Subject:
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Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad
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Date:
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Fri, 21 Feb 2003 06:45:42 GMT
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Viewed:
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795 times
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Hello all,
While this certainly hasn't been a secret, I'm not sure anyone else has
noticed: the latest version of TB Software's 3DWin can EXPORT .dat/.ldr files!
Theoretically, this means you can now model a part in a commercial 3D
CAD application like AutoCAD, 3DStudio, Inventor, SolidWorks, Microstation,
etc. (anything 3DWin can import) and then convert those files into something
that LDraw programs can understand.
I've been talking with both Thomas Baier at TB Software and Steve Bliss at the
Ldraw parts library about getting these two applications to work better with
each other, but the more people we get on this the better, so I'm appealing to
the LUGNET CAD community for help. If you have a copy of a commercial 3D
software program and already have some Lego parts created try converting them
using 3DWin and see if they can come up in MLCAD. I'm mainly thinking
about new/strange/wacky parts that aren't already in the LDraw parts library
(Bionicle? Pull-back motors? HP? etc.).
3DWin is a shareware product available from TB Software at the following url:
http://www.tb-software.com/
You can download a demo version of this application for free; the only
limitations are it can only convert one file at a time and there is no preview
of the converted part (you'll have to open it in MLCAD and see if it worked).
The fully authorized version costs about $85 (79 Euros) and comes with preview
and batch file processing.
Here's the procedure (this is also on the 3DWin FAQ page):
-Let's say you model the part in AutoCAD as an ACIS solid model.
-Use AutoCAD's built-in file exporter to convert the solid into a
3DStudio-compatible surface model. This blows your solid model up into
thousands of little polygons (though they're still one object).
-Then use 3DWin to convert that .3ds file into a .dat/.ldr file. (3DStudio
users take note - this means you can go straight from .3ds to .dat!)
-You should now be able to open the part in MLCAD!
OK, not everything is peachy with the results yet, and this is where I'm hoping
someone here can help as well. Here are the known problems so far:
-Everything that's converted is RED. ??
-The converted model is not one part but thousands of faces.
******************************
Steve Bliss adds:
The most serious problem is the converted models don't have any edge-lines.
They also don't take advantage of any of LDraw's'primitives'. The primitives
aren't actually primitives, they're macros. They are subfiles that live in the
ldraw\p\ directory. The most important primitives are files for the studs.
There are also scalable primitives for various geometric shapes, and
non-scalable primitives for lego-specific shapes.
See http://www.ldraw.org/library/tracker/ref/primref/ for complete
information on primitives.
Finally, the files seem fairly large. This is probably the result of not
using primitives.
*******************************
If you are a MLCAD parts author who would be interested in troubleshooting
these new parts, or if you had any ideas on how to make this process work
better, it would be great if you could help too.
Please feel free to post here and I will relay the information (Lego is not
the only part of 3DWin, so they don't frequent LUGNET), or you can reach Thomas
directly through TB Software. Also feel free to contact me directly if you'd
like to see some of my converted parts.
This project is very close to my heart (I teach a 3D AutoCAD class that uses
LEGO kits as a project), so I would really appreciate any help the LUGNET
community could provide.
Thanks,
Darrell Urbien
Orange Coast College CAD
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Message has 4 Replies:
 | | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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| Hi, With all due respect, a big problem that I see here is that 3dWin is a shareware application. Personally, if I do not pay for the likes of Ldraw, MLcad, Lpub, POV or Blender, there is no way I am going to even consider paying for a format (...) (21 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
| | | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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| That's cool and all, but $85 to convert files to freeware is a bit steep. I've been tinkering with some maxscript to allow dat import/export from Gmax which is a freeware "game" tool. Gmax is basically a watered down version of 3DS Max. It's free (...) (21 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
| | | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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| (...) You can already do that with many commercial CAD program by exporting to STL format and use STL2DAT converter. (URL) STL format is an industry standard for rapid prototyping machine. In this format, a part is described with triangle facets, (...) (21 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
| | | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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| Hi Darrell - Sorry I haven't been of much help via email. This is good discussion, but since I'm not a programmer, I can't be of that much value right now. I've got a few suggestions, though. (...) I suggest testing the parts converted using L3Lab (...) (21 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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