CAD / CAM Projects

Using a Reference Image in Pro/Engineer

(To model a pendant, badge or ear ring, by tracing over an image)

This tutorial assumes that you have worked through the key fob
tutorial beforehand. Completion of the ring tutorial beforehand is not
essential, but helpful.
There are several distinct steps in the process of modelling a simple
badge, using a reference image.
This tutorial covers in detail only the new learning you'll need. If you
get stuck on the other steps that aren't explained in detail, refer back
to the key fob tutorial.

Index

Page

Getting Started

Source a graphic to be your 'reference image'

Sketch out a rectangle and extrude out a cuboid

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid

Sketching on top of your reference image & extruding from it

Deleting off the original cuboid

Adding a back plate to your badge / pendant

Rounding the edges for comfort

Getting Started
1. Create a folder in your 'H' drive for this
project.
2. Open an internet connection.
3. Launch Pro/Engineer.
4. Set your newly created project folder as
Pro/ENGINEER's working directory.
5. Create a new 'part' in Pro/Engineer, and give
it an appropriate name such as 'badge'.

Source a graphic to be your 'reference image'

Get a graphic to use as a reference image, and
place it in your project folder. It can be a photo or
a drawing. Appropriate file formats include jpg,
png and gif.

The Japanese
symbol for
'friend', to be
used as a
'reference
image' in this
tutorial.

Sketch out a rectangle and extrude out a cuboid

On the 'front' workplane, sketch out a rectangle.
It should be roughly the same shape as your
reference image.
It should also be the right dimensions to end up
with the size of badge or pendant you want.
The Japanese symbol used in this tutorial is
approximately three units high by two units wide.
In this case, to arrive at a finished pendant that
is 20mm wide, the sketch rectangle was made
25mm wide, by 38mm high.
The distance you extrude it out isn't important. In
this tutorial, the cuboid was extruded 3mm.
The cuboid you create will have the graphic
applied to its front surface next.
The initial cuboid, the same shape as
the reference image to be used, sized
to end up with a pendant that is
around 20mm wide.

Save your file.

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid

This is the main piece of new learning in
this tutorial.
Navigate to 'View / Color and Appearance',
and the 'Appearance Editor' dialogue box
will appear.
You'll now add your reference image
graphic as a new 'texture'.
In the 'Appearance Editor' dialogue box,
select the red sphere, to select the red
material (though it doesn't actually
matter which material you select).

Select the red material sphere.

2

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid (cont.)
In the 'Assignment' section of the
Appearance Editor, select 'Surfaces', as
you will be applying your graphic to a
surface (the front surface).

Select 'Surfaces'

Now, hover your cursor over the front

surface of your cuboid, and select it. The
surface will turn pink.

In the small 'Select' dialogue box, top

right on the screen, select OK.

In the 'Assignment' section

of the Appearance Editor,
select 'Apply', and the red
material should now be
applied to the front surface
of the cuboid.

Continued on the next page.

3

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid (cont.)
The red material applied to the front surface of the
cuboid.

The red
material
now applied
to the front
surface

A fancy word for a graphic applied to a 3D

object is a 'decal'. You're going to add a
decal to the front surface of your cuboid.
In the Appearance Editor, select the 'Map'
tab, and click on the large square 'Decal'
button. This will open the 'Decal Placement'
dialogue box.

Click on the
'Map' tab and
the large
'Decal' button.

In the 'Decal Placement' dialogue box, click

on the plus symbol, to add your own
graphic as a new texture.
The 'Open' dialogue box opens. Navigate to
the graphic you wish to use as a reference
image, then select 'OK'.
A tiny thumbnail of your chosen graphic
should now appear in the Decal Placement
dialogue box. Click on it, and it will
highlight in blue - see next page.
Click on the plus symbol

Continued on the next page.

4

Apply your reference image to the front surface of the cuboid (cont.)
The 'reference image' graphic, in the
Decal Placement dialogue box is now
highlighted in blue.

Still in the Decal Placement dialogue

box, select 'Single', then 'OK'.
The Decal Placement dialoge box will
close, and the Appearance Editor will
become visible again.

In the Appearance Editor dialogue

box, your graphic should now appear
on the material preview sphere, and in
the decal box.
Click on 'Apply' in the 'Assignment'
section, and your graphic should
appear on the front surface of your
cuboid.
Close the Appearance Editor.

The graphic (reference image) applied to the

front surface of the cuboid.
You're now ready to select the front surface
of the cuboid, add a sketch to it, then trace
over your reference image.

The graphic applied to

the front surface of the
cuboid.

Save your work.

5

Sketching on top of your reference image & extruding from it

To reach the stage illustrated in the screen
shot opposite, a sketch has been applied
to the front surface of the cuboid, the
image has been traced with the 'Spline'
tool, then extruded.
Remember to use the 'diagnostic'
tools, when sketching.
Once you've completed your sketch,
extrude it 3mm, if you intend to have bits
of your design unsupported by a back
plate.

The sketch
being extruded

Deleting off the original cuboid

With your symbol now modelled in 3D, you
no longer need the original cuboid, which
was only there to place your graphic on.
To delete off the original cuboid, add a
sketch to its front surface, sketch out a
rectangle that's bigger than the front
surface, then extrude back, removing
material.

Extruding
backwards
from the front
surface, to
remove the
original cuboid.

The original
cuboid now
removed.
6

Adding a back plate to your badge / pendant

If your design calls for several
separate letters, for instance,
you'll probably need to add a
back plate, linking them all
together. If not, you may have
already completed your badge or
pendant, and no further work is
needed.
However, if you need or want a
back plate, select the back
surface of your model, add a
sketch on it, and extrude to add
material.
You may also wish to make a hole
in your back plate to allow you to
fit a split ring later, for attaching
a chain or leather thong.
If you need to,
add a sketch to
the back of your
object and
extrude out a
back plate.

Rounding the edges for comfort

It's a good idea to round the edges of your
badge / pendant, to minimise the possibility
of discomfort when being worn.
You'll find, however, that if you have a
complex form with tight corner curves, that
Pro/Engineer will have difficulty calculating
the rounds. Do what you can.
It wasn't possible to round the edges of the
symbol of the pendant featured in this
tutorial - only the back edges of the back
plate.

Edges rounded
for comfort