Digital Scanner for picking up 2D Profiles?

[snowshooze]

I was chatting with a fellow and asking him how he was generating his 2D geometry to dump into his CAD software, and he said he started with a digital scan.
As we were both too busy to chat, I had to let him go.
Anybody understand what he told me, and what sort of scanner would be required?
That would be great for flat-work.
Thanks!!!
Mark

 

[SteveEx30]

Do it right from your phone with dxf camera ap. Export a dxf file.

I'm sure there's many other/better ways too.

 

[snowshooze]

I am no good with phones.
Can you recommend one an application?
Thanks,
Mark

 

[couch]

If it is small enough, scan it on your print/copy/scanner with a scale/ruler next to the part. Many of the newer CAD packages can import images. Bring the scan in and scale it, then trace the features.

 

[snowshooze]

Average, probably 6" x 24"
Up from there.

 

[jhov]

He probably traces a digital photo. This thread may be helpful. https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...photographs-of-2d-shapes-into-dxf-dwg.410908/

 

[BluishInventor]

We used to use digitizers on old Mylar prints from Boeing. It's a calibrated tool for capturing points, then which you import the dxf into a CAD software and create geometry from. If you want more of a professional/industrial approach anyways...

 

[CarbideBob]

Converting a scan or picture to a CAD dxf is no small task.
One of these is much different than the other.
Yes the old tried and true sobel helps but still not lines and arcs and full of errors.
Seems like it should be easy and we will get there but a long ways to go.

 

[precisionmetal]

I have found that I get the best results by not using a phone -- rather a real camera with a relative long lens (or a zoom lens). Get as far away as practical to minimize parallax in the photo. I usually mount the camera on a tripod and check that the camera is the same "height" as the center of the object.

Exactly as "couch" says in message #4, I've often done this on bicycle frames -- drop the photo into F360, scale to a known dimension (something "long" like the measured wheelbase dimension of the bike) and then just trace the edges. I can usually get sub-millimeter accuracy from a photo taken from 50' away. Oh... I always try to take photos outdoors, so there are no weird shadows from lighting.

Parallax and shadows seem to be the biggest enemies of getting good results.

PM

 

[Digital Factory]

Flatbed scanners are cheap and provide more accurate 2D profiles than cameras, which are susceptible to lens distortion.

 

[memphisjed]

If it is simple a phone picture and trace in cad. As it gets more complex or organic I use illustrator and have it trace for me. Sometimes near perfect, other times good enough to move the tracing into cad and use those points as snap locations.

 

[len_1962]

try this one , did a pretty good job, SVG's for laser and in the CAD option it gives DXF

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