Final Project: Analysing 2 Different Software

It is very important to know and feel confident with the software we choose for our projects as we only have a short period of time to work on it before our deadline. This restricts us as we don't have leisure to familiarise ourselves with a new software. 

Therefore, I decided to look at 2 different software that I used in the past and analyse them in detail in order to ensure that the software that I am going to be using is suitable for me. The two websites I will be looking at include SketchUp and Fusion360. I am very familiar with SketchUp as I have been using it for the last 5 years to design various products for my Design and Technology class in high school. I am quite familiar with Fusion360 too, as I was enrolled in the ´Formula 1 in schools´ competition and was required to build a miniature car model on the software. I decided to look at advantages and disadvantages of the two software.

This blog post will be strictly dedicated to the technical details of the 2 software's and how my experience was working with them throughout the years. I will add a separate blog post with my experimenting.

SketchUp was one of the two software that I was considering of using for my final project. SketchUp is used by a variety of people in the industry, some of which include architects, interior designers, landscape architects, video game designers. You can create very simple objects to very complex buildings using the tools provided.

One of the easy functions that SketchUp provides is the ‘Push and Pull’ method that allows you to turn 2D models into 3D very easily. It extrudes any flat surface into a 3D shape. Sketchup is a very intuitive program with easy tools and functions. It can take you only a small amount of time to get familiar with the software and start designing. The tool bar is located on the left of the screen with very functions that you can navigate through. It is a less complex work area that allows easy work flow for developing designs and models. It takes less time and effort to achieve great results as it is easy to navigate through the software and understand the different tools provided. It is also easy to change details, materials or scenes.

Regarding the disadvantages of sketch up, sometimes it combines or joins objects in ways you did not intend and undoing that can be frustrating. This can be frustrating as I had to restart many projects from the beginning because I did not have the option to undo that. When the complexity of the project increases, the detailing can be really tricky to add or difficult.  Additionally, some details or dimensions might not be able to be added. Lastly, in comparison to other 3D software, the rendering process can be convoluted. This is frustrating as it would be really helpful to be able to render quickly in order to observe the finished product in a more realistic way. The photo-realistic options are also limited.

Fusion360 was another software I decided to look at before deciding which one was more suitable for my project.

Fusion360 is used for precise modelling of 2D and 3D objects. It can animate designs, produce renders and create models for CNC machining. You can create key frame animations for assemblies such as engines, gearboxes. Additionally, you can create simulations of your design to check for critical spots and understand how your product performs in real life. You can give specific material attributes to the model and measure factors such as weight or volume. Fusion 360 is an advanced software that can be used to create endless results.

Fusion 360 uses industry standard precision modelling tools to achieve high quality results. There is an in detailed force analysis where you can see how forces behave on your object. You can know specific details such as the weight of your object when changing different materials. Additionally, the renderings on fusion360 are very natural photorealistic renderings which make the object look more realistic. This would be very beneficial as it would make my product design boards look more realistic and professional. You are able to explore your object from all angles and change factors such as colour, material.

However, even though fusion has a very good cloud software, it gets very laggy with slow internet connections. This might be a big problem as my accommodations WIFI tends to fluctuate. This might lead to problems or frustration during the designing problems. Additionally, it uses a lot of your device’s memory which is something my computer might not be able to handle. Using fusion360 might be a steep learning curve if you don’t have any CAD experience. Even though I did have some experience with the software, I still find it really hard to navigate through and the tools are complicated. I used to get very frustrated while using it in the past as I still don’t feel very confident with my skills on a CAD software.

Concluding, I was always really keen on using SketchUp as it is very straight forward and easy to use. You can design pretty much anything on SketchUp and it can be less time consuming. Especially with this project, as I only have a month to work on it, I would much rather use SketchUp as I am more familiar with it. I’ve had years of practice on SketchUp which will ensure better results. Additionally, my project doesn’t require a lot of detail as it is a simple product. Therefore, SketchUp will definitely be the best option. In the future, I am excited to work on fusion360 and experiment with my skills, but as of right now, I want to stick to SketchUp.

Even from the layout of the two software's, you can tell that sketch up is more user friendly and easier to navigate through. It uses 3 lines to indicate perspectives which can be less confusing when dealing with simpler projects. It has a bar of both left and right with very simple icons to indicate the different tools. By keeping everything minimal and simple it makes it easier to work through it. Fusion360 looks more professional and complicated. It is mainly used for more complex projects and it has a lot of axes for precision.

I will be adding a separate blog post with my practice with the software.