Compound Cut Design Software?

[playmeforafool]

I was wondering if anyone was aware of any software that could help design compound cut patterns? Something where you could draw the two side designs (like the dolphin shown here - http://www.ibs-austin.net/websites/S...fault.asp?ID=3 ) and then it would show you in 3-d what it would look like?

[MikeDingas]

There's a 3D software package called Anim8or that will somewhat do what you want. You create a 3D image and can print out the views that would compose a compound pattern. I've tried it and it's a pretty powerful but complex to learn so haven't gotten far in actually creating a compound pattern.

Its free at www.anim8or.com.

[pegwinn]

That animator is a toughie. I don't have a problem drawing patterns free hand except that they are not scaled right and aligning the views is troublesome. Hepe we find something that works.

[Joe Rex]

I use Autodesk Inventor for crafts and stuff, its a full 3d CAD program and is super simple to use. You can do fancy stuff so if you change one single dimension it will change the size of 3 or more different parts. I usually don't bother since its so easy to make new parts and change them individually. In the sleigh shown the left and right side of the carriage are both based on the same dimensions. The parts in inventor are created in a 2d sketch environment or in 3d if you prefer, I just do 2d for most stuff.

I probably misunderstood what you mean by compound cut patterns.


Heres the sleigh picture of a design I was just playing with. Resized for web.

[Rolf]

Joe ,
Inventor is not exactly a cheap program,
I use Autocad8 and sometimes Inventor. It is not somthing most people have access to.

[GrayBeard Phil]

Joe Rex:

You tried to sneak in here, but you got caught anyway. You need to be welcomed to the forum.

Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

Please go the the New Members section and tell us about yourself. How long you been scrolling and so on.

You are one of the few members here who use a CAD program for designing. Most just use a vector graphic program like CorelDraw or a bitmap program like Paint Shop Pro (PSP).

Are you knowledgeable about other CAD programs with 3D like TurboCAD, or the Linux OpenSource CAD programs with limited 3D? AutoCad (any version) is way out of the budget for most scroll sawyers.

So how did you learn AutoCAD? AutoCAD Inventor have any extra learning curve to master? What kind of box do you run it on? Last place I worked the AutoCAD guy had a "CAD Workstation" with dual processors both with hypertheading. That box had something like 6 cooling fans, and 4 hard drives.

Again, Welcome to the forum.

Phil