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Probably a stupid question but I have an object (dinghy rudder) that I want to create a replica of. My plan is to have the core cnc cut from high density PU foam and then I can laminate it in carbon fibre.
Sounds simple enough but to cnc the foam I need a DXF file which I haven't got - is it possible to have the existing rudder 'traced' to create the file?
What you can do is take a scan of the rudder (depending how big it is) on an A3 scanner, then load that image into CAD software and trace around the image. Then you can save it as a drawing file and then to a DXF. It is pretty simple and I have done it a few times, not with a rudder but with pictures and the like.
You don't have any computer line-drawing of the rudder?
You need a 3D scanning service:
[url= http://www.3dscanners.co.uk/ ]Clicky #1[/url]
[url= http://www.laser-scanning.co.uk/ ]Clicky #2[/url]
[url= http://www.sampleandhold.co.uk/ ]Clicky #3[/url]
Ey, 3D scanning is good - had it done a few times to reverse-engineer existing components back into a digital format
Take it to Northampton Sailboats who have all that kind of gear you need, might cost a couple of quid, failing that call RS Sailboats or Rooster, Steve might know someone who has a scanner etc..
You don't have any computer line-drawing of the rudder?
Yes I've found a DXF of the outline but its the aerofoil shape I'm really after.
Cheers freddyg, I'll take a look at those.
Steve might know someone who has a scanner etc..
good idea, I'll give him a bell.
Google reconstructme its software that uses an xbox kinect to make 3d mesh scans of anything using just the Kinect, your PC and a graphics card. Might be a better deal than paying for it to be done just once. Its amazing, i saw an early demo, and it's only got better.
Wow, that's pretty cool!
Do you know what the aerofoil section of the existing rudder is? If it is a NACA profile (very quick Google suggests NACA0010 as a common profile) then it is easy to create a DXF from scratch, which you can then scale to the right chord length.
If you're not doing it for profit, you can just take photos from many angles and use VisualSFM (google it) to create the 3d model.
Accuracy will depend on quality of photos and resolution. Use plenty light and keep it constant between shots (move the camera round the object, not the other way round) but mm level accuracy should be fairly easily achievable.
The output is a pointcloud which you can then mesh with various free tools, a rudder should work quite well as it's an "easy" shape to mesh.
If you need more info than the above, that would be a long forum post, and you probably need to pay someone to do it...
FWIW it took my about a morning to go from no software to a scan of my desk.
Brilliant - thanks guys, plenty of options 🙂