected at face end, hit 'S'.
  • Enter Z value of 1/2.
  • Choose Selection Handle option.
  • Hit ENTER.
  • You are done!

 

 

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