Professional CAD Habits
A teammate should understand your project without asking. Organization, clarity, and maintainability make that possible.
File Organization
- Consistent Naming Conventions: Use a standard format like
TeamName_PartName_v01 with version numbers and no spaces or special characters.
- Folder Structure: Organize into top-level folders:
Parts/, Assemblies/, Drawings/, and References/ for vendor data and imported geometry.
- Component Naming in Browser Tree: Rename every component to match its real-world name -- "LeftDrivePlate" communicates intent, "Body1" does not.
- Archive Old Versions: Move superseded designs to an
_Archive/ folder rather than deleting them.
Feature Tree Hygiene
A messy feature tree is a ticking time bomb. One edit can cascade into dozens of broken features.
- Rename Descriptively: "Sketch1" becomes "BaseProfile", "Extrude2" becomes "MotorPocket." Self-documenting features.
- Group Related Features: Bundle into folders (e.g., "MountingHoles") to keep the tree scannable.
- Delete, Don't Suppress: Remove unneeded features cleanly.
- Label Construction Geometry: Keep construction lines and planes in clearly named sketches.
- Logical Order: Major forms first, then secondary features (pockets, holes), then finishing (fillets, chamfers).
Design Approach
Module 6 covered Top-Down, Bottom-Up, and Hybrid assembly strategies. In a team setting, the key decision is:
- Top-Down for custom parts that must conform to neighbors -- one person owns the master assembly.
- Bottom-Up for reusable components -- each team member works independently.
- Hybrid (the professional default) -- import standard parts bottom-up, design custom adapters top-down.
1
Experience
2
Reflect
3
Theorize
4
Apply
Version Control
A safety net and clear history of design evolution. Prevents lost work from corruption or accidental overwrites.
- Cloud Save vs Local: Cloud tools auto-save with version history; local tools need manual saves to a synced cloud folder.
- Branching and Forking: Create a branch to explore alternatives without risking the main design, then merge or discard.
- Using Milestones: Mark key versions as milestones (e.g., "v5 - Design Freeze") for reliable rollback points.
- Comparing Versions: Use your CAD tool's version comparison to see exactly what changed between saves.
- Rollback Strategies: Roll back to the last known good version rather than manually undoing a chain of edits.
Collaboration
Multiple engineers on one robot must coordinate CAD work to avoid conflicts.
- Shared Projects: Give all members access to the same files with clear ownership — one person per part or subassembly.
- Reference Components from Teammates: Insert published components rather than guessing interface dimensions.
- Managing External References: Keep referenced files in stable locations — moving or renaming them breaks links.
- Design Reviews: Schedule regular reviews to check interference, fastener alignment, and manufacturability.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- "One Sketch Does Everything" Trap: Break geometry into multiple focused sketches. One complex sketch = fragile model.
- Not Using Components: Model each part as its own component from day one. Splitting bodies later is painful.
- Circular References: Reference in one direction only (layout drives parts) to avoid infinite loops.
- Ignoring Warnings: Fix yellow warnings immediately. They will break the model later.
Starting a New Project
Set your team up for success from the first file.
1
Define Requirements
Document size constraints, weight limits, and interface requirements before opening CAD.
2
Create Folder Structure
Set up Parts/, Assemblies/, Drawings/, and References/ folders with COTS models.
3
Set Up Parameters
Define key dimensions as named parameters so the entire robot can be resized by changing a few values.
4
Build Skeleton / Layout Sketch
Create a master layout sketch defining major dimensions, mounting locations, and spatial relationships.
5
Create Components
Model each part as an individual component referencing the layout sketch for critical dimensions.
6
Assemble
Bring components together, apply joints and constraints, and check for interferences.
7
Review
Conduct a team design review to verify fit, function, and manufacturability, then mark as a milestone.
✓ Your reflections are saved automatically