Producing views for manufacture without 3D

Special Interest Areas footwear & softgoods
1

Hi, when a design needs prototyping, and a set of 3 views with measurements is needed, what software (if any) do you use?

Obviously the design hasn’t been finalized to a precise degree so it hasn’t come to 3D yet, so a set of drawings with measurements is needed - Photoshop doesn’t really have a particularly accurate ruler and SBP doesn’t have any measurement tool, so does everyone use Illustrator? Are there any other programs which might be better?

Cheers

Adam

2

Autocad or Illustrator drawings should do the trick.

3

This is may not be the easiest method, but it is doable with a little tweaking.

You could create jpgs of the views that you are interested in dimensioning and import them to Solidworks as images within a sketch. You can then trace the images for a view sketch or place points on the image to which you could place a dimension on a drawing – there is no need to create 3d geometry. When importing the image, you will have to have an idea of what a few dimensions should be though – the image will come in full-size and will need to be scaled down to match reality.


In SW you can then create your drawing sheet and drawing view on your sheet. In the drawing view you can then make your sketch visible, which will allow you to place dimensions on it where you have traced or placed points.

4

Even when the design is finalized to a precise degree i do all of my tech work in illustrator. I do not 3d model but with enough views and cross sections in illustrator the mold maker generally does not have a problem.

5

Illustrator with CADTools plugin was one way but I used to love firing up my old copy of Ashlar Vellum. That drafting DA assistant was the sh*t back in the day.

3D is so quick these days you can build it in 3D and pump out 2D views haha. It’s like going back to a horse and carriage though when you have a car.

6

Err what about the last? Unless you have a last and can take that into account - any measurements you give will only be a guide. If you want to be really accurate, then get out a tape measure and check your measurements on the last.