Article on Etching Artwork

[Anglian]

I bought the issue to add this article to my library as I thought it would come in handy one day.

 

I draw plans in Adobe Illustrator – I use it professionally so it's easy for me. It can output all sorts of file formats including those that CAD can import. (For another hobby project I drew up plans that were imported into CAD which were then going to be milled. The project got stalled due to lack of funds and pre-orders but a good learning experience nevertheless.) However, artwork for etching can be drawn up just using illustrator and the same software is perfect for drawing up decals.

[raymw]

Back in the day,(must be 25years ago, now) I used to supply cad systems to builders/designers, etc. PCs, plotters, digitisers, training etc. Autocad was way overpriced and too complex so I supplied something called 'Pro-design', which was then eventually bought over by IMSI, who more actively market 'Turbo-Cad', which tends to be quite popular in machine/shops, etc. Prodesign was re-badged as DesignCAD, and is what I still use. I know a few others using it for etching work, too. The interface and capabilities are very good, and can apparently do things easier than auto-cad, but IMSI tend, like many software outfits, fix bugs and create more. I looked at Draftsight, and many others, and if I was starting over, that is what I would now recommend. It has good support, and is owned by a reputable company. I'm not sure if the free version handles dwg files, or if you can have both a 32bit and 64 bit version for free. For etching work, you only need 2d and coloured layers. The format of the output will depend on what the etching company want, some will convert formats, some, being sensible, will not. I've not much/any experience of dwg format, but dxf, with its variations tends to be a pita.

 

Of course, if it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

 

edit - found solid works Draftsight download http://www.solidsolutions.co.uk/solidworks/Free-Tools/2D-CAD-DraftSight.aspx?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=DraftSight&utm_term=DraftSight does dwg, mentions xp and w7  - Draftsight owned/developed by Dassault - they know what they are doing.

[PGC]

Neither method works. I think AutoCAD 2005 (which is 32-bit, I think) is just too old to run on Win7 (64-bit).

 

If you have Admin rights on the computer in your office (or if the IT guy trusts you!) try installing Oracle VM virtualbox, start the virtual computer, install XP on that and Robert's your Father's brother.

 

Of course, if you work in a large organisation that has crappy, unfriendly, sh1tty, anally retentive, paranoid or whatever you want to call them, network admins, you almost certainly won't be able to install Oracle VM. 

 

Phil

[Michael Edge]

We run Windows 7 in 32bit, so no problem. Even older software runs happily on virtual XP machines - VMware, also free.

Turbocad can also import bitmap files to be traced over, earlier versions didn't allow the picture to be rotated but later ones (I use v15) can do this. You will probably also need to rescale drawings in both planes, check a vertical dimension as well as a horizontal one. I find it much easier to use brighter colours for my lines rather than dim the drawing - and don't forget to put everything on different layers.

[Down_Under]

For those of you who are interested and have not seen elsewhere there is an excellent article on creating photo etching artwork in the current Model Railway Journal.

Which issue was this? MJR 236?

 

Cheers,

 

J

[Down_Under]

Sorry just noted original post was Jan 2014, so 228?

Sorry just noted original post was Jan 2014, so 228?