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Anyone here used Centroid's digitize?
I got my first piece digitized fine.
The problem I have is not being able to find out what programs and procedures to use to convert the dig file to something that can be used in a CAD program.
Anyone been down this road already?
Thanks for any help or tips.
After you have digitized a file, you just need to press F6(Dig to CAD) in order to create the point cloud file. Depending on the version of software that file will either have a .txt or .doc extension but it will have the same name as the name of your digitized file. You would then import that point cloud file, .txt or .doc, into your CAD/CAM software. The only thing is that your CAD/CAM software has to have the ability to import point cloud files. I know that some CAD/CAM systems do not have that ability.
Oh, I did all that. That is the easy part.
The question is what is the next step?
OR
What programs will accept that file as created?
Try Meshlab, which is free, and can convert a point cloud to an .stl file.
I have meshlab. The most unfriendly program on the planet and have accomplished nothing with it yet.
I would appreciate learning how you got meshlab to import the Centroid .dig file.
Thanks
Dave, welcome to the frustrating world of reverse engineering.
I've tried digitizing a couple of items with my Centroid-control mill and that process works OK (but it is slow). Creating a good solid model from the point cloud didn't go so well. I have Rhino which I'm sure can do it, but it is at times one of those pieces of software so powerful it can only be used for good or evil, and I may not know the questions to ask to get directed to the info I need.
I think that if the organic shape is fairly simple you may be better off by not getting carried away capturing a great number of points. Get enough to establish the shape with a grid of XY contour lines (or maybe horizontal topographic might work depending on the shape) and fudge the points in-between. If you are trying to replicate something like a sandcast cover it probably won't be that exact from cover to cover anyway.
There is software that is designed to recognize primitive shapes in point cloud data. NextEngine sells a version of RapidWorks that only works with their scanner output, and that is about $3-4K vs the full version at over $20K. I've tried using that and while just working the tutorials I got bogged down pretty quickly. The learning curve seems very steep.
Rhino has a "surface from a curve network" command that I think may be the tool I'm looking for but I haven't gotten around to experimenting with it. I've watched some tutorials and it seems like it could be the answer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS0Rhysakb8
For a lot of parts it seems like a better (and possibly faster) plan is to use the probe to pick up points from significant features (hole centers, corners, etc) and then use those as guides to building a model in CAD. I did that on a vintage Italian motorcycle engine crankcase I was trying to model. Pick up all the screw holes on the gasket surface, use calipers to figure out what kind of radius from the hole centers was used to set the width of the gasket, then draw circles of that diameter at the points and snap curves tangent to them and start trimming/adjusting as needed. Having a set of inch and metric radius gauges is very useful too.
I had thought digitizing (like CNC) was going to be one of those processes where the part goes on the machine and the magic button is pressed that has the machine figuring out what to do and then doing it. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be at that point just yet.
On the other hand, the Centroid probing cycles are very useful for setting up work/Part Zero and capturing data off of parts.
There's a very good chance that any poor results from my attempts to digitize things are down to my lack of understanding of the process.
cheers,
Michael
Thanks for the info Mike.
Yeah, this is one of those things that tend to aggravate. Advertising and videos lead one to believe it is the second coming.
The reality is much different.
It is been my only real disappointment with Centroid in that they could have followed up and said, now do this, buy this and do that to get to the end result desired.
Centroid is that way ,if there is a problem your whistling in the dark.
Vectric Aspire directly imports Centroid .DIG data.
Other cad/cam systrem will import cloud point data that is produced by Centroid's Dig to Cad. (XYZ points in space)
Centroid .dig format is just G code. you can run a .dig file just like any other G code program.
Centroid's "Dig to Cad" feature, takes the g code part of the .dig file and strips it out and leaves just XYZ points.
Once you have imported the XYZ points into your CAD/CAM system, its up to the CAD/CAM operator to build a surface/solid model from the cloud point data. this is work, not magic.:-)... From there the operator creates the tool paths using the CAD/CAM system.
Kieth,
Any other software choices other than the $2000.00 Vectric Aspire?
Basically I am looking for a bridge between the .dig file and Fusion 360
I have to agree here I purchased the digitizing bundle believing it was set to go and simple to manifest a finished part. Unfortunately the crude reality is that it’s not. Their advertising is misleading in many ways and with only forum support it can take weeks to learn. I’m still learning the process myself.
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Originally Posted by Dave Koehler
hey guys we're not trying to deceive anybody I think it's pretty unfair that you're claiming that our advertising is as such.there's many different ways to use the digitizing cycles in the Centroid control. all digitizing is work no matter if it's centroid or not.. sorry to tell you but there's no magic in digitizing. Anybody that uses digitizing in a workflow will tell you this. Digitizing is not automatic part programming. But it is a powerful tool to reverse engineer hand-shaped 3D parts or pickup complex 2D contours. 3D shapes can be directly cut as the centroid control directly creates g code. Or the 3D shape can be imported in manipulated and a CAD cam system. Hey you're learning something new and you're learning the reality of it and I think you're taking it out on us. I'll be glad to refund your money private message me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uguessedit
And if you're going to make a claim about misleading advertising you should back it ..please give me a specific example of where the advertising is misleading, otherwise you are blowing smoke.???? And as always I'll be glad to take constructive criticism for sure as Centroid has always listened to its customers with their positive feedback to dictate new software features and improvements and that also includes advertising, web pages, videos etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uguessedit
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Koehler
I use this and it works great. I convert mine to DXF.
Phil will help you through it if needed.
https://www.delicad.com/en/rapiddxf.php
I am new to digitizing with Acorn too.
Works exactly like advertised to make 1:1 copys with a mill the same size than the probe tip.
Needs no CAM system for this.
But if you want toolpaths with different tools, you have to convert the point cloud to a mesh,
Freeware for this is Meshlab, works also nice after figuring out the workflow.
Uwe