Any CAD Wizards out their ?
Discussion
Ok I have a CAD cutting machine but if I get a outline that is complicated I takes hours to do this in AutoCAD , If I could get some sort of software were I can physically trace / copy the outline of a shape (2D) and put this in to my computer and plot it on a 1 to 1 this would be fab and save me loads of time , I have to resort to a black pen and trace the shape and use a magic eye cutter to do this ...
Any input will be most welcome
ste .
Any input will be most welcome
ste .
Are you looking for something that will automatically convert a PDF/Scanned image into a CAD drawing or just a means of tracing an image?
As far as I'm aware there aren't too many reliable programs that will automatically convert an image to a CAD outline. The way I deal with it at work is to insert the image as a "Raster Image", make sure it is appropriately scaled and then simply trace over it.
It can be a bit laborious especially on larger/more complicated drawings but thus far its the most effective way I have found of getting an image into Autocad.
As far as I'm aware there aren't too many reliable programs that will automatically convert an image to a CAD outline. The way I deal with it at work is to insert the image as a "Raster Image", make sure it is appropriately scaled and then simply trace over it.
It can be a bit laborious especially on larger/more complicated drawings but thus far its the most effective way I have found of getting an image into Autocad.
Sometimes you just have to scan/import it and trace round it on CAD.
Every time I get stuck with something that's tedious to model I remind myself how much easier it is to model than saw through metal.
It's even more tedious if you get send point cloud data that someone wants to run analysis on. Convert the cloud to a surface, find that the quality of the data isn't good enough to turn in to a solid, then model the solid to match the profile. It's really annoying to try to replicate a complex casting like this.
Every time I get stuck with something that's tedious to model I remind myself how much easier it is to model than saw through metal.
It's even more tedious if you get send point cloud data that someone wants to run analysis on. Convert the cloud to a surface, find that the quality of the data isn't good enough to turn in to a solid, then model the solid to match the profile. It's really annoying to try to replicate a complex casting like this.
Anything up to A3 size I photocopy, scan the photocopy and then turn the resulting tiff/jpeg into a dxf file using Corel Draw. You can even piece multi A3s together if the thing is over size.
Works pretty well most of the time, lastweek we copied some old wooden boat window templates that were about 3 foot long, so that new windows could be CNC routed. The customer was very happy with the fit and now doesn't have the templates cluttering up his workshop!
Works pretty well most of the time, lastweek we copied some old wooden boat window templates that were about 3 foot long, so that new windows could be CNC routed. The customer was very happy with the fit and now doesn't have the templates cluttering up his workshop!
http://www.scan2cad.com/
Used this in the past - can give you a CAD drawing that you can tidy up or 'trace' around.
Used this in the past - can give you a CAD drawing that you can tidy up or 'trace' around.
You'll need a scanner, the better the res the better to get the image onto the computer.
Then once on the pc, you can use an open source vector program called inscape to auto-trace the raster image, and convert it to vector. Then delete base, image and save the paths as dxf, dwg etc.
It'd be an idea once you've got the base drawing to clean it up as you can get redunant nodes, and random artifacts from raster to vector conversion, basic drawing will be good enough for most purposes, but well worth spending a bit of the time saved on getting it right.
Then once on the pc, you can use an open source vector program called inscape to auto-trace the raster image, and convert it to vector. Then delete base, image and save the paths as dxf, dwg etc.
It'd be an idea once you've got the base drawing to clean it up as you can get redunant nodes, and random artifacts from raster to vector conversion, basic drawing will be good enough for most purposes, but well worth spending a bit of the time saved on getting it right.
WOW !! Thanks for all the replies 
In a Ideal world I would like a probe or pen type instrument were I can follow the outline off the template , say 2mm flat pice of steel sprocket shaped say about 800mm in diameter , I put it down on the table and run the probe all the way round , this then goes onto my computer to which i put it into cad alter it then plot it on a 1to1 then cnc plasma it out .....
This is what I realy need ...
keep em comming might be on to something here
I have been looking at some american machines but the company has not contacted me yet
Ste .
In a Ideal world I would like a probe or pen type instrument were I can follow the outline off the template , say 2mm flat pice of steel sprocket shaped say about 800mm in diameter , I put it down on the table and run the probe all the way round , this then goes onto my computer to which i put it into cad alter it then plot it on a 1to1 then cnc plasma it out .....This is what I realy need ...
keep em comming might be on to something here
I have been looking at some american machines but the company has not contacted me yet Ste .
Ean218 said:
Anything up to A3 size I photocopy, scan the photocopy and then turn the resulting tiff/jpeg into a dxf file using Corel Draw. You can even piece multi A3s together if the thing is over size.
Works pretty well most of the time, lastweek we copied some old wooden boat window templates that were about 3 foot long, so that new windows could be CNC routed. The customer was very happy with the fit and now doesn't have the templates cluttering up his workshop!
this is also the method i use. sorry op for going on a slight tangent but EAN have you tried to use this method to create a 3D part? its quite difficult to say the least...Works pretty well most of the time, lastweek we copied some old wooden boat window templates that were about 3 foot long, so that new windows could be CNC routed. The customer was very happy with the fit and now doesn't have the templates cluttering up his workshop!
stesrg said:
WOW !! Thanks for all the replies In a Ideal world I would like a probe or pen type instrument were I can follow the outline off the template , say 2mm flat pice of steel sprocket shaped say about 800mm in diameter , I put it down on the table and run the probe all the way round , this then goes onto my computer to which i put it into cad alter it then plot it on a 1to1 then cnc plasma it out .....
This is what I realy need ...
keep em comming might be on to something here I have been looking at some american machines but the company has not contacted me yet
Ste .
Any of the cad tablets or the roll up mat suggested above would let you put the part down on top and use the pen devide to draw round it to make a 2d cad drawing. if you have more to spend there are 3d probes that would take measured points and feed into a cad program though a 3d scanner may be just as effective for the size of parts you are making. In a Ideal world I would like a probe or pen type instrument were I can follow the outline off the template , say 2mm flat pice of steel sprocket shaped say about 800mm in diameter , I put it down on the table and run the probe all the way round , this then goes onto my computer to which i put it into cad alter it then plot it on a 1to1 then cnc plasma it out .....This is what I realy need ...
keep em comming might be on to something here
I have been looking at some american machines but the company has not contacted me yet Ste .
e.g. http://www.rolanddga.com/products/scanners/lpx600/
If you go for 3d a Roma arm or similar is a good bet, get the right probes or you get profiles that don't intersect the surface points, some cad software is intelligent enough to generate a surface others like CATIA chuck hissy fits and force you to repair the profile and link the surface points to the profile.
Some complicated stuff out their for tracing a simple shape , why cant you put a shape (flat) on to a white background trace round it with a usb sort of pen and this can mimmic the line on computor ? I have seen the pen pads but they are not big enought to cover a wide range of shapes 1 meter square max would do the job, I liked the photocopy one but dont it come out as black ? or have you the software to eliminate this in acad ?
Looks like I will have to keep my magic eye profile/plasma machine then !!
it still proves the old stuff is better than the new , if I get a job in and the one side is ripped out sort of complex shape and the other side is ok (symetrical shape) I can get a white card up against the shape and draw round it with a fine tiped marker pen put it on my profile table and my old machine will trace it job done less than an hour , but if I use cad this could take me 6 hours to get the same exact shape !! THEIR HAS TO BE SOMETHING OUT THEIR ???
Looks like I will have to keep my magic eye profile/plasma machine then !!
it still proves the old stuff is better than the new , if I get a job in and the one side is ripped out sort of complex shape and the other side is ok (symetrical shape) I can get a white card up against the shape and draw round it with a fine tiped marker pen put it on my profile table and my old machine will trace it job done less than an hour , but if I use cad this could take me 6 hours to get the same exact shape !! THEIR HAS TO BE SOMETHING OUT THEIR ???
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