Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Duplicating (mostly) a real part - which CAD program ?

Hi Alan and All:
One way you can do it is to lay a clean clear sheet of thin
plastic (like a file cover) over a copier to protect the glass. Next
carefully lay the caliper on the plastic with the holes vertical. Us
narrow pieces like match sticks to level the part if necessary and
then cover the part down close with clear sheets of paper. Now make
your copy and then scan it. Next convert the scan to a dxf file in
Corel Draw. Now you can view the dxf file in AutoCAD or other CAD
drawing package and draw around it, measure it, etc. If you trace
the part first, then make a copy of the tracing and move the copy to
some place on the drawing you can then scale the tracing to the
correct size of the part by checking the hole locations. This will
produce an accurate drawing of the part.
GOD'S BLESSINGS
Bill

I'm mounting new front calipers on my motorcycle, and the calipers on
this bike (83 Goldwing) mount to an unusual "swinging arm".

The new calipers will require a new swinging arm .. no way to use the
current one and modifying it is not really a good idea (in case this
slightly mad idea doesn't work out).

This means a block of Al 3" x 3" x 8" with maybe 80% milled away. (No
chance I'd trust this to a casting).

Lacking drawings or dimensions for _anything_, the final shape will be
determined ad hoc.

However, the initial shape (in plan view) and the location of three key
mounting holes _is_ predictable, and it would be nice to CNC this initial
shape.

I see taking a pic from straight above, feeding it into a CAD program and
then tracing the outline.

However, I do not know of a (free or low cost) CAD program that allows me
to put a picture down as background and trace around it on another layer,
creating a DXF out of this layer.

Any thoughts ?

Thanks in advance.


Alan


--

Alan Rothenbush
Academic Computing Services
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada


The Spartans do not ask the number of the enemy, only where they are.

Agix of Sparta