NOT O/T ...Autocad software????

Ditto.

If you want me to do something for you - you better have the right stuff for me to work with. I will try my hardest to get your file to work - but if it takes too much...try again.


As far as illustrator files go - they might be nice looking (and I have no experience to draw from here) but are they accurate?

Are they AutoCAD accurate?

 

I agree 100%.

I used to have vector based art programs that I just LOVED to draw in - they are MUCH better to use for free-form art works. But I could never get them to play nice with AutoCAD.

And I really like what I see people doing with illustrator - but I have NO experience in it - and now that I am steeped in AutoCAD I can't seem to build up the energy to learn more about Illustrator - and it seems to be a program that plays nice with a lot of others....


...and I would LOVE to see what you have in Ill. that you would like in ACAD. I like the idea.

 

eMachineShop lets you download their design software. Would that work?

http://www.emachineshop.com/

 

I have the latest version of autocadd at work.. fwiw.. I just drew up some parts for a "latch" that I need to replicate, and sent it off to be spec'd out for waterjet..

the est.. was 175!

so.. I'll keep searchin for the latch!

 

I think what illustrator does is allows you to leave autocad out of the equation if you need to. It's all about how you set up your workspace too, use the rulers and snap to the grids and you can get a drawing that is accurate, and then export it as a dwg or dxw or whatever it is. I use it a lot if I need to model text or something odd in 3d and I don't want to try to draw it all out.

I'm just the opposite of you, I started to learn Autocad in college, but it didn't give me a good presentation level rendering so I went to Solidworks and other 3d programs... I'm no engineer, but I can pretend to be one

 

my dad said he has that but he would have to put Windows 98 on my puter since it won't work with XP. might just do it. he said it is a bitch to learn though.

 

Either you or your father are confused. It will run fine with XP, but possibly not with Vista.

 

i'll ask him about it again. he knows WAAAY more about computers than i do. he said it is an old version he has had for years.

 

That is how I work with my steel supplier. I provide him drawings from cad that he imports into his cutter. I use Delta Cad. Its got a 30 day free trial, and only costs about 35 bucks if you purchase it.

 

I may be able to help
I teach AutoCAD and other cad software at a high school
we are looking for "real life" type of drawings/ projects.
send a pm and we can take about putting a few students on a project.

 

Even though I have Autocad r14 in this 'puter....I use Autocad Lite for Windows 3.11 in my "antique" Gateway for 99% of my stuff. It cost $250.00 back in the 90's.

Lite does everything I need and more.

 

I use a sign making program. It works great, I can design what I want, then cut it out of vinyl and place that on a heavy paperboard and test fit each piece before its made. The program can import pdf files, and change them to vector. Its pretty easy to use. but it is expensive and requires a security device that plugs into the USB port.

 

Its a funny thing---I have been a design engineer for 42 years, the last 10 of that on computers, but I know very little about tool path generation and CNC programming. Its one of those "need to know" things. I have always had good, competent CNC programmers in the shops that build my stuff, and all they really ask is that the math data be correct. Most CNC shops I have ever been involved with have been burned so many times by designers "fudging" dimensions---(if you don't know what that means, its over-riding the dimension on a cad program and writing in a dimension other than the true value of the math model) that they won't work from the math data provided to them by the engineering shop. They will take the detail drawing and use the actual dimensional values as given to generate there own math data for the tool path. This is time consuming, but on a CNC run of 300 complex parts, they can all be garbage if the designer has 'fudged" even one dimension. ---Brian

 

I have been running ACAD R14 in XP for 6 years. You should have no problem.

 

For conveting other drawings to Autocad

Go here:

http://www.leadtools.com/

Software is very affordable.

 

Ohhhh man....I couldn't imagine using r14 now.

Owch!

Nate - I used to work in a sign shop and the vector programs were fast and pretty. But even with snaps and grids, they couldn't touch AutoCAD for accuracy....well machine shop type accuracy. You could definately get close. I guess as long as it's not a crucial part you'd be okay.


I really need to get myself some Illustrator lessons....



Well, anyway - the point of the thread is to find a guy some useful CAD software, and there are a bunch of cheap ones out there that will do just fine.


I have used Rhino before and really dig it too, but it's not free or cheap....but it's cheaper than AutoCAD.

Depends on your budget I suppose.

 

Look into MasterCAM....the program does everything for you....even picks the best ways to machine the parts and creates all of the toolpaths.

 

The problems that I have found with converting from PDF or paint files to vector is that the conversion adds bezier points that are not needed. You can adjust the tightness of the conversion, but that usually add many points caused by blurry artwork. Vectors in Illustrator can be made with the absolute minimum of bezier points and that makes the file smaller and with less chance for error. It can also make it to exact specs just as any cad programs.I am speaking strictly from the Illustrator side because I know nothing about Auto Cad.

 

I believe IntelliCAD is a clone of AutoCAD; uses the same commands, writes to .dwg format, and will read AutoCAD .dwg files.

 

I'm finding this conversation very interesting,
I have never worked with any computer assisted machinery
but have been using Cad for several years
always wanted to see what it takes to turn a Cad drawing into hard parts

fwiw I use AutoCAD2007 with Carlson2007 at work and have AutoCAD2000 at home

sounds like for this challenge,
creating data files for a plasma table, 14 should do it fine

 

Paul:

Are you in the Civil Engineering / Land Surveying fields?

 

Paul---From my (limited) knowledge of how a cad drawing gets to a burning table. First, the geometry must be perfect---no overlapping lines, no corners where the lines don't quite touch one and other. This profile is converted to a "polyline" by the autocad software ---and as you probably know, a polyline merges all the individual line segments into one unbroken line. The fellow on the burning table knows how wide the "kerf" is on his torch set up, so he will take the polyline and apply an "offset" command to it, equal to the kerf width. his torch is driven by an x-y servo that will follow the outline of this offset, so that the peice cut out of plate will be the correct size. This is probably a gross oversimplification, but thats how I understand it. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than I will jump in here and educate both of us.---Brian

 

Yea,
My brother works in a machine shop and teaches CNC machining classes at the local high school. We both have degrees in CAD and he has the machine shop experience. The shop he works at uses MasterCAM and he can also use AutoCAD to make parts, but it's sort of a "manual" translation of the drawing into the machine itself.

I just do electric diagrams and civil stuff for the power/water utility. Lately I have been focused on GIS/GPS type work.

 

The "burning" I am not familiar with - but the mention of offesetting for different tools (according to size) is exactly what my brother deals with daily.

 

Paul---From my (limited) knowledge of how a cad drawing gets to a burning table.
Brian,
I think you just described the "thumbnail" version that covers the subject. BTW, Offset was a powerful (trans: Useful Autocad command) in times of 2D kernal programs. The use of a true Polyline and offsetting the kerf value should do the trick. The new training for Solidworks offered in MA was terrific, they had a longtime designer-engineer who knew his way around the program's capacities/limits.
Pitman

 

yes and no
I run a team of Op Tech's and Layout Carps for a major comercial construction company.

I know where you are coming from there,
it's far too common to get cad drawings from architects or subcontractors with forced dimensions.

your brief description ie; closed polyline for path taking into account kerf value sounds simple enough

 

Everybody up here swears by Mastercam for doing toolpath programming. I am going for my 2008 Solidworks training in January. Solidworks is an absolutely wonderful 3D solid modelling program, which I have been using for seven years now. Unfortunately only about 65 percent of what they teach in a 4 day introductory course applies to the creation of parts, assemblies, and 2D drawing creation as used in a typical engineering and design office. I teach a course in the use of this software "as it applies to design for mechanical engineering". What seems to happen a lot up here, is that Solidworks has some extrememly good sale people, who will go into a company and show everyone (including mamagement) how extremely "easy" it is to use, and sell it to the company (and its not cheap!!!!). Then they send everybody for the 4 day introductory course in using it. The boss or CEO then decrees that all the engineers and designers will work in this new software from this day forth, because its so "quick and easy to use". Three weeks later, when everything in the engineering office has ground to a total stop, and the CEO is going apeshit because all the projects are behind and all the Engineers and designers must be complete idiots, because, after all, the CEO seen the demo of how "easy" it is to use this software, thats when I offer to come into their plant and teach my course. www.rupnowdesign.com

 

There are a couple choices in cheap/free cad sortware...

Intellicad from Cadopia used to have a free 'unlimited' trial version, basically an Autocad clone, they probably still do but they wanted me to register before DL'ing... http://www.cadopia.com/products/intellicad/cadopia_intellicad.asp


Take a look at Google SketchUp, I haven't tried it but have heard good reviews... http://www.sketchup.com/

Solidworks has Xchangeworks, which will convert most any other file type into something Acad can read, it's free http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/xchangeworks/index.html

2cents

 

It's a funny thing....I have been a designer for 10 years and it takes one engineer who knows it all to make 'em all look bad. I guess detailing out a couple hundred thousand tons of steel doesn't make me a competent person either. And by the way, "my buddy who has a CNC plasma" doesn't necessarily designate that he's a good, competent CNC programmer. I'm not saying "fudge" the dimensions. I'm clearly saying "find out what the controller is capable of". He's talking about uploading an output from a drawing and burning the part. Nevermind. I forget...I'm talking to an engineer. "Just do it", right?? Fuck.

 

Hey---If you've got a problem with my post---suck back a little!!! I detail all my own stuff. Always have---always will. I'm not casting stones at anyone here. I'm stating a simple truth that any CNC operator will verify. Every designer fudges a dimension here or there. And as long as it isn't on a CNC cut part, it really doesn't have any negative consequences. I started out as a detail draftsman 42 years ago, and I don't buy into this shit about the nasty evil engineer. I've seen engineers who were brilliant---I've seen designers who were assholes. And I've seen incompetent engineers and designers that could run circles around them.