Originally Posted by
DW1
Thanks for the link, some very cool and interesting stuff.
My biggest hurdle right now is even knowing how to draw the mold in 3d, this is completely new for me.
Hi There,
Making a 3D mold is not so different to making a 3D model. The only real difference is the direction of the displacement applied to faces in the mesh used to generate gCode.
With this in mind I suggest downloading the cnc4free.org ebook on the tutorial page at http://cnc4free.org
Chapter 2 Describes the process of heightmapping a 2D image into a form that can generate a 3D mesh in great detail. Chapter 6 covers how to get from heightmapped image to mesh. Once you can do this it's simply a matter of inverting the image colour values so that faces displace inwards as opposed to outwards. I would also stress that you DON'T need to spend ANY money to acheive this. FREE software is capable of excellent results when applied correctly.
Regardless of the software used to generate the mesh or the toolpath, the MOST important aspect of the process is the correct application of heightmapping to obtain the desired effect. The images below show an 'artisic' style application but 'parts' type output is created in the same way. If anything it's actually easier to make 'parts' type output.
Hope this helps.
Danny (aka Yohudi)
What one man can do another man can do..
BitMaps to Models, 3D2Relief, tutorials and FREE CNC Software http://cnc4free.org