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I was told to buy a digitizing tablet to draw the flat parts that I have cut with a water jet and laser. if I buy a Kurta XLC 3648 below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=024

can I make points that will go right into AutoCad so I can spline them together?

I have been using calipers and a square to measure small parts, which has worked out, when I need to do much larger drawings I don't have the proper tools and was told a Digitizing Tablet would be a big help. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[funcscan]

I have used a product from tti (template tracer inc) which is pretty good but you have to give up real estate for it (12'x3.5' roughly). This one creates the dxf complete file from your template (fillets,lines,arc,) in closed polygons. it was design for the counter top industry but similar to application. Used you can pick them up for 2k-3k us dollar. half of the granite counter top guys are going out of business.

[rcpilot82]

I was told the same thing. I have a 12X12 digitizer for my parts

[funcscan]

the biggest problem with these machines is that they are only as accurate as the eye sight of the operator

[jpgdesigns]

Just a few thing to keep in mind:
1. Driver... be sure you can get the drivers for ACAD or which ever software you want to use it with
2. No metal objects on digitizer... digitizer uses magnetic field to locate position, typically can digitize through books or multiple sheet (<3/4" thick)
3. operator technique has alot of impact on accuracy of final part.

Back in the '90s, I convince my employer to purchase the same digitizer in the example with digitizing software made for digitizing templates. In the 4.5 years I worked there we used it for one and only one project. It was an abstract art project and the parts were 3 times the size of the digitizing area. We were able to digitize 32 of these oversize abstract parts in a few days, and the cut parts were "close enough" for the artist client.
The software we were using was FastCOPY: FastCOPY
Having the tools (hardware/software) dedicated to digitizing line and arc geometry, is way more productive than popping points into ACAD.

[funcscan]

the unit i am talking about uses a laser pointer and material does not effect the process. the encoding is done through a magnetic strip that reads x,y in relation to the location of the laser.

[funcscan]

you can also use a fixed rod in place of the laser and do a physical contact trace of the part then offset the spline (the diameter of the rod) that is created in your dxf file

[funcscan]

here is the link to the machine. somebody creative could rework this simple technology and make it work for them.

http://www.templatetechnologies.com/template-tracer.php