Easy import of Corbels, parts, etc. for eCab

Peter Walsh · Post by **Peter Walsh** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 10:35AM

Lately, I have been working with Osborne Wood Products http://www.osbornewood.com helping to test their conversion of their 3D CAD files to a file type immediately able to load into eCab. They have sent me some files in the STL format and they opened nicely in the eCab display parts editor for choosing color, wood type, etc.
It appears they are considering making their line of corbels, table/chair legs, trim, etc. available in the STL format for eCabbers to use.

This is a real compliment to Thermwood and the growing cadre of eCab users who are now starting to come to the attention of the manufacturers.

Most of us have struggled with the hassle of trying to convert files to use corbels and onlays, etc. in eCab jobs and many have given up, denying themselves the extra \"splash\" these details can give a presentation rendering. Osborne's project would be a great help to all of us if they decide to proceed and convert their line to this format and make it available to us in this easy-to-use format.

Maybe Thermwood should contact them about adding them to the store so we can also buy from within eCab? Looks like Osborne may be taking the first step on this. We'll see.

Enkeboll, are you listening?

regards,

Kerry Fullington · Post by **Kerry Fullington** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 12:59PM

Peter,
The guys at Osborne had told me they were going to do .stl drawings and were gong to get in touch with the guys at Thermwood about a year ago but I don't know if they ever did. They would be a nice addition. Do their .stl drawings work well in presentation view. Since version 5.1 the Osborne cad drawings that I convert don't look good, they show facets when rendered.
Kerry

Peter Walsh · Post by **Peter Walsh** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 2:29PM

Kerry,
Yes, you can see some some faceting if you have a close-up view, but the image and the ability to include it in the rendering certainly go a long way to add to our capabilities. Avoid close-ups and it should be acceptable.
The big thing is having the line available as an STL file so the guys can use them without conversion.

regards,

Brian Shannon · Post by **Brian Shannon** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 3:46PM

This is an Osborne leg that I converted. It shows nicely.

Joe Dusel · Post by **Joe Dusel** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 5:06PM

I also converted a few of the Osborne island legs which I used on a project I'm working on. They turned out pretty good. I just placed and order with them yesterday and thanked them for providing the drawings which I mentioned that I used within eCabs.

By the way, a friend of mine brought a demo version of KeyCreator to my shop yesterday to give me a show and tell. The program will convert DWG and DXF files directly to HSF and it allows you to colorize and texture any element you like. The price? Around $3500. Ouch...

http://www.kubotekusa.com/products.html

Joe

Kerry Fullington · Post by **Kerry Fullington** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 7:36PM

Brian,
If you will zoom in on your drawing where I have shaded it you will see the facets. In version 4 these would render smooth if you select gouraud and would show facets only if you selected flat.
I don't think this is an Osborne problem I think it is something that has changed in eCabinets. In Version 4 and up till version 5.1 eCabinets had absolutely the best presentation renderings out there Very photo realistic. I think because of our need for speed and the \"Out of Memory\" problems the quality of presentation views were turned down a notch in version 5.1 along with the demise of the \"Dynamic Cost Calculations\". Of course I could just be dreaming that things used to be better.
I eCabinets didn't change I sould sure like to know how to fix this problem.
Kerry

Al Navas · Post by **Al Navas** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 7:50PM

Kerry Fullington wrote:Brian,
If you will zoom in on your drawing where I have shaded it you will see the facets. In version 4 these would render smooth if you select gouraud and would show facets only if you selected flat...

...Of course I could just be dreaming that things used to be better.
If eCabinets didn't change I would sure like to know how to fix this problem...

The image was posted at full size, which makes it possible to reveal this detail. To me it was pretty nerve wracking when I first noticed it; I did not realize that the facets were / could be an artifact of either the eCabinet Systems program, or something else, such as the CAD drawings we can download from their web site.

On the other hand: Not long ago I posted the caster that I received from Tente ( http://www.thermwood.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6039 ). Even at GREAT magnifications it did not show any faceting. Would this suggest that the problem might be the conversion of the Osborne stuff?

Question for Kerry and all others: How do you show these renderings to clients? Do you show them in color print form, or do you share the renderings on a computer? I know Kerry's answer...

Al

Brian Shannon · Post by **Brian Shannon** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 7:51PM

I did notice the facets after I posted and zoomed. I thought I did choose gouraud but they were created in V5.1 Beta 4.

Brian

Brian Shannon · Post by **Brian Shannon** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 7:55PM

Al,

I emailed these renderings to my client.

Kerry Fullington · Post by **Kerry Fullington** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 8:03PM

Brian,
I bet you did save them gouraud and they will look fine until you go to the presentation view. It is then that the facets show but it is there that things should look their best. The only way I have found to correct this is to use Osborne's 2D dxf to create a tool then make the legs in eCabinets. They will then render as they should but it is a lot of work.
Kerry

Joe Dusel · Post by **Joe Dusel** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 9:17PM

I think this change occurred after version 4. I just tried using Version 5 on another computer and the facets are there.

Joe

Brian Shannon · Post by **Brian Shannon** » Tue, Jul 17 2007, 9:49PM

Wow Kerry,

That's a great idea! I hadn't thought of making a .tol from Osborne's 2d .dxf files. Always thinking Kerry, always thinking...

Brian

Al Navas · Post by **Al Navas** » Wed, Jul 18 2007, 4:36AM

Kerry Fullington wrote:... The only way I have found to correct this is to use Osborne's 2D dxf to create a tool then make the legs in eCabinets. They will then render as they should but it is a lot of work...

Thanks for this suggestion, Kerry.

I have no idea how to go about doing this. I wonder if you could suggest how to go about it, and I will give it a try? Thanks!

Al

Al Navas · Post by **Al Navas** » Thu, Jul 19 2007, 10:26PM

I am having trouble converting the Osborne Woods 2D **.dxf files to STL, prior to converting them to a tool. I am using Accutrans 3D to attempt the conversion.

Accutrans works fine for the 3D files, but I have had no luck with the 2D files. I would appreciate any hints and suggestions on how to do this conversion. Accutrans does not report any errors, it simply does not write the file when I save to the import folder in the eCabinet Systems folder.

Thanks!

Al

Kerry Fullington · Post by **Kerry Fullington** » Fri, Jul 20 2007, 7:40AM

Al,
You bring the Osborne 2D .dxf file into the shape manager where you delete some of the lines and use the Move Tool to turn the profile \"Inside Out\" so to speak. You then add the deleted lines back in to create a closed contour. You may also have to use the extend and trim tools to connect many of the segments to get a closed contour. Some of their drawings are created from many segments. For those I just use their tool as and outline to trace a new tool then delete the original to eliminate some of the segments.
Here is a screen shot of one of the tools created from an Osborne file.
The first leg in the picture is rendered view of the Osborne 3D file converted to .stl and the second leg is one created in eCabinets using the tool I created. You can see the difference but as I said it is a lot of work to get there.

Kerry

Thermwood / eCabinet Systems

Easy import of Corbels, parts, etc. for eCab

Easy import of Corbels, parts, etc. for eCab

Re:

Re:

2D CAD files to STL