Anyone have a CAD drawing of an S30?

[mdbrandy]

Why not scan Line art in and use a scalar to vector converter?

Swapping from jpg, gif, tip or even psd to DFX or anyother vector format is a very simple thing-I think R10 and newer have the converter as part of the package-if not there are shareware converters readily available.

Will

Another thing I am not particularly familiar with. The only graphics package I have right now is JASC Paintshop Pro, and I was just trying to see if it had a raster to vector converter and I don't think so. Never had to do it before. I can save from Paintshop to .psd, .gif, .jpeg or whatever. Don't know what R10 is - is it a package or a format? Do you have a favorite shareware converter?

[hls30.com]

Autocad Revision 10.

Designcad has a converter built in, The epson dot matrix Printhead scanner upgrade came with a converter.

Most of the shareware libraries have a free converter in them.

While I do not have a favorite-I use the one built into designcad- here is a list of a few available on TUCOWS.

Raster to Vector

This stand-alone program converts scanned drawings, maps and raster... Shareware 98, NT, 2k, Me, XP, 95, 2003

Vector Trance

This screen saver shows mathematical visual display of vector based... Never Rated Freeware 98, NT, 2k, Me, XP, 95, 2003

Algolab Photo Vector

This is a vectorizer and image cleaner for CAD and CAM designers. Never Rated Shareware 98, NT, 2k, Me, XP, 95

Vector

This is a dark blue theme. Never Rated Freeware XP

Vector Graphics ActiveX

This graphics component can be used by other applications to process... Freeware 98, NT, 2k, Me, XP, 2003

Will

[Gav240z]

I'm not sure if this would help but I'll be looking to build a model of a 240z in 3D studio Max It's been ages since I've modelled anything in MAX but I'm going to do a few tutorials and make it as accurate as possible following some technical drawings will help.

I know it's not Autocad but would this be helpful?

[mdbrandy]

I'm not sure if this would help but I'll be looking to build a model of a 240z in 3D studio Max It's been ages since I've modelled anything in MAX but I'm going to do a few tutorials and make it as accurate as possible following some technical drawings will help.

I know it's not Autocad but would this be helpful?

Depends on whether it is vector or rastor and whether it can output vector files I can do anything with. I'm playing with some raster to vector image conversion stuff like hls30 suggested, but having only mediocre sucess so far getting it into a format I can use. Unfortunately my grid software only accepts limited input formats. Anyway, see what formats it can save in.

[GunnerRob]

I've spent 2 hrs trying to find a DWG (Autocad drawing), an IGES or even a DXF 3d model and came up empty. It looks like Gav240z is about your only hope, unless of course you have access to a 3d digitizer to scan a 1/24 scale model, or a really BIG one to digitize your Z car (maybe JPL in Pasadena has one you could use ).

[mdbrandy]

I've spent 2 hrs trying to find a DWG (Autocad drawing), an IGES or even a DXF 3d model and came up empty. It looks like Gav240z is about your only hope, unless of course you have access to a 3d digitizer to scan a 1/24 scale model, or a really BIG one to digitize your Z car (maybe JPL in Pasadena has one you could use ).

Bummer to hear! Oh well, maybe one of these guys will be industrious, or I'll see what kind of 2D/3D raster to vector sort of thing I can come up with. I was able to get a 2D vector outline (approximately), but I haven't gotten it into a form I can use yet. We'll see. Now it's off to the "real" job!

[Carl Beck]

Hi Mark (everyone):

I'm rather surprised, given the pace of advancing technologies in related fields, that you couldn't simply find a service bureau that could scan one of the Franklin Mint's die cast models and output a 3D Model... for something close to $100.00. Gee, you can buy a Super Computer for your desktop today for a couple grand!

I called a service bureau here in Clearwater, and the cost was estimated to be about $2K. YEIKS!! As I talked to the nice man, the cost driver was the manual work necessary to take the scanned image from the Point Cloud output by the laser scanner, to the finished model.

He said that if one of you guys had the RINO S/W... then you could take the Point Cloud and do the work yourself.. which would save a lot of the costs.

Looking on ebay.. there is a Roland LPX-250 3D Laser Scanner (Demo Model) Item number: 7520552715 with a Buy-it--now price of $7495.00

The man I talked to here in Clearwater is a Roland Dealer.. he said that is a very low price for that model.. and that it could certainly be used to scan a die cast model of the Z. He said that the LPX-250 came with a pretty good software package.. and again at the price point nothing else on the market was close.. next step up is a $20K system.

These are Laser Scanners... but there are also other alternatives we could look into.. there are also scanner systems based on taking photo images and doing the conversion to a 3D model etc.

So, can you find 10 people that would pay $200.00 each for a 3D model, that they could input to their modeling/analysis programs? Do you know anyone that uses/has the RHINO S/W? Maybe you could sell 100 240Z owners a 3D surface model of the 240Z.. that they could play with for $20.00 a copy, or maybe they would buy several different 2D views of the 240-Z that they could use in simple drawing packages or as vector based clip art?...

Like I said, there simply has to be an economical way to get a die cast model scanned in 3D today.... We need to find that method, or that service...

Maybe a new side business for you Mark? Do 74 scan jobs for $100.00 each and you'd own your own scanning system... Should be able to easily find 74 small items that people want scanned... with the power of the Internet today.. Maybe start an ebay business selling 3D surface models of items.. Porsche/Ferrari Owners Models etc...

I'll keep looking... everyone keep thinking.. researching, this has got to be something simple and cheap to get done. Mark, how fine grain or high resolution a model do you need?

FWIW,

Carl

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[mdbrandy]

Hi Mark (everyone):

I'm rather surprised, given the pace of advancing technologies in related fields, that you couldn't simply find a service bureau that could scan one of the Franklin Mint's die cast models and output a 3D Model... for something close to $100.00. Gee, you can buy a Super Computer for your desktop today for a couple grand!

Like I said, there simply has to be an economical way to get a die cast model scanned in 3D today.... We need to find that method, or that service...

Maybe a new side business for you Mark?

I'll keep looking... everyone keep thinking.. researching, this has got to be something simple and cheap to get done. Mark, how fine grain or high resolution a model do you need?

It's amazing what you don't think of. It wasn't a month ago that I was in a meeting here at UIUC with a professor doing surface laser scanning in the CS department.

http://graphics.cs.uiuc.edu/~garland/papers.html

I'll touch base with him and see what it might take to get my die cast model scanned...

That would still leave the raster to vector conversion to do, but it would be a 3D model.

In terms of resolution, as a vector description, there isn't a "pixel" resolution per se, so it comes down to what resolution of attributes is desired on the actual model to be calculated in the CFD simulation. For gross flow-field results, small details, and in fact, medium level details aren't needed. For more detailed boundary-layer turbulence studies, details at less that a cm scale can be important for a model as big as a car. We generally start at a gross level and refine as needed. Our models of the space shuttle RSRM boosters (which are 30+ meters) currently have a resolution in the 1 to 5 cm range for the grids, but we haven't moved into turbulence or particle tracking yet. Still trying to get the gross flow-field right.

Anyway, good ideas!

Mark

[EricB]

What you guys need is basically my services... that's exactly what I do...

I am a digital modeler and build automotive surfaces from scan data and designer sketches here at the BMW design studio in Newbury Park (CA). Problem is that to surface a car correctly we're talking at least 60hrs of work... And of course for it to be accurate you need good data to start from... Using the side/front/rear view illustrations from say a Tamiya 1/12 box or the factory service manual will only get you so far.... To make it perfect I'd have to convince the guy running the laser scanner to at the very least scan all the major feature lines on the Z and some sections of the bodyside, roof, and hood on my Z for me to be able to build an accurate surface model of it. Basically a lot of work has to happen for an IGES model to be available to you all...

I do have an unbuilt 1/12 Tamiya S30Z and maybe I could bring it in and see if he would scan that for me?? Don't hold your breath though as the guy's somewhat of a sourpuss.

I wonder if some enterprising software programmer types couldn't (haven't already??) crack the code of GT4 and export the poly model of the S30Z and use that as a basis? Just a thought...

[mdbrandy]

What you guys need is basically my services... that's exactly what I do...

I am a digital modeler and build automotive surfaces from scan data and designer sketches here at the BMW design studio in Newbury Park (CA). Problem is that to surface a car correctly we're talking at least 60hrs of work... And of course for it to be accurate you need good data to start from... Using the side/front/rear view illustrations from say a Tamiya 1/12 box or the factory service manual will only get you so far.... To make it perfect I'd have to convince the guy running the laser scanner to at the very least scan all the major feature lines on the Z and some sections of the bodyside, roof, and hood on my Z for me to be able to build an accurate surface model of it. Basically a lot of work has to happen for an IGES model to be available to you all...

I do have an unbuilt 1/12 Tamiya S30Z and maybe I could bring it in and see if he would scan that for me?? Don't hold your breath though as the guy's somewhat of a sourpuss.

I wonder if some enterprising software programmer types couldn't (haven't already??) crack the code of GT4 and export the poly model of the S30Z and use that as a basis? Just a thought...

Yup. That sounds like what I'm trying to do! What is GT4? I'm much more an engineer/fluid dynamics/solid mechanics sort of guy than I am graphics. I build meshes to facilitate my engineering analyses, but I usually start from someone elses CAD work except in the simplest cases...

[EricB]

GT4 = Gran Turismo 4

It will probably be a rough poly model though... I'll ask about scanning the 1/12 scale... Don't think it's a white light scanner so I wouldn't expect a point cloud or anything... probably only feature lines... we'll see though...

-e

[wal280z]

Looking for essentially a surface shell drawing of an S30 chassis. All the talk of drag coefficients and such in one of the other current threads has made me want to see what would happen if I tried modeling one of our cars...(snipped) Would need to be either a format that Pro/Engineer can read, or a generic IGES file exported from your CAD system that I can read into our finite element mesh generation code. Even a 2D elevation outline might be interesting.

Back in the day, AutoCad (IIRC, version 14) had what was I think a fully modeled drawing of a '57 Chevy supplied as a part of their sample drawings. Can you test your program with that to see if the programs would mesh?

I will do some digging to see if I can find it at home.

Just a thought...

Wayne