2d to 3D CADD Conversion Services

2d to 3D CADD Conversion – The Devil is in the Details

The 2d to 3D CADD Conversion process can be approached many different ways. The exact methodology of the conversion will dictate what can be done with the resultant model. The reality is that you get what you pay for. A sloppy conversion will get you a “dumb” solid, which is useful for creating renders and for use as a stand-in for a purchased item in an assembly, but if you are going to manufacture the item, you need to have a 2d to 3D CADD Conversion that contains more information.

For instance, the circles that represent holes in 2D AutoCAD drawing below (seven of them), should be turned into a Hole Feature in the conversion. There are several reasons for this. The first is that a model with properly identified features can be converted to the majority of the parametric modeling programs out there without loss of information. The second reason, and arguably the most important, is that parametric modeling programs such as Autodesk Inventor have automated functions for hole locations that can be automatically shown in drawings, or used to automate shop machinery.

Here is a peek at what a hole table can look like in the drawing environment…

…of course the drawing would generally have more detail added that shown, but as is, it took less than a half minute to create.  The same holds true for chamfers, bends, etc. The chamfer note below was created with the click of a button –featureless models will not do that. They bring very little to the table. 

So compare apples to apples when shopping for 2D to 3D CADD Conversion services –they are NOT all created equal!

A 2D to 3D CADD Conversion sample case  

To get the images shown here, I converted one of the sample files that comes with AutoCAD 2013, trolly_structure.dwg… 

 The trolly_structure.dwg is a Model Space only drawing, there are no Paper Space printable drawings available. There are no notes or dimensions anywhere, but all of the information I needed was there in the lines, it just needed to be converted… 

 Here is a screen shot of the model using the IBL (Image based Lighting) feature in Autodesk Inventor. Click on the image to get the full sized image where you can see the file structure in the browser on the left. As you can see, this is a complete assembly… 

And here is a rendering of the model. If you need to create sales literature, a fully featured 3D model is render ready…

 Which brings us to the video. In the 2D to 3D CADD Conversion video below, I pick apart the model and show a bit more detail than can be shown here on a 2D page.

Thank you for stopping by Applied Design Intelligence and reading this 2D to 3D CADD Conversion post! Be sure to check out our other posts as well as the ADI home page where you can find links to all of our Autodesk Inventor Services.