#SmartRunner

How do you stop a 30-foot frame from bending like a noodle? You build it like a suspension bridge. 🌉 For the Half-Track’s backbone, I’m engineering a Boxed Truss Ladder Frame. I’m taking a page out of @huntergoodrich’s book—he’s been doing some incredible work on a giant toter-home build, and his approach to custom semi-truck frames is the perfect inspiration for this monster. The Engineering Logic: The Ladder Base: I started with two massive main rails and transverse cross-members. To clear the engine while keeping the center of gravity low, I designed a custom U-shaped cross-member that reaches down and under the oil pan. 6-Foot Spacing: I’ve spaced the main cross-members every six feet. It looks right proportionally, but I’m curious—any semi-truck or ASME experts out there think I need more bracing for a span this long? Weldment Workflow: By using the 3D Sketch + Structural Member feature in SolidWorks, I can iterate on the truss geometry instantly without having to remap every individual tube. The Stance: Through a bit of “engineering luck,” the front axle sits perfectly under the rails while the rear track assembly mounts to the top. This naturally sets the rake and ride height for the entire vehicle. This truss design is all about maximizing section modulus without adding unnecessary weight. It’s overkill, it’s rigid, and it’s exactly what a 10-foot-wide half-track needs. Would you trust a home-built truss frame for a 30-foot build? Let’s talk shop in the comments! 👇

Designing the cab for a 30-foot Half-Track means you need some serious bones. 🛠️ This time I ditched the traditional tube chassis and went all-in on a structural aluminum monocoque. Translation: The body is the frame. Less weight. Cleaner design. And it gives the whole truck that armored, military-inspired vibe. 💥 Here’s how the build started: ⚙️ Everything begins at the crankshaft The entire model is anchored to the center of the engine’s crankshaft. From there I revolved a perfectly centered transmission tunnel that becomes the structural spine for the floor and firewall. 🧱 Material choice I’m using 1/8” 3000-series aluminum — strong enough for a 10-foot-wide machine but still malleable enough to form complex panels. 🚪 Six doors… so why not get weird? Since this thing has six doors, I designed the A, B, and C pillars to support articulating doors opening in different directions. Think scissor / gull-wing hybrid energy. Stay tuned for the mechanism… 🧩 The geometry puzzle The front nose was the real brain-twister. Merging the firewall, windshield plane, and that aggressive triangulated front without triggering SolidWorks’ dreaded “zero thickness” errors took some creative reference planes. 📐 Clean modeling strategy I modeled the entire cab as one half shell, then mirrored it later. It keeps the feature tree clean and makes every sheet-metal panel ready for fabrication. Now the real question: Would you trust an aluminum monocoque shell for serious off-roading… or would you still want a full steel cage around you? 👇

Getting to know FreeCAD: beginning with a master sketch in the top down approach, then moving to part design, assembly, and simulation. Right now there is no actual suspension as in springs or shock absorbers, but that's coming. And no steering either. Looking forward to importing a model into Unreal Engine and making it part of my game. #freecad #chassis #articulation

The front end of the Half-Track presented a unique challenge: how do you bridge the massive vertical gap between a high-clearance frame and a heavy-duty solid axle? 🤷🏼‍♂️👇🏻 For the front suspension, I’m running a beefy 4-link solid axle setup. While the real “magic” of this build is in the rear tracks, getting the front geometry right was essential for that aggressive stance. The Engineering Breakdown: ⏺️ SCS Drop Case: Because the frame sits so much higher than the axle, a standard transfer case wouldn’t cut it. I modeled a high-performance SCS Gearbox drop case—the kind you usually see on Monster Trucks—to drop the driveline down and keep the U-joint angles happy. ⏺️ 2D to 3D Interpretation: I didn’t have a STEP file for the gearbox, so I had to transcribe a 2D dimensional drawing into a 3D model. It’s a classic CNC programmer’s challenge—interpreting shadows and lines to create functional 3D geometry. ⏺️ Packaging Fixes: To make the 4-link and the steering clear the chassis, I had to get back into the weldments and reroute the intercooler piping. It’s a tight fit, but everything cycles without interference now. This “Monster Truck” approach to the driveline is the only way to manage the scale of a 10-foot-wide half-track. Would you go with a solid axle for the durability, or would you want to see IFS on the front of this beast? Let’s debate in the comments! 👇

Modular design made simple. For Nanuskate, we used high-end 3D to break down a complex ramp system into something instantly understandable. See how we brought it to life in our newest case study: https://xo3d.co.uk/case-studies/ #3danimation #cgi #3drendering #productanimation

Designing the cab for the Half-Track meant throwing out my usual playbook…. Normally I build a tube chassis and just “skin” it with body panels… but this time I went full structural aluminum monocoque. 🛠️ In other words: the body is the structure. Even cooler? This whole thing started as a 6-door semi-truck sketch I drew as a kid… and now it’s turning into a real machine. 🤯 A few design highlights: 🔥 No boring boxes The front cab has a sharp “nose-in” triangulation that gives it this aggressive military-meets-off-road look. ✏️ 3D sketch first I mocked up the A, B, C, and D pillars in a quick 3D sketch to figure out the spacing for six doors. The sketch didn’t make it into the final model, but it was crucial for getting the proportions right. 🧩 Sheet metal doing the heavy lifting Without a tube chassis, the sheet metal is the structure. The firewall and transmission tunnel basically become the backbone of the entire cab. ⚙️ Driveline packaging Because the truck sits so low, the floor pan had to be engineered with a dedicated tunnel so the driveshaft can run back to the monster rear suspension. At the end of the day it’s all about balancing Rule of Cool 😎 with actual ergonomics—making sure six people (and all their gear) can fit comfortably. So I’m curious: Would you build something this big with a structural sheet metal cab… or stick with a traditional tube frame? 👇

Today's project: designing the mounting bracket for a tensioner that works across different conveyor angles. The geometry has to accommodate movement while maintaining structural integrity under belt tension. What's your approach for designing adjustable mounting systems? Share your workflows ⬇️

Design vs Engineering

In this short video, we highlight the Sketch Flip Direction tool in Autodesk Inventor — a simple feature that can instantly reverse your sketch orientation and save unnecessary rework. It’s a small tool, but mastering details like this improves modelling speed, maintains design intent, and keeps your workflow efficient. Sometimes the biggest productivity gains come from the smallest features. #AutodeskInventor #CAD #Engineering #ProductDesign #3DModelling

The Biggest Design Mistake You Make

Simulate a tire rolling down an inclined plane using Simscape Multibody, integrated with the Magic Formula tire model, to analyze realistic tire–road interaction and vehicle dynamics behavior 👇 This setup helps illustrate how longitudinal forces, slip, and contact dynamics influence vehicle motion, which are core concepts in automotive engineering and virtual vehicle development Key focus areas: 📊 Vehicle dynamics analysis 🛞 Tire behavior evaluation 🧩 Model-based design workflows 🧪 Early-stage validation before physical testing Explore the Magic Formula Tire Force and Torque block — link in bio 🔗

Motor Cover #solidworks #needful3d