RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Vector Demo or Tutorial

Dan,

While the shape may seem simple, in my experience this is a hard shape
to draw in any CAD package. The cross over and breaks are not bad, but
the general form is a tough one as it is an organic type curve and not
the traditional CAD form of straight lines and constant radius arcs.
That is not to say it is not doable, but it would be much easier in
something that supports freeform curves. Much easier in Vector NURBS
than standard Vector and sure up the line of something like Rhino.

I will be interested in hearing how users of other CAD packages would
handle modeling this shape with it's varying radius curves and such.

Tim
[Denver, CO]

> -----Original Message-----
>
> I would say that me not knowing how to use it, makes it hard
> to use. I do not mean this in the trivial sense, obviously
> if I hadn't invested any time in the tutorial and also in
> several drawings that I have done, it would certainly be a
> difficult program for anybody to use out of the box. I have
> done many things with Vector, and I appreciate the fact that
> it can do some amazingly complex things. I just find the
> simple things non-intuitive, and difficult to learn. I am
> not speaking from AutoCAD experience and I cannot seem to put
> another program out of my mind. I am speaking form a first
> time CAD/CAM package user, and it is difficult to learn the
> program by yourself with manual that ships with the disk.
>
> Here is an example of the type of thing I would like to do:
> Draw a simple line drawing of a classic pretzel shape. The
> dimensions are: 0.250" height
> (Y-dir) and a length (X-dir) that makes the aspect ratio for
> a pretzel reasonably accurate. In other words, I do not
> really care what the dimension of the length is. I would
> like the line width to be 0.03125" and where the lines
> intersect, one of them should break and appear to go under
> the other. the break should leave 0.03125" on each side of
> the continuous line. Also at the bottom ends of the pretzel
> the starting and ending segments should overlap the body in
> the same method as the center intersection.
>
> I do not need this picture for anything, but this is the type
> of stuff I want to do. How do you go about doing this in an
> efficient manner. I can do it, but I feel like I am just
> hacking away at it. After we get a reasonable picture drawn,
> then I need some help with the CAM side of things.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Daniel J. Statman, Statman Designs
> www.statmandesigns.com
> dan.statman@...