Need some help with 3D drawing

[Anonymous]

Hello, I am looking for a little help with some 3D drawing. I am running an older version AutoCAD R14. I am somewhat familiar with AutoCAD and its functions but I did not get a whole lot of experience with 3D drawing. As I am building my drawing I first start by drawing in 2D, then I will copy my 2D drawing and extend it into the Z axis the height that is needed. So essentially I am not using any polylines or utilizing the line thickness function etc. Basically I am just wire framing everything out. Is there any disadvantage to drawing this way? My main concern is when I run this drawing through a CNC machine, how will the program interpret my drawing? Any help is appreciated.

[ennujozlagam]

refer to these LINK and LINK maybe will helps. thanks

[Anonymous]

Thank you, not exactly what I was looking for but I appreciate the links. They look to be a much more current version of AutoCAD. R14 is pretty old and does not appear to have some of these newer functions. 

So before my drawing gets to complicated I went ahead and removed all the 3D lines I drew, converted all my lines to polylines and extruded my 2d drawing the thickness I needed. So now when viewed as an isometric and using the shading commands it appears as a solid object. I figured worst case I can explode the whole thing and I am back to where I was. 

My drawing is very very simple. It is just a 22" X 46" X 1/2" thick surface with some holes in it. 

[ennujozlagam]

try to share the file and i will model this in revit and will export in autocad dwg. thanks

[Anonymous]

Thank you I really appreciate the offer. There is no file to share though, I am not modeling an existing drawing. This is something I am designing from scratch myself. I also enjoy the process so I'd like to continue drawing this out myself. So it is a lot of real world modeling and transferring those details into AutoCAD. Some of the components that are mounting to this surface I am preparing already exist and so for those I measure, build in Autocad and place them on the surface. The components I have done so far haven't been to complicated. That is very nice of you though and I appreciate your offer. 

[Alfred.NESWADBA · Accepted solution]

Hi,

>> Basically I am just wire framing everything out.

That means you have just lines and arcs, horizontal ones in the XY-plane and then lines along Z, is this understood correct? If yes, then:

>> Is there any disadvantage to drawing this way? My main

>> concern is when I run this drawing through a CNC

>> machine, how will the program interpret my drawing? 

Absolutely yes, the CNC program does not see surfaces which it definitely needs.

- alfred -

[j.palmeL29YX]

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@Anonymous wrote:

My drawing is very very simple. It is just a 22" X 46" X 1/2" thick surface with some holes in it. 

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If you really need only a 1/2"" plate with some holes (perpendicular to the plate face) then you don't need a 3D-model.

Send the 2D-geometry to your CNC machine and all will be ok.

[j.palmeL29YX]

Otherwise - if you urgently need/want a 3d model: Use the command BOX to create the plate. Next draw cylinders (command CYLINDER) and move it to the whished positions of the holes. Now use the SUBTRACT command and remove the volume of the cylinders from the volume of the plate (to get the holes).

An other way can be to draw a rectangle (or other polyline) with the contour of your plate. Then draw circles where you need holes. extrude the polyline and the circles with the needed thicken. Now again subtract the cylinders from the plate. A lot o ways are in AutoCAD (Rel. 14) possible. (In newer ACAD versions a lot more).

The main question ist: What type of data expects your CNC machine? Some can directly read the volume model (the 3D Solid which you crreated in AutoCAD), some need 2D data (often in .dxf format, or can also read dwg format), ... Only you know that ...

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Send the 2D-geometry to your CNC machine and all will be ok

Maybe my question sounds silly .. but how should a CNC system know the angle of the bore holes, the depth of the drillings if the drawing is just 2D?

- alfred -

[j.palmeL29YX]

Assuming it's a "very very simple" [citation of @Anonymous ] model - cylindrical holes "through all", perpendicular to the plate, ... 😉

Otherwise a little additional manual programming of the CNC machine may be necessary (and is used in practice).

[Anonymous]

Alright, thank you Alfred. This is pretty much what I was thinking but wasn't sure. Yes all my measurements are correct and true but they were just lines along the X,Y,Z planes. So I extruded the 2D surface and now I have a solid object.

Thank you also J.Pal, I will need to remove the cylinders because essentially what I have now is solid cylinders inside the solid object I created, they are not actual holes right now. I will work on getting that portion right. Thank you for the tips.

As for the CNC program being able to translate my drawing into something it can read and cut, I have no idea at this point. My concern is being I am using R14 that the files generated might not be support. I am not overly concerned though because there are usually ways to get around these issues with older programs.

[j.palmeL29YX]

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@Anonymous wrote:

... what I have now is solid cylinders inside the solid object I created, they are not actual holes right now.

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Use the SUBTRACT command. First "subtract from") select the Plate, then ENTER. Now ("to subtract") select the cylinders. So the volueme of the cylinders will be subtracted (removed) from the plate -> the result are holes.

[Anonymous]

That is exactly what I did and it worked perfect.

[Anonymous]

I needed to make this post here so what I did was make this Torus around the post then subtract it from the post to get the curved section. I am sure there is another way of doing this but to save time fiddling around with it I just did it as such and it seems to have worked. I have no idea why the one picture in my reply keeps showing up sideways.

[j.palmeL29YX]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I am sure there is another way of doing this

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FYI only

Another (IMO better) way: Draw a polyline as shown in the attached pic (the blue one), then use the REVOLVE command (around the centerline). The result is a really smooth model (not such a facetted as yours *1) ). 

*1) Maybe this is only because of your settings

[Anonymous]

I see. I have to make another post similar to this one so I will try your suggestion and also poke around in the settings to see if I can get it to generate a little smoother. If I cannot then it is not really a big deal the way it is now. 

[j.palmeL29YX]

I guess you will get better (visual) result if you increase the value of FACETRES. (But I'm not sure, without to see your dwg).