 | | Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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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 (...) (22 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | 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 (...) (22 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | 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 (...) (22 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | 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, (...) (22 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) Hi Miguel - You bring up a good point. I wonder, Darrell, if you could work with Thomas Baier to possibly have the to-from LDraw format part be free of charge, period? It wouldn't affect his market for cross-advanced 3D format conversions, (...) (22 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | 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 (...) (22 years ago, 21-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) snip (...) Hi Miguel, I've been discussing this with your co-author Kevin Clauge about this as well (BTW, I'm enjoying your book very much!). Let me try to clarify my position if I can.. I'm not trying to say EVERYONE should be using 3DWin. (...) (22 years ago, 24-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) Hi Tim, First of all, the demo version is free. With it, you can convert as many files as you want (you just have to do them one at a time, and you don't get the pretty preview images). It's up to your conscience whether you decide to upgrade (...) (22 years ago, 24-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) format and use STL2DAT converter. (...) I haven't had great success converting files from AutoCAD - perhaps I'm doing something wrong? It could also be a fault with Autodesk's .stl converter. Also do you mind me pointing Thomas to your site? I (...) (22 years ago, 24-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) Let me clarify this statement - When I was originally looking at file converters, I was specifically looking for .dat to .dxf converters so I could use LDraw parts for reference in AutoCAD. There are a couple of these linked through LDraw.org. (...) (22 years ago, 24-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) Have you tried MAX2DAT at all? (...) Have you tried DAT2DXF for this? (...) I too would like a 2 way program as using 2 different progs is time consuming and inaccurate. (Hmm... sounds like a project I could work on) -Orion (22 years ago, 25-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) No, but this is one of the good things about posting onto Lugnet - I'm learning about all of these other translators. I guess the final test is: Can the parts authored in XX software and converted through YY converter be accepted as official (...) (22 years ago, 25-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) The short answer to this question is, in most cases, yes The long answer is most converters do not have significant enough primitive detection to submit a part immediately after conversion. For example, STL2DAT detects cylinders, sort of, but (...) (22 years ago, 25-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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Hi Darrell, My point was that asking people to help someone develop their commercial software is somewhat of a bold proposition. However, I did not know that 3Dwin had a free version with batch-convert de-activated and that is something worth (...) (22 years ago, 25-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) Excellent point, and one I hadn't considered. I suppose I can just out and out ask him if he minds AFOL using the demo version only, especially since they would be helping him debug the product. He's aware that most LDraw related software is (...) (22 years ago, 25-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) If the other translators (3DWin, MAX2DAT, STL2DAT) wind up as dead ends, I would definitely be interested. What do you have so far? The major hang ups for the other two are edge lines and primitives. What do your converted parts look like? (...) (22 years ago, 25-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) Sorry to be the major poster on my own thread! ]-( This doesn't really have anything to do with CAD-DAT conversion, but I'll offer it up anyway to bump the topic! LOL I was writing a message to Thomas about the latest mods we made to some (...) (22 years ago, 27-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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Out of curiosity, why doesn't 3dwin include colour information when converting from .dat to .3ds? Does anyone know if this is supported in anyway or am I just missing out on something. All I get is gray models in 3d studio max. Karl ----- Original (...) (22 years ago, 28-Feb-03, to lugnet.cad)
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| | Re: Converting AutoCAD/3D Studio/etc. to .dat with 3DWin
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(...) I just got a note from Thomas at 3DWin, and I misspoke in my reply to Tim Courtney elsewhere in this thread. The demo version of this software is NOT exactly the same as the $85 version less the preview and batch processing. There are two (...) (22 years ago, 3-Mar-03, to lugnet.cad)
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