To learn the process of design, Automotive and Engineering teacher Danny McElroy’s sophomores are creating 3D models of products they chose online.

“My partner and I split the work pretty fairly since we’re only a duo and everyone else has groups of four,” sophomore Girmawi Berhe said. “We both worked on sketches and made the decisions, then I drew everything with details and my partner created it on ‘Inventor.’”

“Autodesk Inventor” is a programming tool that allows students to design 3D models and prototypes; students learned how to use the program last year.

“My group decided to design a playground set,” sophomore Ian Watson said. “We chose this because it’s a practical thing that many people have and can enjoy. For the brainstorming and sketching part of the project, we all collaborated to get the best possible design, but for the actual making of the parts we will split them up so everyone makes one to three parts.”

The groups selected from a variety of products to create such as cookie cutters, weathervanes and a playground set. Their projects will also vary in difficulty, based on their group size.

“After not using ‘Inventor’ after a year, it’s honestly not very uncomfortable now,” sophomore Teya Perez said. “When we had projects in freshman year, I would play with ‘Inventor’ because I was bored, so I still remember some things with it.”

The project must include sketches, visuals of the finished parts and a working 3D model demonstrating their plans.

“My favorite part of the project is how simple it was to work ‘Inventor,” sophomore Jeiel Rueda said. “We’ve already got most of our parts finished and all of our sketches are done, so we’re really far ahead.”