CAD & DesignModule 5 of 8

Worked Examples & Mini-Projects

Four buildable, step-by-step CAD projects you can complete in Onshape today. Each mini-project mirrors a real FRC subsystem (a swerve drivebase, a single-stage gearbox, a pivoting arm, and a lightened structural plate) and walks through layout sketches, real COTS part numbers, and the exact FeatureScripts and mate-connector moves that make the model manufacturable. Finish all four and you will have a portfolio of parametric models that look and behave like a competitive robot.

Worked Examples & Mini-Projects is module 5 of 8 in the CAD & Design guide. It picks up where Manufacturability, Drawings, BOMs, and Design Reviews left off and hands over to Common Mistakes & Troubleshooting. At ~220 minutes across 4 lessons it is the longest module in the guide, which runs about 18 hours end to end.

4 lessons~220 min31 lessons in this guide

Start with lesson 1 All of CAD & Design

In this module

4 lessons

01Mini-Project 1: A Layout-Sketch-Driven Swerve DrivebaseBuild a parametric square swerve chassis in Onshape using a top-down layout sketch, FRCDesignLib swerve modules, and the Origin Cube FeatureScript so the whole base resizes from two variables.50 min read

02Mini-Project 2: A Single-Stage NEO/Kraken GearboxModel a manufacturable single-reduction gearbox plate set in Onshape, sizing the gear pair, bearing bores, and standoff pattern around a real motor and ThunderHex output shaft.55 min read

03Mini-Project 3: A Pivoting Arm on 2x1 TubeDesign a single-jointed arm pivot using in-context layout geometry, a dead-axle hex pivot, and a hardstop, using a dead-axle clamping approach like the one documented in FRC 6328's 2023 A-frame arm.60 min read

04Mini-Project 4: A Lightened Structural PlateTake a solid waterjet bracket and lighten it parametrically with the Part Lighten FeatureScript, balancing weight savings against stiffness and manufacturability.55 min read

Previous moduleManufacturability, Drawings, BOMs, and Design Reviews

Next moduleCommon Mistakes & Troubleshooting

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