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2D PDF drawings of commercially available parts are prolific, not so with 3D models. Oftentimes designers have to create a 3D model using a PDF drawing. This session will demonstrate live how to efficiently accomplish this using a free tool that converts unusable PDF graphics to usable geometry. Participants can then see how the Create 3D command in Solid Edge transforms the 2D sketches into 3D models. This is a time-saver and produces more accurate parts than manual modeling. This session will be useful for any level of designer.
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Efficient & Accurate Conversion of 2D PDF to 3D models
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Jason Wooden Mechanical Designer
Space Dynamics Laboratory- Utah State University-Logan, UT
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Education: 3 years of drafting in high school. Degrees from Utah State University (USU): A.A.S. in Drafting, B.S. in Industrial Teacher Education and M.S. in Industrial Technology. Tooling designer for DeLorean Manufacturing Company (Snow-cat Division).
Design engineer for Icon Health and Fitness, folding treadmill patent. Taught CAD part-time at USU and a local community
college for about six years.
Since 1998 mechanical designer at SDL. Extremely rewarding to design “stuff that goes into space.”
About myself
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The Space Dynamics Laboratory is over 50 years old and is a not-for-profit unit of the Utah State University Research Foundation. Around 350 employees.
SDL solves the technical challenges faced by the military, science community, & industry in these key areas:
Electro-optical and space environment sensors and subsystems for over 400 rocket-borne and space-based payloads (more than any other university).
Calibration and characterization techniques and facilities.
CubeSat busses and small-scale satellite components.
Data compression, processing, and exploitation.
Real-time reconnaissance data visualization hardware and software for operational military applications.
Company has been using Solid-Edge for design software since 2003.
About my company
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Airborne IR & Visible 2-axis gimbaled sensor system with 3-axis stabilization* & geo-registration.
Recent project: EyePOD
*USPTO 12/339,444
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Recent project: Suncatcher
Design, Document, Fab, Test & install < 3 months.
Fully automated sun-tracking instrument for AFRL.
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Recent project: ARSS
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/planes-uavs/4313331
Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System is a lightweight gimbaled weapon platform that can hit a small moving target at 1000m from a hovering rotorcraft.
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In my line of work, roughly 1/3 of all parts
that make up an assembly (excluding fasteners)
are Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS).
Frustration: All COTS parts that we model
ALREADY EXIST and have certainly been modeled previously!
More often than not, it’s very difficult to get copies of these models.
• Try contacting the company (yeah right, NDAs, etc.)
• Web libraries like PartCommunity, TraceParts, 3DContentCentral, etc. have only a small fraction of everything COTS. User dependent, accuracy?
On the other hand, PDF data sheets of COTS parts are prolific- but often lack the level of dimensioning required to accurately model the part.
Even if sufficiently dimensioned, manual modeling from a PDF is cumbersome and mistake-prone.
Keep it digital: How can a designer use Solid Edge to go directly from a digital PDF data sheet to a solid model?
Challenge: 2D PDF to 3D model
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Step 1: Open the PDF with Inkscape*
*free download at http://inkscape.org/download/
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Step 2: Clean-up the PDF
Use “ungroup” and “delete” to isolate the geometry.
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Step 3: Save the PDF as a DXF
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Scale geometry if needed (scale factor= size in real life ÷ size in SolidEdge).
Step 4: Open the DXF in SolidEdge Draft
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More on this from Dan Swartz at 10:30 am.
Step 5: use the Create 3D command
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Synchronous really shines in this step.
Step 6: Create a 3D model using the 2D sketches
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Part shown in next assembly
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Example: GPS splitter
SE Part Model
SE Part sketches
SE Draft
2D PDF drawing
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Example: PCB
SE Part Model
SE Part sketches
SE Draft
2D PDF drawing
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Example: Thermal Weapon Sight
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Conclusion
When won’t it work?
Scanned PDFs can’t be saved as DXFs (scanned PDFs are obvious by their look).
Holes & fillets sometimes have to be re-drawn in SE.
Live demo…
Who would like to see the ability to open PDFs in ST6?
Questions/comments?