Creating part lines

- Next, let's focus on a detail…many designers either completely forget…or purposefully avoid, thinking it's just too tricky.…Of course I'm talking about parting lines.…This is where our case is separated into multiple pieces…for both manufacturing and assembly.…Let's take a look at a couple products…to see if we can develop a strategy…before we tackle our design here.…In this computer mouse example,…we can see a lot of different part lines…and they're there for multiple reasons…not just molding and separation,…but also, sometimes, different materials…or things that need to move or open.…This car is another great example of seams and body panels…that most people don't even notice.…

This probably has 12-15…separate pieces of sheet metal, maybe even more.…But the end result…is something that is still very striking and aerodynamic.…So part lines a lot of times can help add contour…or visual interest to products.…Let's check a couple diagrams here…to see if we can determine our strategy now…before we get to the product.…