Until this point, I have been using Fusion 360 for the modelling in this project. I had realized that this would be limiting, especially as I plan to design the track for the ride.
When designing the track, Fusion would make the process far more difficult as there is no way to easily make a patterned geometry along the track spline. This would make creating cross ties or support connections a long tedious process of manually modelling each individual instance of those features.
I recently was able to gain access to Solidworks which solves the issues with Fusion which have been keeping me from moving forward with the design. Since this is a new program for me, I am currently working on learning the tools and features available to me before working on the track. To do this I am designing various keychains modelled after different rollercoaster track styles. By doing this, I can do all of the following:
I can learn the intricacies of Solidworks so that I can design the full track layout more efficiently.
By printing these smaller scale keychains on my 3D printer, I can find which model prints best. This will help narrow down which track shape may be best in my final model since the print quality will greatly affect how well the track fits together and how well the train will be able to move along it.
I will likely sell these models so that I can pay for further hardware and equipment that will be necessary for the project.
Outside of just this project, it will be greatly beneficial to learn Solidworks as it is commonly used within the Themed Entertainment industry. Because of this I would like to learn it to the best of my ability in this project.
At this time I do not know if I will end up redesigning the train in Solidworks as well. There are already some issues with the current train model that I would like to fix, and I may try to fully adapt this project to Solidworks. This will be decided later, but for now I will focus on creating a piece of test track and then the full layout.
Comentários