David,

I think the methods of creating CAD files will vary from package to package.
and what you could read in general books will not tell you what you want to
know. I opted for Autocad as being industry You can also use CAD for 3D
images of a component which is to be created on a machine station, or by
laser techniques in resin, but I suggest you walk before running that fast.
That's how people like Slaters make patterns direct from drawings with no
manual intervention, but its not for amateurs. standard, but it is
expensive and many people use TurboCAD with equal success. For modelling we
only touch the real basics of what CAD can do, so almost any package will do
the job, but I'd suggest you make sure it can write .dxf files which are
also an industry standard.. I also enrolled at a local technical college
for an introductory course. By half way through the second term of one
evening a week I knew all I needed for model making and we were starting on
things like 3D and moving images.

What you use them for will vary also. If, for example, you want to create
CAD files for etching, then the thickness of lines, diameter of holes,
allowance for etch factor, are best discussed with the company you intend to
use for the etching. I use Grainge & Hodder, who will happily send you some
brief guidance notes and talk through problems on the phone. If you want
the CAD files for laser cutting, then the whole thing is different because
there is no etch factor, but sizes of holes etc will depend on the thickness
of metal, type of metal and other things.

I am not an expert at CAD, but have used it for many things and if you'd
like to chat through what you want, please give me a call.

Mike
www.williamsmodels.co.uk


-----Original Message-----
From: halfinchlivesteamforum@...
[mailto:halfinchlivesteamforum@...]On Behalf Of david_steam
Sent: 24 March 2007 16:01
To: halfinchlivesteamforum@...
Subject: [Half inch live steam forum] CAD files


Are there any good books or web resource on creating, or using CAD
files?

David





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