1. Create a folder in your 'H' drive for this

project.

2. Open an internet connection.

3. Launch Pro/Engineer.

4. Set your newly created project folder as

Pro/ENGINEER's working directory.

5. Create a new 'part' in Pro/Engineer, and give

it an appropriate name such as 'badge'.

CAD / CAM Projects

Using a Reference Image in Pro/Engineer

(To model a pendant, badge or ear ring, by tracing over an image)

Index

Getting Started 1

Source a graphic to be your 'reference image' 2

Sketch out a rectangle and extrude out a cuboid 2

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid 2

Sketching on top of your reference image & extruding from it 6

Deleting off the original cuboid 6

Adding a back plate to your badge / pendant 7

Rounding the edges for comfort 7

Page

Getting Started

This tutorial assumes that you have worked through the key fob

tutorial beforehand. Completion of the ring tutorial beforehand is not

essential, but helpful.

There are several distinct steps in the process of modelling a simple

badge, using a reference image.

This tutorial covers in detail only the new learning you'll need. If you

get stuck on the other steps that aren't explained in detail, refer back

to the key fob tutorial.

1

This is the main piece of new learning in

this tutorial.

Navigate to -

'View / Color and Appearance',

and the 'Appearance Editor' dialogue box

will appear.

You'll now add your reference image

graphic as a new 'texture'.

In the 'Appearance Editor' dialogue box,

select the red sphere, to select the red

material (though it doesn't actually

matter which material you select).

2

The Japanese

symbol for

'friend', to be

used as a

'reference

image' in this

tutorial.

Sketch out a rectangle and extrude out a cuboid

Get a graphic to use as a reference image, and

place it in your project folder. It can be a photo or

a drawing. Appropriate file formats include jpg,

png and gif.

On the 'front' workplane, sketch out a rectangle.

It should be roughly the same shape as your

reference image.

It should also be the right dimensions to end up

with the size of badge or pendant you want.

The Japanese symbol used in this tutorial is

approximately three units high by two units wide.

In this case, to arrive at a finished pendant that

is 20mm wide, the sketch rectangle was made

25mm wide, by 38mm high.

The distance you extrude it out isn't important. In

this tutorial, the cuboid was extruded 3mm.

The cuboid you create will have the graphic

applied to its front surface next.

Save your file.

Source a graphic to be your 'reference image'

Select the red material sphere.

The initial cuboid, the same shape as

the reference image to be used, sized

to end up with a pendant that is

around 20mm wide.

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid

3

In the small 'Select' dialogue box, top

right on the screen, select OK.

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid (cont.)

In the 'Assignment' section of the

Appearance Editor, select 'Surfaces', as

you will be applying your graphic to a

surface (the front surface).

Select 'Surfaces'

Now, hover your cursor over the front

surface of your cuboid, and select it. The

surface will turn pink.

In the 'Assignment' section

of the Appearance Editor,

select 'Apply', and the red

material should now be

applied to the front surface

of the cuboid.

Continued on the next page.

The red material applied to the front surface of the

cuboid.

The red

material

now applied

to the front

surface

A fancy word for a graphic applied to a 3D

object is a 'decal'. You're going to add a

decal to the front surface of your cuboid.

In the Appearance Editor, select the 'Map'

tab, and click on the large square 'Decal'

button. This will open the 'Decal Placement'

dialogue box.

Click on the

'Map' tab and

the large

'Decal' button.

In the 'Decal Placement' dialogue box, click

on the plus symbol, to add your own

graphic as a new texture.

The 'Open' dialogue box opens. Navigate to

the graphic you wish to use as a reference

image, then select 'OK'.

A tiny thumbnail of your chosen graphic

should now appear in the Decal Placement

dialogue box. Click on it, and it will

highlight in blue - see next page.

Click on the plus symbol

4

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid (cont.)

Continued on the next page.

5

The 'reference image' graphic, in the

Decal Placement dialogue box is now

highlighted in blue.

In the Appearance Editor dialogue

box, your graphic should now appear

on the material preview sphere, and in

the decal box.

Click on 'Apply' in the 'Assignment'

section, and your graphic should

appear on the front surface of your

cuboid.

Close the Appearance Editor.

The graphic applied to

the front surface of the

cuboid.

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid (cont.)

Still in the Decal Placement dialogue

box, select 'Single', then 'OK'.

The Decal Placement dialoge box will

close, and the Appearance Editor will

become visible again.

The graphic (reference image) applied to the

front surface of the cuboid.

You're now ready to select the front surface

of the cuboid, add a sketch to it, then trace

over your reference image.

Save your work.

Sketching on top of your reference image & extruding from it

To reach the stage illustrated in the screen

shot opposite, a sketch has been applied

to the front surface of the cuboid, the

image has been traced with the 'Spline'

tool, then extruded.

Remember to use the 'diagnostic'

tools, when sketching.

Once you've completed your sketch,

extrude it 3mm, if you intend to have bits

of your design unsupported by a back

plate.

The sketch

being extruded

Extruding

backwards

from the front

surface, to

remove the

original cuboid.

With your symbol now modelled in 3D, you

no longer need the original cuboid, which

was only there to place your graphic on.

To delete off the original cuboid, add a

sketch to its front surface, sketch out a

rectangle that's bigger than the front

surface, then extrude back, removing

material.

6

Deleting off the original cuboid

The original

cuboid now

removed.

7

Adding a back plate to your badge / pendant

If your design calls for several

separate letters, for instance,

you'll probably need to add a

back plate, linking them all

together. If not, you may have

already completed your badge or

pendant, and no further work is

needed.

However, if you need or want a

back plate, select the back

surface of your model, add a

sketch on it, and extrude to add

material.

You may also wish to make a hole

in your back plate to allow you to

fit a split ring later, for attaching

a chain or leather thong.

If you need to,

add a sketch to

the back of your

object and

extrude out a

back plate.

It's a good idea to round the edges of your

badge / pendant, to minimise the possibility

of discomfort when being worn.

You'll find, however, that if you have a

complex form with tight corner curves, that

Pro/Engineer will have difficulty calculating

the rounds. Do what you can.

It wasn't possible to round the edges of the

symbol of the pendant featured in this

tutorial - only the back edges of the back

plate.

Edges rounded

for comfort

Rounding the edges for comfort