Tuesday, December 8, 2009

What's in the Upcoming December Projects

For subscribers to our Projects of the Month, December will be a fun month. If you haven't already signed up, now's a great time - you can look them over during your winter break, while skiing in the Alps, sunbathing in Barabos, or staying home like me.

Calculating Length and Area

Teachers always ask about using SketchUp as a calculation tool. Length and area are no problem; this months' project shows you how to find lengths of one or more edges, area of one or more faces, and how to work with curved edges and faces (which can be tricky).



(SketchUp can't do volume calculations on its own. However, check out this blog post about a volume-calculating plug-in.)

Build a Snowman

We already had one (minor) snowfall here in DC, and they're calling for more tomorrow (ugh). So in honor of weather that kids love (parents, not so much), one of this month's projects shows how to create a snowman. You'll learn how to create and copy a sphere, and how to find accessories in the 3D Warehouse.

You can make a simple, standard snowman, or a weird, funky, or even scary one.



Opposite Colors

Everyone knows this optical phenomenon - you stare at something for several seconds, then look away. What you'll see for a couple of seconds is the same image, in opposite colors. This project will show you how to change a model's colors so that you can try this trick yourself. For example, the model on the left becomes the one on the right, and vice-versa.


As another example, here's the US flag in its opposite colors:


In case you missed it, here's where you can sign up.


Anyone can design anything in 3D! www.3dvinci.net

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