Project-Based CAD Modelling (Onshape)

Lesson Overview

In this capstone project, students apply their accumulated Onshape CAD skills to design, model and present a personal desk organiser from concept to export. They integrate sketching on multiple planes, extrusion, revolve, loft, shell, mirror, fillet, assembly creation and constraints into a single comprehensive design workflow. The lesson emphasises the full design process — ideation, iterative modelling, peer feedback and presentation — preparing students for independent CAD project work.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• 1
  Plan a multi-part CAD project by sketching design ideas and breaking them into individual modelled components
• 2
  Apply all core Onshape tools — sketch, extrude, revolve, loft, shell, mirror, fillet — in a single integrated project
• 3
  Create a multi-part assembly and apply appropriate mates or relationships between components
• 4
  Use constraints to ensure sketches behave predictably and dimensions update correctly
• 5
  Export individual parts and the full assembly for 3D printing or portfolio documentation
• 6
  Present the finished project with screenshots and explain key design decisions
• 7
  Reflect on which CAD tools were most useful and why, building metacognitive awareness of the design workflow

Singapore Curriculum Alignment

MOE Design & Technology: design process, modelling and communicating design ideas, making informed decisions about tools and materials. ALP / maker learning: independent project work, iterative improvement and digital fabrication readiness.

Prior Knowledge Required

• Confident navigation of the Onshape workspace including sketch planes, view cube and feature tree
• Experience with core tools: sketch, extrude, revolve, loft, shell, mirror and fillet
• Basic understanding of creating new parts and inserting them into assemblies
• Introduction to sketch constraints from earlier lessons

Materials & Resources