A 3D model of a suitcase with a telescoping handle and four wheels, shown in SketchUp.
A 3D model of a suitcase with a telescoping handle and four wheels, shown in SketchUp from a different angle.
I started this project with a personal idea. I wanted to model a suitcase because lately I have been feeling like life is just me moving from one place to another, and the suitcase felt like a good way to represent that. My plan was to make the best suitcase I could, and overall, I think it turned out pretty well. It is not perfect, but I am happy with where it ended up.
At first, using Fusion was a little hard, especially since this was my first experience with this type of work. Learning how the tool works and what each part does took some time, but it was also interesting, which made it feel more like a challenge than a frustration. The hardest part for me was getting the measurements right and placing objects exactly where I wanted them. I had a few elements that needed to start at very specific points, and figuring that out required a lot of experimenting.
One thing that really bogged me down was moving from sketches to 3D forms. I kept running into issues where objects would not start from the point I wanted. Eventually, I realized that building things in a two-sided way first gave me more control over where the object started, which helped a lot. I also had some trouble downloading and opening my project. Even though I saved it, it didn’t show up when I logged in, so I had to download it from Fusion and upload it to Sketch. It was not ideal, but it worked.
I did have to make a few compromises. I originally wanted to add a design to the suitcase, but extra details weren’t working the way I expected, so I had to drop that idea. I also wanted all the wheels to be the same size, but I could not figure that out in time, so I moved forward with what I had.
I think 3D modeling can be really useful in research because it can show things in ways words just cannot. Being able to see an object or space makes it much easier to understand what is actually going on, especially when dealing with complex ideas or things that no longer exist. For teaching, 3D models can make learning more engaging and help explain ideas better than just reading about them in a book.
One tip I would give to other beginner Fusion users is to take your time and not rush the process. Rushing usually leads to mistakes that take even longer to fix. Also, do not be afraid to experiment. Trying things out and using undo helped me learn the tool much faster and figure out solutions I would not have found otherwise.