A Ship (CAD) Design

Ships differ from boats for a number of reasons. They are bigger and can carry large amounts of cargo while also operating for long periods of time, whereas boats are smaller and can carry only small cargo, making them more useful for local use. For this reason, ships are grander and this is what appealed to me the most about them.

This Instructable will demonstrate how I created a simple ship that can float using CAD software.

Any open source of inspiration (I used Google).

Any type of CAD software (I used Fusion 360).

The first step was to look for some inspiration. After searching through Google for a bit, I settled on this side view of the ship, as shown above. I then exported it to Fusion 360 to begin creating the 3D model.

The base (also known as the keel) is crucial for keeping the ship floating. It provides stability by easily cutting through the water and its buoyancy allows it to keep the rest of the structure upright. Without the base, the ship would be unable to float and could end up sinking before making any trips.

Using the Line tool, I traced the bottom white part of the base that matched the image. With the Extrusion tool, the bottom part was extruded and painted with a white color.

This same process was also applied to the top part of the base, using the same line tool to trace and extrude the piece, then finishing with a deep blue metallic color.

The main body of the ship is where all the cargo is loaded. It's also the place where the crew resides. Depending on the type of ship, these main bodies can be several floors tall (example being cruise ships that can house hundreds of people in different rooms, all located on the main body).

With the help of the Line and Extrude tool, I again traced and extruded the center part of the ship. Using a white metallic color to paint the body, I also created tiny windows for the ship.

The top of the ship usually holds the ventilation system which helps keep fresh air for the people on it. Most release toxic/harmful gases that could be a danger for the crew. Excess heat is another problem that causes equipment to overheat, leading to damage that can sometimes be permanent. For this reason, air ventilation is needed to help create better air quality. Funnels are long tubes which expel the ship's fumes, keeping temperatures cool while also expelling harmful gasses.

The black like structure serves as the ventilation system, while the giant cylinder is the funnel.

While this isn't my best work with CAD, I did enjoy tinkering around with the program and making my own cool things. I originally planned on making an animation, but ran a little short on time, so I just created the CAD. All in all, I'm proud of what I've built and will 100% improve upon my skills to build something even more amazing in future contests.

-R.L