Tutorial for a Crossblock

This tutorial will be dealing with simple 2D shapes using a snap grid. Then how to extrude them into 3D and assemble them for quick results. This tutorial anticipates you have learned the basics with the tutorials provided with the software in the help files and user manuals.
 Many commands will start spelled out and them become abbreviated.
(Example: Arrow1 becomes A1)

In this tutorial you will learn to:

• Save image from website
• Load image into CAD
• Set units
• Set snap grid
• Draw shapes in 2D
• Make planes
• Extrude 2D to 3D
• Assemble 3D basic shapes to make a complex shape
• Remove hidden edges

Open DesignCAD. You should have a new drawing window in 3D mode.

 Toggle view to 2D

 Figure 1

• Step 1
  • For a visual aid we will load the image into the drawing window.
  • Right click image at Figure 1 and choose "Copy"
  • Toggle to DesignCAD using  Alt+Tab
  • Click "Paste" (clipboard icon) on the toolbar and then plave image into window.
  • Choose Dimension->Units and left click  your cursor at the left lower corner of the Crossblock shape where the 4" dimension starts (you can't gravity snap to an image line) and again at the right lower corner of the shape. Enter 4.5 in the units dialog box and hit OK
  • Choose Options->Grid Setting. Choose the snap grid box and enter 0.25 in the Grid Snap Size.
  • Choose the Display Grid box and set value to 1. set extents to 20 and click OK
  • You must set the Units first and then the snap grid settings!
  • Save drawing

Figure 2

• Step 2 
  • Anytime the grid disappears from parts of the drawing window just hit REFRESH or hotkey Ctrl+R
  • Set line color to red
     and click on "V"  for line.
  • Draw the 3 shapes as shown using the snap grid.
  • Select each shape and "make plane" each one. (in older versions do this in 3D mode)

Figure 3

• Step 3
  • Switch to 3D mode and turn off the snap grid "G" and the display grid.
  • Using GS "." snap to the lower right corner of the first shape and hit "X" to extrude. 
  • Set a GS point  at the lower right corner
  • Using Point Relative (') enter the value of 2.25 in the "Z" box and hit Enter

Figure 4 

• Step 4
  • Select the second shape with GS at Set Handle Arrow
  • Hit "X" for extrude and set GS points at  Arrows 1 & 2 to set depth of extrusion
  • Hit Enter

Figure 5

• Step 5
  • Result of extrusion

Figure 6

• Step 6
  • Select small box and extrude 1.25

Figure 7

• Step 7
  • Move box to position shown using handle as illustrated and "M" key.
  • Move shape on left in place with handle set at arrow.

Figure 8

• Step 8
  • Assembled parts

Figure 9

• Step 9
  • Use "Hidden Edge" command to remove extraneous lines as shown. 
  • You may have to click on lines in more than one place as some lines are duplicated where 2 shapes intersect as with small box.
  • 

Figure 10 

• Step 10

  • Change line color to blue and replace line sections shown using "V" and "GS"

Figure 11

• Step 11

  • change color back to Red

  • Use Ctrl+A to "select all" and then click on the A icon on the color toolbox to change everything to red.

  • Experiment with dimensioning!

  DONE