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Planning Rookie designer needs help!!!/Sketchup to CNC

Discussion in 'Modding' started by vmale, 10 Apr 2011.

  1. vmale

    vmale What's a Dremel?

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    Hello from springtime Finland!Been building comps for 16 years now and now i want to build my first scratch built case.
    Question: As im also new to use Sketchup so i want to know if you can export your 3d Case design into a CNC machine acceptable format?And what formats are usually used in CNC machines?? Thanks in advance!!!
     
  2. Genghis

    Genghis What's a Dremel?

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    maybe the DXF file format will work
     
  3. disturbed13

    disturbed13 What's a Dremel?

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    if memory serves me i think a program called CamBam can do that
    google it
    im not 100% on that
     
  4. ixmatal

    ixmatal What's a Dremel?

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    There aren't any real accurate conversion direct from sketchup to gcode ( cnc language ). Most I have worked with are only accurate to within 1mm. You might think this is close enough, but if you add up all of the variables you could easily end up 2-3mm off between your pci mounting and the actual slots on your motherboard, which would force you to waste a lot of materials when you re-cut parts.

    You would be better off getting a learning edition of alibre or another decent CAD program for 100-200euro. At least then your only error will come from your measurements, not errors at the machine shop.
     
  5. Javerh

    Javerh Topiary Golem

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    ^^ Or write the code manually.
     
  6. Genghis

    Genghis What's a Dremel?

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  7. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Apparently ViaCAd 3D (a CAD program costing about $70,--) can import .skp files and export them as .iges files that CNC mills can interpret.
     
  8. Javerh

    Javerh Topiary Golem

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    ^^ More likely cad/cam - soft can read iges and then generate toolpaths which need to be postprocessed to work on a cnc mill. Never heard of a cnc machine that can read cad files.
     
  9. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    I would re-draw all the parts in a free 2d cad software. SU is polygon-based, so all the arcs are actually polygons with 24+ sides. It also has a bad habit of rounding off point positions to whatever is nearest.
    I recently tried to put together a design with complex shapes for a cnc project. After a lot of work trying to get it to convert to a solid model file, it was determined it would look like garbage milled.

    Anyway, If you are doing everything in 2.5d: Here's a great 2d DXF exporter plugin.
    This makes it faster to re-draw in a proper cad software. -Just like tracing.:D
     
  10. lenne0815

    lenne0815 What has been seen cannot be unseen

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    Cheaps is absolutely right, done is a few times, straight lines via dwg work quite well, as soon as there are arcs / rounded surfaces it breaks horribly, very hard to make gcode from it.
     

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