Happy CADing with ZW3D: Design Gamepad with ZW3D

A gamepad (also called joypad or control pad), is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. It contains a couple of buttons, wires, base which has many surfaces. In this article we will introduce you how to design a gamepad in ZW3D CAD/CAM.

Let’s take a look at its appearance. We can notice that the base of gamepad is symmetrical. Thus, we only need to draw one side, and mirror the other one.

(Click here to download the model in Z3)

Step 1: Insert the profiles of gamepad on XY plane. And it’s divided into four parts by the two dotted lines (as shown in Fig. 1). You can draw the shape as you like.

Fig. 1

Step 2: Draw the profile on ZY plane. Click “Insert Sketch” button, and choose ZY plane. Then draw a cross section and the detail dimensions are shown as below.

Fig. 2

Step 3: Draw the shape control line on ZX plane. The operation is the same to step 2. The sketch and dimensions are shown as below.

Fig. 3

Step 4: Draw the shape control sketch.

Firstly, let’s insert 3 datum, and set up dimensions according to Fig. 4.

Secondly, draw the control sketches, click “Reference” button and select the “Curve Intersection”, then we get a reference point. Then choose the Point Curve, through the reference point, we can draw the control line. It was shown in Fig. 5.

Please draw remaining sketches in this way. Finally, you’ll get outline of half gamepad in Fig. 6.

                                 Fig. 4                                                                        Fig. 5               

Fig. 6

Step 5: Build the top surface. Click “Curve Mesh” button under “Free Form” menu, select the control shape sketches as the U curves, and pick the two lines in Sketch1 and the center sketch as the V Curve. Set the Boundary Constraints as Tangent (Fig. 7). And click OK.

Fig. 7

Step 6: Draw trimming faces. To get excellent surface for the rest parts, we need to trim the surface as shown in the picture below. Then extract the boundary line by clicking the “Curve from Edge” button under “Wireframe” menu.

Fig. 8

Step 7: Draw the rest surface. Select the “Curve Mesh”, and select the U, V curves. Set up “Boundary Constraints” as “Tangent” (Fig. 9). And click OK.

Fig. 9

Step 8: Heal the two faces. Click the “Heal/Analyze” button, ZW3D will automatically heal the model and fill the gaps.

Step 9: Draw the sketch of lower part. Select sketch 1 and extrude it from 0 to -5 (Fig. 10).

Fig. 10

Step 10: Draw the lower rest sketch. Select Insert Sketch, choose XY plane, and draw the sketch like below (Fig. 11).

Fig. 11

Step 11: Draw the shape control sketches. Select the three datum shown in Fig. 5, and draw the sketches, the operation are same to step 4. The result is shown in Fig. 12 & 13.

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

Step 12: Follow the operations of Step 6 ~ 8, we can get the lower part. It is shown in Fig. 14 & 15.  And sew them all (Fig. 16).

Fig. 14

Fig. 15

Fig. 16

Step 13: Mirror the part. Choose “Mirror” in “Basic Editing” command under “Shape” menu, select all surfaces and the XY plane, and then click OK. Done! Here comes the gamepad base.

Fig. 17

Step 14: Create the button holes and wire groove. Click “Insert Sketch” and select XY plane. Draw the profile like below (Fig. 18). Then extrude those sketches and create the holes (Fig. 19).

Fig. 18

Fig. 19

Step 15: Brand the gamepad.  Choose the XY plane as sketch plane, and select “ReadySketch Text”, type in the band name, like “ZW3D”.

Step 16: Create functional buttons. Draw the symbols and extrude the sketch as Remove (Fig. 20). Choose the face attributes in “Visualize”, and paint the faces as you want.  Now we’ve finished the gamepad base (Fig. 21).

Fig. 20 Fig. 21

Step 17: Design the direction-controlling buttons.

Firstly, draw a cylinder with draft angle 5˚ as in Fig. 22. Then create the cross button and symbols. Insert sketch on the top face of the cone, draw the sketch(Fig. 23). And extrude it from 0 to 5.

Secondly, draw direction symbol sketches on the top face of the cylinder (Fig. 24), and extrude them with remove from 0 to -1.

Thirdly, fillet the edges and paint the buttons with any colors you’d like. 

It’s easy to model remaining buttons and we wouldn't talk about them here.

Fig. 22

        Fig. 23                                              Fig. 24      

Step 18: Create the wire. 

Firstly, draw a block with 34X17X5. Then choose the top face to extrude from 0 to 45 with draft angle -5˚ (Fig. 25), and fillet the edges.

Secondly, insert sketch in ZY plane, and draw a rectangle. Create the groove by extrude the sketch (Fig. 26). Pattern the groove along Z axis, and mirror them all (Fig. 27).

                                                      Fig. 25                                                   Fig. 26

Fig. 27 

Thirdly, create the power line. Insert profile sketch in top surface and path in ZX plane (Fig. 28 & 29). Select the sweep, choose the profile and path and click OK. Here comes the wire (Fig. 30).                                                 

Fig. 28 Fig. 29 Fig. 30

Step 19: Assemble the parts. Insert the parts, and align them in following ways: Concentric and Coincident. The final model is shown below.

Fig. 35

About ZW3D

ZW3D is all-in-one, affordable CAD/CAM solution that enables concept-to-finished-product designs in an integrated, collaborative environment. The proprietary Overdrive™ kernel delivers 3D part and assembly modeling, 2D production drawings, reverse engineering, motion simulation, mold design, and integrated CNC machining. It simplifies the design process from concept to completion.

To experience latest version of ZW3D CAD/CAM, where the only limit is your imagination, please go to https://www.zwsoft.com/zw3d/ and download a free 30-day trial.

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