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Could I get a little CAD help, pretty please?

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  • #1

    Could I get a little CAD help, pretty please?

    Would one of our many brilliant CAD folks on the forum please go here: https://www.sherline.com/product/50005100-mill/#3d-view, download the 3D IGS or STP file and do whatever magic is needed to convert it to an old-school 2D 3 view .dxf file? I gotta pull out the spindle assy. 3-vew and somehow design my way out of the latest corner I've cleverly painted (bricked?) myself into. I'll put up a humiliating expose/post detailing this latest time & money squandering fiasco later.

    I think I have the capability to this with my TurboCAD Pro but it would uncover an old rabbit hole I really don't need to jump into again. HELP!!
    Milton

    "Accuracy is the sum total of your compensating mistakes."

    "The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion." G. K. Chesterton
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  • #2
    Their documentation is unhelpful.
    This is the iges file when opened with a free iges viewer, not very helpful.


    This is the same file converted to dxf, this is even less useful (-:

    Last edited by Bented; 09-26-2020, 01:43 PM.

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    • #3
      Converting to 2D DXF would be a lot of work. If the STL is valid you might be able to open it in CamBam and do an "edge detect" operation to get a decent approximation and use that to measure the dimensions using the "M" hot key on the drawing pane. Might need to install the "Snappy" plugin to make sure you can snap to end points, etc. CamBam is 40 executions limited (not time limited) when installed without a license key. I'm in the middle of getting a job ready to go on the machine (generating a cut simulation right now), but if I think of it later I might play with it. You would not get a flat 2D file. You would get edges in 3D. I downloaded the IGS file earlier on my slower house computer, and my CAD software (ViaCad 3D Pro) never finished opening the file. Maybe on this faster quad core it will work better. Oh, my sim is done. Good luck.
      *** I always wanted a welding stinger that looked like the north end of a south bound chicken. Often my welds look like somebody pointed the wrong end of a chicken at the joint and squeezed until something came out. Might as well look the part.

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      • #4
        Thanks for trying Bented. 'Preciate it buddy!

        I fired up the ol' TCAD Pro & it loaded the IGS file OK but my meager 3D CAD brain circuits burned out 2 strokes & a handful of TIA's ago. I can't remember how to convert all those vectors in the .dxf to a 2D 3 view.

        I removed the spindle assy. and am busy doing a TCAD 2D sketch from scratch now. That'll get me going for now but I'm hoping a 3 view .dxf will magically come my way for fixing other f-ups with this project.

        ...and thanks to you too Bob!
        Milton

        "Accuracy is the sum total of your compensating mistakes."

        "The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion." G. K. Chesterton

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        • #5
          Here is the thing, imported as STP file. What do you want to actually do with it?

          DXF is unhelpful, in general, and I can't output that, but nearly anything else you want I can.



          1601

          Keep eye on ball.
          Hashim Khan

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          • #6
            I was hoping the 3D file could be converted to a 2D 3 view .dxf so I could at least pull out the spindle/motor/motor mount assy. & edit it in my 2D TurboCAD program. Sounds like that may be a time consuming process?
            Milton

            "Accuracy is the sum total of your compensating mistakes."

            "The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion." G. K. Chesterton

            Comment

            • #7
              I imagine what he wants is a 2D print to work from like machinists have done for a over hundred years. DXF works very well for that.
              *** I always wanted a welding stinger that looked like the north end of a south bound chicken. Often my welds look like somebody pointed the wrong end of a chicken at the joint and squeezed until something came out. Might as well look the part.

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by DICKEYBIRD View Post
                Thanks for trying Bented. 'Preciate it buddy!

                I fired up the ol' TCAD Pro & it loaded the IGS file OK but my meager 3D CAD brain circuits burned out 2 strokes & a handful of TIA's ago. I can't remember how to convert all those vectors in the .dxf to a 2D 3 view.

                I removed the spindle assy. and am busy doing a TCAD 2D sketch from scratch now. That'll get me going for now but I'm hoping a 3 view .dxf will magically come my way for fixing other f-ups with this project.

                ...and thanks to you too Bob!
                Best I could do at home, at work we have a single Solid Works license that cost several thousand dollars and may have worked better. I suspect the data that you require is simply not there.

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                • #9
                  Is this the part you want? Pretty easy to isolate in ViaCad using the .stp file. Now to see if I can get all the line/edges.

                  Click image for larger version Name: Spindle.jpg Views: 122 Size: 305.5 KB ID: 1901661
                  Attached Files
                  *** I always wanted a welding stinger that looked like the north end of a south bound chicken. Often my welds look like somebody pointed the wrong end of a chicken at the joint and squeezed until something came out. Might as well look the part.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    The data is there. Its just a some tedious work to break it down and and convert it to a flat 2D DXF file.

                    CB would not open the entire file. (To much data for a 32 bit application (There is a 64 bit version also)) I had to isolate the spindle and export it as a solo STP file from VC. Then CB opened it right up as a collection of surfaces and lines. Then I selected all the surfaces and moved them to a hidden layer. All that was left visible was lines, splines, and arcs.

                    Click image for larger version Name: Spindle Lines From Break Down.jpg Views: 2 Size: 1.03 MB ID: 1901663
                    Last edited by Bob La Londe; 09-26-2020, 03:18 PM.
                    *** I always wanted a welding stinger that looked like the north end of a south bound chicken. Often my welds look like somebody pointed the wrong end of a chicken at the joint and squeezed until something came out. Might as well look the part.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      That's great Bob! A 2D 3 view .dxf of that would be very helpful.

                      Edit: Oops, just saw the 2nd post. I wouldn't want you do tedious work! It's not that important in the overall scheme of things.
                      Last edited by DICKEYBIRD; 09-26-2020, 03:19 PM.
                      Milton

                      "Accuracy is the sum total of your compensating mistakes."

                      "The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion." G. K. Chesterton

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        There are some tricks I might try in ViaCad with 2d and 3d operating mode, but I don't have time to play with it right now. I'm busy doing a mid job feed fix.

                        PM me your email address and I'll send you some of the simplified files to play with. I suggest downloading a CamBam to look at the .CB file. You could probably get all your measurements from there with some care.

                        CB is full feature 40 executions limited, but you can still do all the CAD CAM. You just can't create large G-Code files after the demo runs out. If you are just using it for its limited CAD features there is no need to worry about that.

                        (CB is really a 2.5D program even though it has some very limited 3D capability).
                        Last edited by Bob La Londe; 09-26-2020, 03:26 PM.
                        *** I always wanted a welding stinger that looked like the north end of a south bound chicken. Often my welds look like somebody pointed the wrong end of a chicken at the joint and squeezed until something came out. Might as well look the part.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          How about this? Did this in Solidworks with the IGS file in about 3 minutes.
                          Click image for larger version Name: 5000.PNG Views: 0 Size: 191.7 KB ID: 1901670

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                          • #14
                            Sa-weet RB, can you save as a 2D .dxf & attach it here or by email? If I had the view looking straight down on it as well (end view?) I'd be good to go. The motor and its mount bracket would be icing on the cake!
                            Milton

                            "Accuracy is the sum total of your compensating mistakes."

                            "The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion." G. K. Chesterton

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Originally posted by DICKEYBIRD View Post
                              Sa-weet RB, can you save as a 2D .dxf & attach it here or by email? If I had the view looking straight down on it as well (end view?) I'd be good to go. The motor and its mount bracket would be icing on the cake!
                              ok, let me work on it

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