Enclosure Detail, PBR Materials and Presentation Renders

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ตอนที่ 1 - การสร้าง 3D Model ด้วยโปรแกรม onshape Thai Embedded Systems Association (TESA)

Videos by Thai Embedded Systems Association (TESA) · The whole series in the playlist AIoT Foundation

Course 3 · Module 2 Suggested time: about 4 hours — develop the rough block from M01 into detailed shape, add PBR materials, set up lighting, and render a presentation image Format: a hands-on lesson — read it and follow along directly in Blender; the lid-opening animation goes to M03

Lab · Look-dev sheet · ← Table of Contents · ← M01 · M03 →

Objectives (Learning Outcomes)

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

Develop a more complex shape from the block model (hard-surface / port openings / wall thickness)
Define materials, surfaces, and surface detail in a PBR approach
Light the scene and render a high-quality presentation image
Produce a product visualization suited to industry and teaching material

Key phrase In M02, add detail without breaking the size locked in M01 — a beautifully cut port opening that the board no longer fits into = not a pass yet

Read alongside this chapter

Document	Use when
M01 — Industrial Design Fundamentals	The block model + the mm units you must keep
Boolean Modifier	Cutting port / sensor openings
Solidify Modifier	Setting wall thickness
Bevel (edit) / Bevel Modifier	Rounded edges the user touches
Mirror Modifier	Symmetric parts
Apply Scale	`Ctrl+A` before Boolean / Bevel
Principled BSDF	The main PBR material
Materials introduction	Creating and assigning a material
EEVEE	Fast rendering to check results
Cycles	Higher-quality rendering (if your machine can handle it)
Light objects	Area / Point / Sun
World & Environment	HDRI / a studio backdrop
Cameras	Presentation camera angles
glTF materials	Preparing materials so they can be sent to the Twin in M04
Blender Fundamentals — Modeling	Official video
INC111-2021 (Thai)	Thai-language tutorial
ternion-3d-assets-free	Sample materials/models for reference (reference only)
Look-dev sheet	Recording material values, lighting, and render files

1. From Block to Product Detail (Keep Scale)

In M01 you have at least:

PCB_placeholder at the true size
Enclosure_block that covers it

In M02, you will:

Give the box wall thickness (not just a solid block)
Cut openings for ports / LEDs / sensors, at least 2 of them
Round the edges the user handles
Split the top lid–base into separate objects (preparing for M03 / printing in M06)
Add materials + lighting + render a presentation image

M01 block (solid sizes locked)
    → Solidify / shell thickness
    → Boolean cutouts
    → Bevel edges
    → Split lid / base
    → Materials (Principled BSDF)
    → Lights + camera
    → Render PNG

Do not change the PCB’s Dimensions without noting why — if the box must grow, adjust it per the clearance formula from M01, and update the checklist.

2. Modeling Techniques You Will Use

2.1 Always Apply Scale first

Before Boolean / Bevel / Solidify:

Object Mode → select the object
Ctrl+A → Scale

If you forget and Scale is not 1,1,1, bevels and cut holes tend to come out wrong — read Apply

2.2 Solidify — wall thickness

The Solidify Modifier adds thickness to a mesh surface.

Approach used in the lab (continuing from M01):

Step	What to do
1	Start from a solid box, or remove the inner faces later, depending on the workflow you choose
2	Add Solidify · Thickness ≈ 2.0 mm (the default from the 3D-printing guidance in M01)
3	Turn on Even Thickness if the option exists and the result looks consistent
4	Check that the PCB is still inside and does not collide with the wall

For beginners: either a solid box + Boolean to hollow out the inside, or Solidify from a shell, both work — what matters is a wall thickness of around 2 mm, and that the PCB still fits.

2.3 Boolean — cutting port and sensor openings

The Boolean Modifier:

Operation	Use in this lab
Difference	Cutting a hole out of the box (a USB port, a sensor opening, an LED window)
Union / Intersect	Used less in M02 — save these for when parts are combined

Short steps:

Create a Cube/Cylinder as a Cutter_USB sized to the opening (allowing clearance around the connector)
Position the cutter so it overlaps the wall at the port’s location
On the enclosure: Add Modifier → Boolean → Operation Difference → Object = the cutter
If the result looks odd, try the Exact solver
Once satisfied, apply the modifier · hide or delete the cutter

Do at least 2 openings (for example USB + a sensor opening, or an LED)

2.4 Bevel — rounded edges

Edges that are too sharp are uncomfortable to hold and hard to print — use Bevel:

Edit Mode: select an edge → Ctrl+B, drag the mouse
Or a Bevel Modifier on the whole part (be careful not to round it so much the port openings deform)

Starting radius in the lab: about 0.5–1.5 mm on the outer edges the hand touches

2.5 Mirror — symmetric parts (if any)

The Mirror Modifier is useful when a lid or button is left–right symmetric — it reduces duplicate work.

2.6 Split lid and base

From M02 onward, split at least:

Object name	Role
`Enclosure_base`	The base / lower part
`Enclosure_lid`	The top lid

An easy way: in Edit Mode, select the top faces → P → Selection to make it a new object · or cut with a plane + Boolean and then separate the parts.

Why: M03 rotates the lid · M06 prints the parts separately.

3. Materials with Principled BSDF (PBR)

PBR = Physically Based Rendering — a material responds to light in a near-realistic way as the lighting angle changes.

In Blender, the main node used is Principled BSDF (which works well with glTF in M04)

3.1 Create a material

Select the object → the Material Properties tab
New → name it, for example Plastic_matte_body
Open the Shader Editor if you want to see the nodes (Materials intro)

3.2 Parameters you must understand

Parameter	Meaning	Lab tip
Base Color	The base colour	Enclosure plastic: light grey / muted white
Roughness	Matte ↔ glossy (0 = very glossy, 1 = matte)	Matte plastic ≈ 0.45–0.7
Metallic	0 = not metal, 1 = metal	Plastic = 0 · a metal button/port = 1
Specular / IOR (depending on version)	The reflectiveness of an insulator	Use the default first, then adjust
Emission (optional)	Light emitted from the surface	Simulating an LED — keep the intensity low

3.3 Two materials minimum (lab presets)

Copy these starting values and adjust them — record the real values in the look-dev sheet

A — Matte plastic (the body)

Parameter	Starting value
Base Color	RGB ≈ 0.75, 0.75, 0.78
Roughness	0.55
Metallic	0.0

B — Contrast accent (rubber feet / metal port / buttons)

Parameter	Rubber feet	Brushed metal accent
Base Color	0.05, 0.05, 0.05	0.7, 0.7, 0.72
Roughness	0.7	0.35
Metallic	0.0	1.0

Assign the material to a separate part, or use several material slots on the same mesh (Edit Mode → Assign)

4. Lighting and Camera for Product Shots

4.1 Render engine

Engine	Use when	Manual
EEVEE	Checking results quickly · most of the lab	EEVEE
Cycles	The final presentation image, if your machine can handle it	Cycles

Set at Render Properties → Render Engine

4.2 Simple three-point light (the recommended starting point)

Referencing the studio-lighting concept + Light objects:

Light	Role	Starting idea
Key	The main light	An Area Light from the front-side · Power just enough to see the edges
Fill	Reduces dark shadows	A weaker Area light on the opposite side
Rim / back	Separates the object from the background	A thin light from behind

Or use a World HDRI (World) as ambient light, adding one Area light to bring out the piece’s edges.

Background: a light grey colour or a plain plane — don’t let a pattern get in the way of reading the shape.

4.3 Camera

Cameras:

Add → Camera
Recommended angle: three-quarter, or something isometric-ish that shows both the lid and a side port
Ctrl+Alt+Numpad0 aligns the camera to the current view (if your system supports it)
Turn on Lock Camera to View temporarily while framing the shot, then turn it off before rendering

Capture at least:

1 beauty shot (communicates the shape/material)
(Recommended) 1 technical shot that clearly shows the port openings or the PCB’s position

5. Render Output

Output Properties → Resolution, for example 1920 × 1080
File Format = PNG
Set the Output path inside the project folder
F12 or Render → Render Image
Image → Save As…

Record the engine, samples/quality, and file name in material-lighting-sheet.md

6. Quality Gate Before M03

Check	Pass means
Scale from M01 still valid	The PCB still fits, checked in Wireframe
Openings ≥ 2	Ports/sensors/LEDs are clear
Lid and base are separate objects	Ready to animate in M03
Materials ≥ 2	Principled BSDF · values recorded in the sheet
At least one render	A PNG in the deliverables folder
Apply Scale done	No leftover odd Scale before the modifiers

Next Steps

Do the lab: Lab
Fill in material-lighting-sheet.md
When ready, continue to M03 — Motion and Interaction

References and Further Reading

Blender modeling

Materials, lights, render

Course portals

Check your understanding

Three short questions in quiz.yaml, one per objective of this lesson. Try answering them yourself first, then compare with the answer key and explanations in the file.

Lab

Continue hands-on at Lab: refine the model, add PBR materials, and render

Lab · Look-dev sheet · ← TOC · ← M01 · M03 →

Review questions

Answer on your own first, then open the answer.

ก่อนใช้ Boolean / Bevel / Solidify ต้องทำอะไรก่อนเสมอ (Objective 1)
1. เพิ่ม Subdivision Surface
2. `Ctrl+A` → Apply Scale
3. Export เป็น GLB
4. ใส่วัสดุ Principled BSDF
Show answer

Answer: B. `Ctrl+A` → Apply Scale

หัวข้อ 2.1: ถ้า Scale ไม่เป็น 1,1,1 ขอบมนและรูเจาะมักเพี้ยน
ค่า Metallic ที่เหมาะกับพลาสติกตัวเครื่อง (Objective 2)
1. 1
2. 0.5
3. ขึ้นกับสีของพลาสติก
4. 0
Show answer

Answer: D. 0

ตารางในหัวข้อ 3.2: พลาสติก = 0 ส่วนโลหะของปุ่มหรือพอร์ต = 1
Render engine ที่บทเรียนแนะนำเมื่อต้องการดูผลเร็วในแล็บส่วนใหญ่ (Objective 3)
1. Physics
2. EEVEE
3. Cycles
4. Workbench
Show answer

Answer: B. EEVEE

ตารางในหัวข้อ 4.1: EEVEE สำหรับดูผลเร็ว ส่วน Cycles สำหรับภาพสุดท้ายถ้าเครื่องไหว

Cite this lesson

If you teach from this lesson or reuse it in slides or documents, credit it with the text below. If you changed it, add (adapted) after the title.

"Enclosure Detail, PBR Materials and Presentation Renders" from TESA Open Knowledge by the Thai Embedded Systems Association (TESA), https://github.com/tesaiot/tesa-qualification-program, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Thai attribution: "รายละเอียดกล่อง วัสดุ PBR และภาพนำเสนอ" จาก TESA Open Knowledge โดยสมาคมสมองกลฝังตัวไทย (Thai Embedded Systems Association: TESA) https://github.com/tesaiot/tesa-qualification-program สัญญาอนุญาต CC BY-NC 4.0

Lesson link: https://tesaiot.github.io/tesa-qualification-program/en/courses/product-design/m02-modeling-render/l01-modeling-materials-render/

This lesson adapts the source below; keep its credit too.
https://github.com/drsanti/TESAIoT-Courses/blob/287c21814ba8c75f693136616dcd270349a15966/C3/M02/README.md · Original content by Asst. Prof. Dr. Santi Nuratch (ผศ.ดร.สันติ นุราช), KMUTT. Course 3 (C3/) of drsanti/TESAIoT-Courses. TESA funded the work and holds the rights; published here under CC BY-NC 4.0. The upstream repository carries no licence file. Text kept faithful; structure, front matter, quizzes and notes added by TESA Open Knowledge.

Full guide: how to cite TESA

Content is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Reuse it non-commercially and credit the Thai Embedded Systems Association (TESA) every time. · How to cite TESA