scan/import into SW?
scan/import into SW?
(OP)
I have a gasket that I'm trying to use to create a flange from. It is kind of a complex shape (for me anyway) and doesn't really have any straight sections, its all curves. Is there a way to trace this gasket or maybe scan it on a document scanner, then be able to import this image into SW? Or even sections of the gasket? Is there any type of utility that will allow me to import this shape or outlines of the holes (not round) and then be something I can manipulate/change once inside SW. I need to get the port shapes imported so I can cut/extrude the holes in the flange that I already have created. If I could scan the shapes a hole, import those into SW as a 2D object, move it onto the flange, into the correct position, then extrude/cut that shape out of the flange.
Its just so hard to measure and I don't feel like it's going to be accurate.
SW newb (2004)
Its just so hard to measure and I don't feel like it's going to be accurate.
SW newb (2004)






RE: scan/import into SW?
Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP2.0 / PDMWorks 05
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RE: scan/import into SW?
One thing to keep in mind is to make sure the scale of the image is correct before you start sketching. What I typically do is create a seperate sketch that is the extreme limits of the object in X and Y. Then I resize the image until it touches those lines.
There are some third party programs out there that will create sketch lines from an image also.
Best Regards,
Jon
Challenges are what makes life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
Solidworks 2005 SP3.0
RE: scan/import into SW?
Make sure your scale is accurate by a pixel count (Photoshop or other image editor) or all this will be a waste of time.
I do this all the time when having to convert an image or logo to a molded-in feature.
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reality is no respecter of good intentions.
RE: scan/import into SW?
1) Make a high-resolution scan into a bitmap file
2) Use raster-to-vector conversion software (e.g. Wintopo) to make a DXF
3) Open the DXF file in SWX and use it as the basis of the sketch. Might prove helpful to process it through ACAD to clean it up first.
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RE: scan/import into SW?
I haven't used it much, but it seems to do a fair job, & once it has been vectorized & cleaned up, it is easy to tweak.
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RE: scan/import into SW?
There are also other ways, such as laser-scanning the entire piece, or using a CMM to take points in your area of interest. I believe this thread has some information on those technologies. For instance, with the FARO arm you can plot shapes in 3D space and save the sketches for importing into SWx.
Speaking from experience in that area, the costs and troubles can be quite high - perhaps it would be worth it to send your part to a prototyping house and let them worry about the best way to produce 3D data?