Tracing A Project

[butch043052]

I've had my Shopbot for awhile but never have really learned its potential. Is there a way to trace a project that is bigger than I can scan into Turbocad or into the Shopbot program. Straight cuts I can do its all the different curves that I have trouble with. I'm not much of a designer in cad programs, just the basics.

Thanks
Butch

[srwtlc]

How much bigger?

I've scanned stuff in sections and then put them together in CorelDraw before tracing. Some hand drawn index marks on the scan help to line things up for piecing them together.

Another option is to probe the profile on the ShopBot. If you don't have a probe, you can wrap the edge with some kind of conductive tape or foil. Just make sure you have continuity with the chosen input. Then use the Virtual Tool/Copy Machine to trace it and output a .dxf. You can and will need to do some editing to it afterwards.

[paco]

I do what Scott do.

For very large tracing, I would stick the large drawing on a wall and take picture some 30-60 feet away and zoom in to avoid distortion.

If you have a part instead of a drawing, probing would be the way for a very large project.

[butch043052]

What I'm trying to do is cut out wooden pieces that go in the top of Model A's (including mine) they would be the with of the car.

[kfitz]

It would be a help if you could post a picture of one of these parts, but it doesn't sound like it would be a very complex shape. You can't simply measure and recreate using CAD? If not, as was mentioned, probe the parts if you have a probe. If not, and you have access to a large plotter, plot a 1" grid and trace your part(s) onto the grid, then use CAD to recreate. Or, plot your grid directly onto the bot table with a spring-loaded marker and then trace your part onto the table and recreate in CAD.