Flipping/Rotating an object vertically? Other options?

[TheShaaark]

I basically taught myself everything I know about AutoCAD in about 7 hours last night so I am very new, but I am very capable of this type of designing technique. I am trying to create a golf tee. I revolved a quarter circle all the way around to make a dome, then stretched the top of the dome to make a pointed cone (like an ice cream cone). That will be the bottom of the golf tee. I then tried to make a cylinder and then rotate it vertically so that it was sideways instead of straight up and down. The cone faces/points along the X-axis, meaning if I do a top view, I don't see a circle, I see the full cone. I want to attach these two object but they are not facing the same way. I could find a way myself, and I couldn't find a way on google to flip objects vertically so that they are flipped 90 degrees in space, making a vertical object horizontal.

 

Is there any possible way to flip either of the objects?

Are there any other ways of going about connecting a vertical cylinder to a horizontal cone?

 

Also, how would I go about merging to object, I have tried connecting a downward facing dome to a vertical cylinder but I can get them to line up and would have no idea how to get them connected even if I did get them line up. I did see something about using "Union" but I couldn't find the tool and I don't know how to use it with the command.

 

For the record, I am running AutoCAD 2014 for Mac. Any help would be great, thanks.

[Tiger]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

 

I assume that it is not AutoCAD LT that you are using (as it says in your info-box) since you're doing 3D

 

Please know that AutoCAD is pretty bad at 3D... it is not impossible, there are amazing 3D-creations done in AutoCAD, but for real 3D design, I don't think anyone with a choice will choose to use AutoCAD. If you are a student you have access to EDU-versions of Inventor for instance, which is miles better at 3D.

 

That said, if it's all you got, then you do what you gotta do.

 

I think you need to explore the UCS-command that lets you flip the UCS around. AutoCAD is always most comfortable to be in X-Y-direction, so set the X-Y to be flipped and you can draw normally. There is a 3DROTATE that will probably help you as well.

 

To line up objects, I think you need to look into Object Snaps.

 

Good luck!

[TheShaaark]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

 

I assume that it is not AutoCAD LT that you are using (as it says in your info-box) since you're doing 3D

 

Please know that AutoCAD is pretty bad at 3D... it is not impossible, there are amazing 3D-creations done in AutoCAD, but for real 3D design, I don't think anyone with a choice will choose to use AutoCAD. If you are a student you have access to EDU-versions of Inventor for instance, which is miles better at 3D.

 

That said, if it's all you got, then you do what you gotta do.

 

I think you need to explore the UCS-command that lets you flip the UCS around. AutoCAD is always most comfortable to be in X-Y-direction, so set the X-Y to be flipped and you can draw normally. There is a 3DROTATE that will probably help you as well.

 

To line up objects, I think you need to look into Object Snaps.

 

Good luck!

 

I thought LT meant the lite version (the free 30 day trial). But thank you for the info! Are there any free or open source programs like AutoCAD? I really like to interface and the usability/easiness of AutoCAD, although the only CAD program I have download was one where you can only do squares and circles, either adding them or cutting with them. Is Inventor available in a free trial after I already got AutoCAD? Thank you again.

[Tiger]

Nah, LT is a reduced (and cheaper) version of AutoCAD that most notably lacks it's 3D capabilties. If you are a student, you can get all of Autodesks products as education licenses. And yes, you can have a 30-day trial of Inventor even if you already have done an 30-day for AutoCAD. Please note that Inventor is pretty much nothing like AutoCAD.

 

You can check out Draftsight which is a free AutoCAD clone that is actually pretty decent. I haven't tried it's 3D capabilities so can't say anything about that.

[TheShaaark]

I am a student, but I haven't taken any CAD classes, yet. I just haven't been able to get into any CAD or 3D design classes quite yet.

Do most of the 3D modeling programs out there run about the same as far as usability and ease?

[Tiger]

If I remember correctly, as long as you have a school email-adress you can access the programs, look here: http://www.autodesk.com/education/home

 

For 3D-modelling, my personal opinion is that all true 3D-modelling programs are easier to use than AutoCAD. But that is based on my very limited testing of various program. While the program I work with is 3D (AutoCAD Civil 3D), it can't be compared to a modelling program such as Inventor.

 

You don't seem to have any trouble with learning new programs so I doubt you'll have much trouble switching to Inventor or Solid Works or any other 3D modelling program.

 

There is a sub-forum here for Inventor, and the knowledge base there grows every day so don't be afraid to ask questions!

[TheShaaark]

I just chose AutoCAD because I saw it as a requirement for a job application. I figured I would be able to learn fast, thankfully I was right, and then I applied for the job today. Its only a Solar company so I would be modeling houses and modeling solar panels on the roof, which is easy enough with AutoCAD. Thank you though. I will look into other programs and other trials. So I should be able to merge objects and flip objects with Inventor? Basically help me create my golf tee?

Also, I have seen a ton of designs on the web, can I download them and add them into a project? I saw a shark and wanted to make a shark golf tee, but I figured I better learn how to make a regular golf tee first.

[ReMark]

The free version of Draftsight is 2D only.

 

A golf tee can be modeled in 3D by creating a half profile then revolving it. Don't forget the top of the tee is slightly concave.

 

A rudimentary tee done in plain AutoCAD. The head is slightly concave although it may be difficult to tell from the image.

Visual style=Conceptual.

 

The closed profile, consisiting of a single continuous polyline, on the left is what I used to create the tee. An arc was used to create the concave top as JD Mather rightly suggested. The end result is a 3D solid. Should you use plain lines to create your profile the end result will be a surface.

Visual style=Conceptual.

 

The tee as a set of revolved surfaces.

Visual style=2Dwireframe.

Edited June 16, 2014 by ReMark

[Dadgad]

Welcome to CADTutor.

 

Do youreslf a HUGE favor, and follow this link

http://www.mycadsite.com/ , you will be glad you did.

This is where I learned the basics online about 6 years ago.

If you spend a couple hours going through these lessons,

you will be up to speed in very short order.

[Dadgad]

The free version of Draftsight is 2D only.

 

A golf tee can be modeled in 3D by creating a half profile then revolving it. Don't forget the top of the tee is slightly concave.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49496[/ATTACH]

A rudimentary tee done in plain AutoCAD. The head is slightly concave although it may be difficult to tell from the image.

Visual style=Conceptual.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49503[/ATTACH]

The closed profile, consisiting of a single continuous polyline, on the left is what I used to create the tee. An arc was used to create the concave top as JD Mather rightly suggested. The end result is a 3D solid. Should you use plain lines to create your profile the end result will be a surface.

Visual style=Conceptual.

 

I should think one might have a pretty hard time nesting a ball into the point on the top of this revolved object? Unless of course one is teeing up a marshmallow, or something has changed quite drastically in golf since I last humiliated myself on the links.

[ReMark]

Critics...a dime a dozen. It was merely an exercise. Feel free to post a dimensionally correct version with golf ball. Please include the dimples on the ball too for the sake of realism. Oh, and the manufacturer's name and logo. Thank you.

[JD Mather]

I should think one might have a pretty hard time nesting a ball into the point on the top of this revolved object?

 

What point? Looks fine to me?

[nestly]

Also looks fine to me... I think Dadgad just didn't notice the perspective.

 

[Dadgad]

Also looks fine to me... I think Dadgad just didn't notice the perspective.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49521[/ATTACH]

 

nestly, you are absolutely right on the mark, and your video displays brilliantly my misperception.

Given the absence of any UCS icon reference, I erroneously assumed a Plan view.

Glancing at it, it confused me, for that reason, and I already knew how to model it.

I figured that if it confused me, there was a better than even chance the op would also be confused.

 

Sorry ReMark, it certainly didn't seem like you to just throw something down, and have it be conspicuously

bass akwards. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!

Edited June 17, 2014 by Dadgad

[JD Mather]

....I figured that if it confused me there was a better than even chance the op would also be confused.

 

Looks like the OP bailed.