Thanks watkins.

Wo3Dan

Thanks for that, that's great

edit: just opened it, it's really great!

Works fine if you set the tolerance.

Wintopo is great for converting raster to vector or hand drawn scrawl to nice neat dxf. The free version is very good, I'm using it today to sort out a load of scanned drawings from a client. The key is to set the tolerance in the vector extraction options, I use a tolerance of about 20 - 50 pixels depending on the amount of scrawl. It's really easy to use.

http://www.wintopo.com/

Yet again Watkins, your in there staight away, us early morning people.

Just a repeat post really. Thanks for the quick response, I just wondered if anybody had any experience or ideas about this. I know an excellent engineer who can fabricate this and I think I'll be fine when it comes to the working drawings, but just thought I'd post it here in case anybody had advice to offer.

@unknownuser said:

(2)-- 2d softcad-- softcad-- intelligent but hard to use
(2)-- envisionner-- softcad --same engine than floorplan but limited

Envisioneer is distributed by Cadsoft. Softcad is a different company with three main cad programs; APC draft, Architech Pc, Softcad (2d and 3d version). I nominated Softcad in the worse ever software thread. IMHO the potential is there but the interface lets it down. There is a free version so hats off to them for generosity. However, they've not updated their site gallery for about ten years. That has to tell you something.

http://www.envisioneer.co.uk/

softcad.com

(www.softcad.com)

I am re-writing this post - it was lost because of the reset.

I am designing an activity garden for a school. We have an idea to build a working archimedes screw to raise water that the kids can play with. Do any engineering minded people out there have any tips about constructing an archimedes screw?

archimedes.skp

I am re-writing this post - it was lost because of the reset. Cute Pdf allows you to create a pdf from any program on your system. It works like a printer, you select it from your print setup. Excellent for cad paperspace prints. Windows only.

CutePDF :: Product :: CutePDF Writer

(www.cutepdf.com)

I ran an MH model through Viz Up to reduce it, it worked well but I only have the demo so couldn't save it. I used Milkshape to reduce it a bit, it started to get mangled up at less than 70%. I've just read though that you can reduce MH models very well with Blender's decimator tool, I might try this and post the result.

Clothes wise, bring back the bodystocking.

@unknownuser said:

Since I am new to architectural work, is it common to see plans that look like they were drawn by a drunken sailor?

The uninformed who claim that sketchUp is not a precise tool should see what you can do with AutoCAD in the wrong hands

I find that this is common, particularly if the draftsperson that drew the plans has always worked with the same contractor or an in-house construction team. In this case the drawings aren't presentation pieces which is fine for a contractor who is used to the draftsperson. But when it comes to making a 3d model from this data that's when the errors really show. Also it's awful trying to edit a drawing like this: elevations that don't correspond with the plan, no use of layers, exploded blocks, or worse still - exploded hatches, objects scaled up or down in modelspace because the drafter doesn't understand paperspace.....

I don't think it is fair to blame the draftsperson who is probably highly skilled architecturally. It just highlights a need for proper Autocad training, not an informal demonstration of another work colleagues bad habits at lunch break. Also AutoCAD could have a more intuitive interface, but raising that issue is a whole other can of worms, so I'll leave it there.

http://www.dedalo-3d.com/

Make Human is a free open source figure modelling app similar to, but not as developed and with less features than Poser. At the moment there doesn't seem to be a direct way to get these models into SU but the development of the app is pretty swift and the current release is pretty slick. Currently you can export as Collada or OBJ.

I've been playing with this for a while. If you need to produce immersive real time environments, game content, 3d interactives etc DX is produced by the Worldweaver team at the Pinewood Movie Studios in UK. There is a free version, a standard version at £175 and a pro version at £375.

And yes, I did manage to get an SU model into the free version via 3ds format. I'm still going through the tutorials when I find the time but it looks good. It's not an easy app to pick up but somebody might find it useful.

http://www.dxstudio.com/default.aspx

Thanks, excellent.

I really like that, I'm new-ish to KT and haven't mastered it yet. That is the sort of benchmark I'm aiming for.

I stand corrected about the open source thing. I've edited the post.

ProgeCAD Smart does not support 3d surfaces or solids so it is probably fairer to say that it is equivalent to AutoCAD LT.
Progecad Smart certainly doesn't feel like a different program once you've set up your own drawing template and got everything just how you want it. In some areas though it does vary to autocad and sometimes I haven't been able to find the ProgeCAD equivalent to something I was used to in AutoCAD but generally for day to day stuff it is a good substitute. It seems to recognise all the autocad keyboard shortcuts. The crosshairs and pick box don't seem to be resizeable like they are in Autocad which is a bit annoying but that's my only main complaint. On the upside there are more hatch patterns than AutoCAD.

Well dwg will hold 3d surfaces but if Inventor is anything like Autocad you might have to tidy up the model a bit once you've imported it. Alternatively you could try exporting as 3DS file, the program below will convert 3ds for inventor.

The workflow issue you might have, and I'm guessing here, is that Inventor (if it's similar to Autocad) might be more suited to solid modelling data, not surfaces/faces like SU.

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

(www.softpedia.com)

I'm not in any way an expert on file types though, I'm sure somebody here will give you some better advice.

I'm always up early, definately the best part of the day, but yes, I do have a deadline for tomorrow, not too pressurised though.

End of March! Well you may as well go back to bed for now!

@unknownuser said:

So, you're an early bird too.

Yes I've been up since 5 a.m. I'm supposed to be working.

I don't know anything about the file formats you mention but I'll have a go at finding a converter. Give us a few minutes

Alternatively, could you export your SU model as a dxf or dwg and then convert it?

edit:
I found this, its shareware, not free but presumably you'll get 30 days use or something like that. http://www.sofotex.com/IMSI-CAD-View-and-Convert-Plus-download_L46165.html

I've just mentioned this in another thread so I thought I'd post the link here.
http://archimedes.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal/project/archimedes-project

I downloaded the alpha of this, it's a bit unstable and it is really basic at the moment but there are similarities with SU.
http://avocado-cad.sourceforge.net/