template to dxf ?

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Jim Carter
Junior Member
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon, Nov 30 2009, 3:51PM
Company Name: Jim Carter Corp.

template to dxf ?

Post by Jim Carter »

what would be some methods of turning a physical template (of irregular shape) into a CAD system to get usable geom. for importing into e-cabinets so i can use the profile modeler to make crown molding fit that irregular shape.
thanks for help
Jim
jim@jimcartercorp.com
973-224-0221
Ringwood, New Jersey
Neville Bastian
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Joined: Fri, May 20 2005, 6:48PM
Company Name: Classic Cabinetry
Location: Albany Western Australia
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Re: template to dxf ?

Post by Neville Bastian »

Hi Jim,
I have been thinking about this for awhile. The granite firms do have digitizers that you lean your template on a board and you have a pull out measuring tool that you mark the cordinates then import into their software and join the dots. Then create a DXF.
I guess you have a thermwood or access to one but I forget what it is called but you can throw the template on the bed of the Thermwood and plugging in its digitizer to the Thermwood mark points on the template, this creating Gcode as you go.
The way we currenly do this is buy measuring the onsite template then transfering those sizes into Ecabinets or a DXF drawing. We then use a old skim sheet to make a new template, from that we lay it over the old template and fine tune if needed.
I also have heard of someone who uses a laser measure on a camera tripod. On site he just measures as many points he can plus his datum point and transfers them onto a cad drawing. I have tried it but didn't have as much accuracy as using the old template system.
Maybe the guys at Thermwood can tell of other Thermwood users and their methods?
Regards
Neville
Neville Australia
Dennis Englert

Re: template to dxf ?

Post by Dennis Englert »

Possibly, someone can help here, but sometime ago I worked for a tooling company and we had to replicate molding profiles and then transfer that profile to knives. We would take a slice of the molding and then project it onto a scope at enlarged it 10x. You could then take your mouse and pick points along the silhouette. As you picked the points, they points were entered into a CAD program. From there you would essentially connect the dots and smooth out and clean up the profile. We used the dxf file to create plastic templates for a Schneeberger (spelling?) machine. Prior to having this equipment, I had to use radius gages to try to duplicate the profile. That was extremely tedious and took a lot of trial and error to even get close. I don't recall what the scope was called or the name of the software for point entry. This was about 15-16 years ago. Times have changed. Now, there are laser scanners. Some are handheld, while others can be mounted to the machine. Thermwood has both types available.

Dennis
Jim Carter
Junior Member
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon, Nov 30 2009, 3:51PM
Company Name: Jim Carter Corp.

Re: template to dxf ?

Post by Jim Carter »

Thanks Neville and Dennis:
good information.
I ended up making a a grid on the template, then measuring points every 1/2 inch to assign a X Y value on a spread sheet.
An associate will create an auto cad drawing file from the points.
I have not seen the resault yet, fingers crossed.
Jim
jim@jimcartercorp.com
973-224-0221
Ringwood, New Jersey
Michael S Murray
eCabinets Beta Tester
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Joined: Tue, May 17 2005, 2:48PM
Location: Logansport, In
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Re: template to dxf ?

Post by Michael S Murray »

JIm,
If you have any up to date granite companys close, they probably have a digitizer board that they can use your hard template to make a dxf file.
I also know you can lay your template on your router and trace it with a pointed tool, then use tool offsets, but I have yet to do this so I dont have a clue...
Well, I did do it in machine training, but I have slept since then...

I now do it with a laser templater, take that file into art-cam, manipulate as needed and then write code in art-cam.
Mike Murray
Versatile Cabinet & Solid Surface
mike@versatilecabinet.com
http://www.versatilecabinet.com
Michael S Murray
eCabinets Beta Tester
Posts: 933
Joined: Tue, May 17 2005, 2:48PM
Location: Logansport, In
Contact:

Re: template to dxf ?

Post by Michael S Murray »

Duh, sorry, should have read entire post before I added to it.....
Mike Murray
Versatile Cabinet & Solid Surface
mike@versatilecabinet.com
http://www.versatilecabinet.com
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