Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > Work Bench > Building Techniques
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 10-23-2005, 08:08 AM
kurtschachner's Avatar
kurtschachner kurtschachner is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Southeastern Wisconsin
Posts: 1,243
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl@Semroc
Was that you, Kurt?
I have some Mercury Redstone fins in AI format. I lost your original email and just had the file. I think I was wating for a particular thickness of plywood or something.

If you resend the body of your email (if you have it), I will finish this project. I do remember that the AI format worked very well with the laser cutter since it is vector format. A tif or jpg file takes 10-20 minutes to prepare for the laser cutter.

And, nothing is too little to bother with (since we are little) and we have been busy! (but not too busy to work in some custom work for our friends.)

If you don't see it online, ask.


Ya, that was me. I've gone ahead and finished the Redstone model so don't worry about that one.

Still though, I would like to get other fins laser cut in the future if possible. Laser cutting is awesome for long curves or internal right angles which are impossible to cut exactly by hand. I'll contact you directly when I come across something.

Right now I just counted ten rockets on my workbench I have finished building but aren't quite done with the painting yet, so it may be a little while. I really can't start another one, can I ?
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10-23-2005, 08:13 AM
kurtschachner's Avatar
kurtschachner kurtschachner is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Southeastern Wisconsin
Posts: 1,243
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Sams
That would be real handy. My current method for entering fins is to either trace them on grid paper or trace them in Autocad. Either way, I can read the coordinates and enter them into a spreadsheet, then paste that into the Rocksim data file. Sometimes, I'll manually draw the fin trying to put the vertices on the ascertained coordinates, but the Rocksim fin drawing tool is pretty crappy. The format for entering the coordinates in the data file is pretty crappy, too. Ugh!

A totally awesome helper would be a fin scaling command. In theory, that shouldn't be too difficult in the spreadsheet, but because of the aforementioned crappy data file format, it's not so simple. Plus, you still have to get out of Rocksim, futz around in Excel, then reopen Rocksim (or at least reload the data file). It'd be much better to just open the fin editor in Rocksim and then type in the scale factor.

For that matter, a trace tool would be totally awesome in the engine editor, too (assuming you can get a scan of the burn graph from TMT that isn't keystoned). But Apogee would also need to update the way the engine editor works. When you save from the editor, it wipes out all the comments in your .eng file. F@#$%! I wiped out a painstakingly assembled set of comments (with info such as data source and date) because of futzing with this POS tool. Now I just use it as a viewer.

Doug
Am I the only one who expects better?


Rocksim works well for most stuff but drawing fins isn't one of them. I am not much of an AutoCAD type of person, but drawing them in Adobe Illustrator works well. You can import a scan of anything and put it on a background layer for tracing. After it is drawn you can then scale it to whatever size you desire, and do so accurately. I'm assuming you can do that in a CAD program too, right? You just can't bring it into Rocksim nor scale it there.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 10-23-2005, 08:52 AM
Doug Sams's Avatar
Doug Sams Doug Sams is offline
Old Far...er...Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Plano, TX resident since 1998.
Posts: 3,965
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kurtschachner
...but drawing them in Adobe Illustrator works well. You can import a scan of anything and put it on a background layer for tracing. After it is drawn you can then scale it to whatever size you desire, and do so accurately. I'm assuming you can do that in a CAD program too, right?
Kurt, Yes, Illustrator and Autocad both work well for doing that. In fact, I like Illustrator quite well. It has its quirks, but overall it's awesome. Only problem is the lack of CAD type info and control. Stilted coordinate display. No command line (for entering coordinates for example). I'm driving a 1995 version of Autocad LT, so it's not fair contrasting its shortcomings with recent Illustrator versions, but suffice it to say that it's not very intuitive, and thus is tedious.

You can move between Autocad and Illustrator using the dxf format (IIRC). Things tend to get re-scaled using this, but that's not hard to fix on arrival. (As long as you don't have to keep moving back and forth.)

Autodesk has gotten out of the low end segment, so newer light versions are not available from them. I need to get a new tool. There are several out there in the 0-300 dollar range, and hopefully some of them can read/import Autocad's dwg files.

I guess what I need to do is write a routine which reads the dxf file and spits out the csv format of the Rocksim data files.

Doug
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 10-23-2005, 09:00 AM
hoverhans hoverhans is offline
Intermediate Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chester New Hampshire
Posts: 30
Default

What I normally do is use Corel draw 11. I can import the image and trace it and either print the file as a cdr or export it as a dxf depending on if I am making decals or laser files.

I'm just finishing up some decals for a friend building a 1/4 scale P-51. So far it takes 6 full pages just for the nose art and other markings. I think Corel is the best program for decals and laser files. It is easier to use than cad and exports well to other file types.

On the other end I just finished the files for the wing ribs for my 1/5 scale F4F Wildcat. These I'll run on my laser when I get home.

The cool thing is I tried using my laser to make paper shrouds and they came out great! The tool can make lots of things. All you have to do is try it out. I made paint masks for large scale models using self stick shelf paper. I laser cut the image and put it on the model and painted it. Then pulled the mask off and it was perfect.

Hans
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 11-17-2005, 06:12 AM
hoverhans hoverhans is offline
Intermediate Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chester New Hampshire
Posts: 30
Default

I tried out what the programer told me and it works! I can export the centering rings and fins as .SVG files, and then import them into Corel Draw. From there all I have to do is save them as .dxf files and they go right into the laser cutter. It is sort of a back door way to do it, but it does work well and once saved as .dxf files, I don't have to go back and do the chain again.
Now that I can do that, Rocsim is worth buying for me.

I don't know if it will work with other programs, like AutoCad, but it does work with Corel Draw.
Hans
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 11-20-2005, 02:26 PM
Carl@Semroc's Avatar
Carl@Semroc Carl@Semroc is offline
Junior ??? Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Knightdale, NC
Posts: 1,470
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by hoverhans
..., but it does work with Corel Draw.
Hans
Which version? I just get a jumble with 10.0.
__________________
Carl McLawhorn
NAR#4717 L2
semroc.com
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 11-21-2005, 05:45 AM
hoverhans hoverhans is offline
Intermediate Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chester New Hampshire
Posts: 30
Default

I use version 11. Not sure why you get the jumbles. Maybe 10 can't import .svg files.
Hans
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 12-14-2005, 11:34 AM
hoverhans hoverhans is offline
Intermediate Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chester New Hampshire
Posts: 30
Default

Looks like Tim and Paul added this feature in the new update. version 8 R14. You can download it at Apogees website.
Hans
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:34 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024