turbocad

[Glen Monaghan]

I would like to take a 2D coreldraw file containing the faces of a 3D construct (e.g., a box-like container with bottom, sides, internal compartment walls, and multi-faceted top) and use a 3D program to "assemble" the faces to check fit and alignment (e.g., this tab fits into that slot, this edge aligns with that angled face, etc.) before cutting the parts from corel on the laser. I'd read comments about turbocad being a decent, inexpensive 3D program so I downloaded the trial, exported my file from CD as dxf and imported into turbocad, but now I'm stuck after several hours of floundering...

Anybody know of a tutorial or documentation that would walk me through the process of grouping objects (the dxf file loses my CD groupings, so a part's outline and its internal cutouts become separate objects), extruding the grouped objects into 3D (e.g., taking each part's outline and its internal cutouts, and adding depth to match the thickness of the plywood or acrylic from which it will be cut), rotating and positioning each part to simulate assembly, and then editing to correct fit/alignment before taking the corrected design back into corel for cutting? I'm finding lots of stuff on basic drawing and using the 3D tools to create objects from scratch in turbocad, but haven't located anything like the process I just described. Thanks for any help you give.

-Glen

[Michael Hunter]

I'm a great fan of TurboCad for 2D work.
I have managed to make complicated single 3D objects successfully, but have totally failed in my attempts to assemble 3D objects together.
It is all really really difficult, as each part has a completely separate workplane.
The only hint I can give is to do the command "place object on workplane" frequently. (Why objects drift off their workplanes I can't imagine, but doing this seems to help).

I can only suggest that you beg for help in the forum - forums/turbocad.com/index.php

[Rich Harman]

SketchUp will do this. SketchUp Pro comes with the DXF import built in. You can still download SketchUp 7 and use it's dxf import as described here (http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2011/01/sketchup-8-free-dwgdxf.html). Before I got the pro version I would use SketchUp 7 for importing then open the file in SketchUp 8 to do the work.

Here's an example;

226753

[Doug Griffith]

After each import and while still selected, send the 2D illustration to it's own layer. Doing this will help get over the ungrouping issues. You isolate each item to it's own layer where you can work on it easier. After that, extrude the items and holes as separate items and then knock them out. Once you've done all the alignment and fitment, lay the solids flat on the X,Y plane and convert to surfaces. From there, delete all but the bottom-most surface and then convert to curves. When exporting back to CD, set the scale to "1" so it retains correct dimensions. Also, working in the global plane will be easier for you.

I would look into Ashlar Cobalt. Same kernel but more robust.

[Glen Monaghan]

Thanks for the pointers, Michael.

-Glen

[Glen Monaghan]

SketchUp will do this.

Thanks, Rich, I'll take a look at SketchUp

-Glen

[Glen Monaghan]

After each import and while still selected, send the 2D illustration to it's own layer. Doing this will help get over the ungrouping issues. You isolate each item to it's own layer where you can work on it easier.
There are a couple of dozen parts/panels. Do you mean to put each part in its own dxf file and import each one separately?


After that, extrude the items and holes as separate items and then knock them out.

That sounds like a time-consuming pain, as there are a couple of dozen panels and most have a bunch of slots. Any way to select the lot and extrude all at once?

What do you mean by "then knock them out"????


Once you've done all the alignment and fitment, lay the solids flat on the X,Y plane and convert to surfaces. From there, delete all but the bottom-most surface and then convert to curves. When exporting back to CD, set the scale to "1" so it retains correct dimensions. Also, working in the global plane will be easier for you.

I would look into Ashlar Cobalt. Same kernel but more robust.

Thanks for the help.

-Glen

[Doug Griffith]

There are a couple of dozen parts/panels. Do you mean to put each part in its own dxf file and import each one separately?
That's not really that many parts. You may even have to redraw the imported DXF because it gets converted to polylines. Try creating in CD, exporting as a DXF, then importing into TC, then exporting as a DXF, then opening back up in CD and see what you get. If all the curves are broken into disconnected polylines, it will be a bear to laser. You will have to reconnect them again. You may want to experiment a bit with different export/import options such as .ai and .pdf.


That sounds like a time-consuming pain, as there are a couple of dozen panels and most have a bunch of slots. Any way to select the lot and extrude all at once?
You can select the perimeter of each part and extrude. While still selected, lock the vector to make the next step easier. Then select all the holes at once and extrude.


What do you mean by "then knock them out"????
That would be subtract. Remove one from the other.