Twenty four years of CAD design
Bert Ernie has been using CAD software since 1999. He first started with AutoCAD, then he moved onto Solidworks. Since 2010 Bert has done almost all of his 3D design work in Siemens NX because it is not only more powerful but not buggy like Solidworks.
For part of that twenty four years Bert was employed as a mechanical draftsperson.
Initially Bert spent most of his time modelling spaceships. He no longer has access to those files and only has a few images and some low-res rendered videos.
In the last ten years Bert has been writing a novel called Parallel Universe. In this novel a team of scientists develop a Parallel Universe Machine.
Also shown on this page are some examples of Bert’s 3D design work. A variety of programs were used. These include.
- AutoCAD
- Solidworks
- Siemens NX
- Fusion 360
- Blender
- Keyshot (Rendering)
Spaceship design
Looking back at Bert’s initial attempts at creating renderings of spaceships he can see that they lack a little sophistication. However that is due to two factors. He was a self-taught beginner and the lack of capability from both the software and his desktop computer.
SPACESHIP DESIGN
Looking back at my initial attempts at creating renderings of spaceships I can see that they lack a little sophistication. However that is due to two factors. I was a self-taught beginner and the lack of capability from both the software and my desktop computer.
The design in the first image is literally his first attempt at designing a spaceship. It was modeled in one sitting in late 2000 with AutoCAD. It was rendered as shown here in Solidworks later.
Bert created around fifty spaceship designs from 2000 till 2010 – almost all in Solidworks. Sadly he no longer has any of the original files. He does have a pdf file which he created at the time under his birth name (Mark Russell). Click the button below to see this open in a new tab.
The following three videos represent Bert’s attempts at rendering video in Solidworks.
Mechanical draftsperson
In 2001 Bert had an injury to his left hand which prevented him from working as a factory hand and machinist. So he completed a diploma of Engineering Technology in 2004 (under his birth name Mark Russell).
He then went on to work for a few companies and here are some examples of his work.
Parallel universe machine
Some examples of the Parallel Universe Machine. This is an assembly that has moving parts. The entire machine can be raised and lowered by hydraulic rams, which are housed in the large box. The left hand chamber has a floor which lowers for access, again using hydraulic components.
Skull
As part of his exploration of 3d design Bert created this following piece of art. It’s a real scanned human skull, modified a bit and rendered in Keyshot.