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Stage 0: Introduction to CAD

Overview

Stage 0 serves as the foundation for the entire learning course, introducing students to CAD and specifically Onshape, the cloud-based CAD platform used throughout the course. This stage ensures all students have the necessary tools, understanding, and account setup before diving into actual mechanism design.

These early stages are just as important as the rest, and it is highly recommended that all students run through this section to make sure they have all the necessary tools to complete the rest of course.

Why CAD?

CAD is essential in FRC for several key reasons:

  1. Design Iteration: Teams can quickly test and modify designs before manufacturing
  2. Team Collaboration: Multiple team members can view and understand designs clearly
  3. Manufacturing Planning: CAD serves as a blueprint and helps with manufacturing
  4. Teaching Tool: Helps new members understand robot mechanisms and assembly
  5. Weight Management: Allows teams to track robot weight throughout the design process

Account Setup

The stage walks through several critical setup steps:

  1. Creating an Onshape Education account
  2. Installing necessary Featurescripts:
    • Electronics Mounting
    • Extrude Individual
    • Gusset Generator
    • Shaft Generator
    • Tube Converter
    • Belt & Chain Generator
  3. Setting up MKCad (FRC parts library)

CAD Theory

Stage 0 introduces fundamental CAD concepts:

  1. Sketches: 2D drawings that form the basis of 3D models
  2. Features: Operations that create or modify 3D geometry
  3. Part Studios vs Assemblies:
    • Part Studios: Where individual parts are designed
    • Assemblies: Where parts are combined and constrained

Students learn to navigate the Onshape interface:

  1. Document Management:
    • Creating new documents
    • Organizing with folders
    • Version control
  2. Interface Elements:
    • Toolbars
    • Feature list
    • Graphics area
  3. View Control:
    • Pan, zoom, and rotate
    • Standard views
    • View shortcuts

Best Practices

The stage emphasizes several best practices:

  1. Organization:
    • Proper naming
    • Folder structure
    • Feature organization
  2. File Management:
    • Version control
    • Proper document sharing

Learning Outcomes

By completing Stage 0, students should:

  1. Have a functioning Onshape account with necessary tools installed
  2. Understand basic CAD concepts and terminology
  3. Be able to navigate the Onshape interface
  4. Know how to create basic sketches and features
  5. Understand proper organization and best practices
  6. Be prepared for the hands-on exercises in Stage 1

Moving Forward

Stage 0 sets students up for success in later stages by:

  1. Providing a strong theoretical foundation
  2. Ensuring proper tool setup
  3. Establishing good organizational habits
  4. Introducing key concepts gradually
  5. Preparing for more complex designs

The stage emphasizes taking time to properly understand fundamentals and set up tools correctly, as this investment pays dividends when tackling more complex mechanisms in later stages. It's designed to be accessible to complete beginners while still providing useful setup information for more experienced CAD users.

If you have extra time we encourage everyone to go through the linked Onshape Learning courses, knowing more in depth how Onshape documents work will save time later compared to students needing to figure out how to use those tools themselves.