A sophomore capstone solid modeling experience: Virtual dissection and reassembly of legacy drawings

A sophomore computer aided design course is investigated with respect to its ability to prepare students for an authentic team-based design experience surrounding solid modeling of a set of legacy drawings by a master draftsman from an earlier age. Work products include an electronic archive stored on a shared drive, part and subassembly renderings, a shop-ready drawing package, accurate animation of part assembly as well as normal operation, and reflective writing about the project. Preparation for the final project includes justin-time use of locally authored videos supplied via the course website, deployment of peer mentors within the computer lab, and scaffolding provided by four different mini-projects. Intermediate milestones given on the course website, impromptu instructor/team/mentor meetings next to computer monitors as well as an overhead projector screen, and exemplary portfolios of student work are considered essential for guiding team-based work on the final project. Significant personal growth in engineering graphics skills leading up to the final project and throughout the final project has been observed in an end-of-course surveys that explore many attributes of pre-cad sketching, part modeling, assembly modeling, and creation of engineering drawing packages. Some refinements to the survey are needed to capture more of the wisdom embedded in many legacy drawings and the wisdom typically gained through the final project.