An exploded view drawing shows how the parts of a design go together, pulled apart along the lines they assemble. In SchoolCAD students can make an exploded view, an exploded assembly drawing with numbered balloons and a parts list, and step-by-step assembly instructions as a PDF, all from the same model. They're some of the most useful pages in a design folio, and they used to take hours to draw by hand.
A quick exploded view in the Part Studio
For a fast picture, drag the Explode slider in the Part Studio to spread the parts apart, then save it with Export, then Render picture (PNG). The Render Studio has its own Explode slider too, for a photo-real exploded render.
A proper exploded view in the Assembly
For control over which parts move, which way and how far, use the Assembly workspace (tabs at the bottom left):
- Click Explode step.
- Click the parts this step moves.
- Choose the direction (X, Y or Z, and ⇅ to go the other way) and type how far.
- Add a step for each stage of assembly: for example, the lid up first, then the sides out, then the shelves.
- Click ▶ Play under Exploded view, or drag its slider, to watch it come apart.
Tip
Order the explode steps the way the project is really put together, in reverse. The animation then doubles as a check that the assembly sequence makes sense.
An exploded assembly drawing with balloons
On a drawing sheet (Export, Engineering drawing (PDF), then Edit on a drawing sheet):
- In Drawing of, choose Assembly (parts list from the Assembly).
- Tick Exploded to pull the parts apart by your explode steps (all of them, or up to the step you choose).
- The isometric view gets a numbered balloon for each row of the parts list, and the list comes from the Assembly's bill of materials, with bought hardware such as screws, hinges and dowels listed as what to buy.
Drag a balloon to where it reads best; its leader keeps pointing at the part.
Assembly instructions (PDF)
Export, then Assembly instructions (PDF) makes flat-pack style instructions from the model:
- a cover with a picture of the finished design, the student's name and class, and a parts table;
- numbered steps, six to a page, each with a picture showing the new parts in orange and a note on how they join.
The notes come from the design. With a Joint the step says something like Join to Left side with a finger joint, glued; with a Mate, It sits against Base. So the more carefully students join their parts, the better the instructions read. Steps follow the feature tree order, and hidden parts are left out.
Note
Name parts first (double-click them in the Parts list). Names appear on the balloons, in the parts lists and in every instruction step.
Bill of materials
In the Assembly, click BOM for every part, how many, its material and size. Download CSV saves it for a spreadsheet or the folio.
Videos for presentations
Export, then Video (MP4), with Build it up records the design assembling itself feature by feature. In the Assembly, you can also play the exploded view while recording the screen.
More help
- Assembly and Assembly instructions
- Drawing sheet
- Forum guide: Orthographic drawing maker
Try it on one of the sample designs at schoolcad.app.