Creating a 3D Model of Bob's Head: A Fusion 360 Project

To create a complex 3D model like Bob's head, it requires a significant amount of time and effort. To simplify this process, we used a program called Mesh Mixer to chop up the high-quality model into smaller pieces, reducing the facet count to make it more manageable for use in Fusion 360.

In Mesh Mixer, we took the original 3D model and broke it down into different planes, allowing us to manipulate each section individually. This process enabled us to create a more complex shape while simplifying the overall design. With this approach, we could achieve a smoother shape without having to do the entire project in Mesh Mixer.

Once we had broken down the model, we imported it into Fusion 360 and began editing. To work with the model, we had to turn off the timeline and transfer it to a solid shape. This allowed us to see the individual components of the model and make changes as needed. One drawback of using Fusion for this project was that it struggled with the complex geometry of Bob's head.

To overcome this challenge, we used various techniques such as flattening the back of the head and adding keyhole hangars. We also removed sections to accommodate the pump components and hoses. The final step in editing the model involved finishing off the top, creating a reservoir for filling the soap. This required cutting a hole in the top of Bob's head and printing a hair plug to cover the area.

To print the model, we used a 3D printer, which broke down the complex shape into two halves. This made it easier to print the model, as each half could be printed separately. We then fitted the components together and tested the model, making adjustments as needed.

The final step involved desoldering some components, extending wires, and testing the model again. However, we discovered that the polarity had been switched on this receiver, so we swapped the wires to fix the issue. With everything in place, we made button extensions using filament from a 3D printer to cover the holes where the buttons were hidden.

To assemble the final model, we used hot glue to attach the two halves of Bob's head together. However, in a rush, I used hot glue as a seam filler, which didn't work out as well as it could have. To achieve better results, check out the "Finishing 3D Prints" video.

This project demonstrates the versatility of using Fusion 360 and Mesh Mixer to create complex 3D models. By breaking down a high-quality model into smaller pieces and manipulating each section individually, we were able to achieve a smooth shape while simplifying the overall design. This technique can be used for a wide range of projects, from creating intricate mechanical components to designing complex electronic circuits.

The use of Mesh Mixer and Fusion 360 also allows users to take multiple models and combine them to create something entirely new. By cutting each model in half and inserting components inside, users can achieve unique and innovative designs. This technique is particularly useful for those involved in 3D modeling, as it enables the creation of complex shapes and structures that would be difficult or impossible to produce using traditional methods.

In conclusion, creating a 3D model like Bob's head requires patience, skill, and creativity. By using programs like Mesh Mixer and Fusion 360, users can simplify complex designs and achieve smooth, intricate shapes. This technique is essential for anyone involved in 3D modeling, as it enables the creation of innovative and complex structures that would be difficult to produce otherwise.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey I'm Bob and I like to make stuff today we're gonna make a soap dispenser not too long ago we went out to California and our friend Alec did 3d scans of both of our heads so recently just thought it would be really funny to turn the scan of my head into a soap dispenser so first he's going to modify that model and then we'll figure out how to build it so we got in the soap dispenser that Josh ordered for this project and basically there's an infrared light here and a receiver up here so when you put your hand in between those two pieces it turns a motor and squirts out some soap so basically we just have to rip this thing apart and pull out all the components that we need so these are the pieces that Bob got from the soap dispenser we're gonna arrange it and pretty much the same configuration and we're going to fit it inside the head now this was a test print that didn't work really well but it still gives us a rough idea as to where everything needs to sit we got the broken-down pump from Bob and now we have to figure out how to put all those pieces inside of the 3d printed head I'd prefer to use fusion 360 for this because that's what I'm most comfortable with but it can't handle a model of this complexity so to be able to work in fusion we have to cut the model down to do that we're going to use a program called mesh mixer and in mesh mixer we can take the high quality model and we can chop it up in different planes and reduce the facet count so that I can use it in fusion and do all the modeling from there now we've broken down the model in mesh mixer I've imported into fusion 360 but in order to manipulate it you have to turn off the timeline and you have to transfer it to a solid shape now that we have a solid shape you can see that it's made up of a bunch of triangles this is one of the drawbacks of having to use fusion because it can't handle that complex model if we would do this entire process in mesh mixer you could have a smoother shape but it's more difficult to edit we're almost done editing the model I flattened the back of the head so we can sit against the wall I've also added some keyhole hangars and we've taken away the places on the inside that will house all the pump components and the hoses the last thing we need to do the model is to finish off the top because this is a reservoir we're gonna have to have a place to be able to fill the soap up when it runs out so I cut a hole in the top of his head and then I'm going to print a hair plug to cover that spot last thing to do is to send Bob's head to the 3d printer because it's already in half it makes it easier to print so we're gonna do two prints on a tall print I got the first half of the head off the printer and it looks great I want to make sure that all the components can fit inside and that our geometry is correct before we start the second half because this took about 30 hours to print the keyhole hanger on the back works really really well the components fit inside the hose that goes to his nostrils works perfectly we've got the other half of the head printed out on the 3d printer and we started to fit everything in place and figured out all the places we need to extend the wire so we're gonna desolder a few components extend the wire so we can get all the pieces in the right place we did a little test and it actually wasn't working and I think that the polarity got switched on this receiver so we're just swapping the wires and we're going to make sure that it works so it's all dry fit together everything is in place but currently we can't turn it on all those buttons are hidden down in these holes that Josh put in and so we're gonna make some button extensions and we did this same thing on the Optimus Prime gun that we did a long time ago we're going to take a few pieces of filament from a 3d printer and glue them down into those holes on the ends of those buttons so that you can push them from out here and here I'm using some hot glue to fix the two halves of the head together I don't want this to be a permanent fix in case something goes wrong with the pump or the motor we can easily take it apart to fix those pieces so we've got everything put in place and it's all tested it seems to be working and so now we're gonna paint it and before we paint it josh is taking out the batteries and also gonna cover up all of the LED stuff that's exposed with some masking tape to make sure we don't paint over those things at this point I got in the rush and use hot glue as a seam filler it did not work out really well if you want to know how to do this correctly check out the bits video that we made on finishing 3d prints obviously this is really silly but it works but the point of this project is to be able to take a 3d model and cut it up and manipulate it to do really whatever you want and you can do a lot of stuff with this technique you can take multiple models and jam them together you can take a model cut it in half and put stuff inside of it like Josh said on this one either way it's a really good technique to have in your back pocket if you do 3d modeling this is a really silly one but I hope you liked it let me know what you thought down in the comments we've got a whole bunch of other types of projects that you may be interested in check some of those out and if you're not subscribed please go ahead and do that as well that's it for this one guys thanks for watching see you next time not too long ago we went out to California we can't confer to you I don't know it's no control in my fans just I'll just talk louder a soap dispenserhey I'm Bob and I like to make stuff today we're gonna make a soap dispenser not too long ago we went out to California and our friend Alec did 3d scans of both of our heads so recently just thought it would be really funny to turn the scan of my head into a soap dispenser so first he's going to modify that model and then we'll figure out how to build it so we got in the soap dispenser that Josh ordered for this project and basically there's an infrared light here and a receiver up here so when you put your hand in between those two pieces it turns a motor and squirts out some soap so basically we just have to rip this thing apart and pull out all the components that we need so these are the pieces that Bob got from the soap dispenser we're gonna arrange it and pretty much the same configuration and we're going to fit it inside the head now this was a test print that didn't work really well but it still gives us a rough idea as to where everything needs to sit we got the broken-down pump from Bob and now we have to figure out how to put all those pieces inside of the 3d printed head I'd prefer to use fusion 360 for this because that's what I'm most comfortable with but it can't handle a model of this complexity so to be able to work in fusion we have to cut the model down to do that we're going to use a program called mesh mixer and in mesh mixer we can take the high quality model and we can chop it up in different planes and reduce the facet count so that I can use it in fusion and do all the modeling from there now we've broken down the model in mesh mixer I've imported into fusion 360 but in order to manipulate it you have to turn off the timeline and you have to transfer it to a solid shape now that we have a solid shape you can see that it's made up of a bunch of triangles this is one of the drawbacks of having to use fusion because it can't handle that complex model if we would do this entire process in mesh mixer you could have a smoother shape but it's more difficult to edit we're almost done editing the model I flattened the back of the head so we can sit against the wall I've also added some keyhole hangars and we've taken away the places on the inside that will house all the pump components and the hoses the last thing we need to do the model is to finish off the top because this is a reservoir we're gonna have to have a place to be able to fill the soap up when it runs out so I cut a hole in the top of his head and then I'm going to print a hair plug to cover that spot last thing to do is to send Bob's head to the 3d printer because it's already in half it makes it easier to print so we're gonna do two prints on a tall print I got the first half of the head off the printer and it looks great I want to make sure that all the components can fit inside and that our geometry is correct before we start the second half because this took about 30 hours to print the keyhole hanger on the back works really really well the components fit inside the hose that goes to his nostrils works perfectly we've got the other half of the head printed out on the 3d printer and we started to fit everything in place and figured out all the places we need to extend the wire so we're gonna desolder a few components extend the wire so we can get all the pieces in the right place we did a little test and it actually wasn't working and I think that the polarity got switched on this receiver so we're just swapping the wires and we're going to make sure that it works so it's all dry fit together everything is in place but currently we can't turn it on all those buttons are hidden down in these holes that Josh put in and so we're gonna make some button extensions and we did this same thing on the Optimus Prime gun that we did a long time ago we're going to take a few pieces of filament from a 3d printer and glue them down into those holes on the ends of those buttons so that you can push them from out here and here I'm using some hot glue to fix the two halves of the head together I don't want this to be a permanent fix in case something goes wrong with the pump or the motor we can easily take it apart to fix those pieces so we've got everything put in place and it's all tested it seems to be working and so now we're gonna paint it and before we paint it josh is taking out the batteries and also gonna cover up all of the LED stuff that's exposed with some masking tape to make sure we don't paint over those things at this point I got in the rush and use hot glue as a seam filler it did not work out really well if you want to know how to do this correctly check out the bits video that we made on finishing 3d prints obviously this is really silly but it works but the point of this project is to be able to take a 3d model and cut it up and manipulate it to do really whatever you want and you can do a lot of stuff with this technique you can take multiple models and jam them together you can take a model cut it in half and put stuff inside of it like Josh said on this one either way it's a really good technique to have in your back pocket if you do 3d modeling this is a really silly one but I hope you liked it let me know what you thought down in the comments we've got a whole bunch of other types of projects that you may be interested in check some of those out and if you're not subscribed please go ahead and do that as well that's it for this one guys thanks for watching see you next time not too long ago we went out to California we can't confer to you I don't know it's no control in my fans just I'll just talk louder a soap dispenser\n"