Sketchup is a free piece of 3D modeling software. After planning a project out on paper, 3D rendering is an excellent next step. It forces you to understand in very certain terms what materials will be needed in what dimensions, and how all the parts will relate and attach to each other. If you have access to a 3D printer, you can also use Sketchup to build custom parts.
Here are the steps for building a panel based on the mandala from Week 1.
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| Click and drag the Rectangle Tool, then adjust size in the Dimensions Box. |
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| Use the Tape Measure to create guides at the center. |
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| Use the Circle Tool to draw a circle at the center of the rectangle. |
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| Use the Offset Tool to create smaller, concentric circles. |
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| Use the Pencil to delineate the boxy temple. |
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| Use the Arrow or Eraser to clear guide lines, then Offset again. |
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| Use the Arc Tool to draw a lotus at the center, with two 1/32" radius circle cutouts. |
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| Use the Orbit and Hand to reorient the object to the white side. |
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| Use the Push/Pull Tool to pull the temple up into 3D, keeping the outside faces white. |
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| Flip the object and use the Pencil to draw a line, closing the hole. |
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| Erase stray lines, retracing the small circles if needed to clear them. |
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