The sheet metal applications use 2D geometric parameters to control the 3D transformations. I've no plans at the moment to use a 3D interface to control the design although I can see this is needed when oblique cuts are made in different planes. You can of course export 3D dxf and vrml if you need to import 3D data into other applications. Also I'm building a 3D OpenGL viewer for users who do not have a double sided rendering application on their PC. Just seeing the 3D transformation can help verify a design.
TyFace viewer.
Yes, SEGB now allows the face data to be exported and you can find the information on how to read the TyFace file format and 3D viewer. Unfortunately, STOR does not yet export TyFace file but v1.1 will correct this and all future development will provide this file format. The file format may develop over the next year and the documentation can be found on the 3D viewer page.
Release 1.02 (check your about box to see which version you are running)
You can now set the User Interface into metric [mm] or imperial [in] and any subsequent scaled printout will be in your preferred choice of units without the need for manual conversion. The choice of units is stored in an ini file when you start the application it will drive up in your favored units. The tystor file format has changed and now contains units information. Say you send your tystor file to another company then when they open the file the correct units will be associated with the file. Release 1.02 will open the older file format but will remain in the default units system you have chosen. Always confirm the overall dimension with sheet metal shop. There's always scope for a mistake when we all use different measurement standards.
Beta Version 1,2 and 3, Release 1.00:
I'm afraid it's lacking with the imperial measurements and I'll make it a priority for version 2. A lack of foresight on my part. All version 1 users get version 2 free. Because the application is built with consistent units and as long as you enter the dims (but not a mixture of units) the calculation will be correct. e.g. (say) 6 inch round and 12 inch square the calculations will be OK - although having a printout showing 6mm when you mean 6in is a recipe for disaster
I've got a couple of work around's that may help you.
(say) 6 inch round and 12 inch square you could manually calculate and enter the following:
6inx25.4mm/in=152.4mm
12inx25.4mm/in=304.8mm
and then when you print to scale 1:1 you'll get the dims you need.
Another option is to ignore the [mm] and enter the dims in inches (say) 6 and 12. and then export as a DXF. Import the DXF into your CAD App. (if you have one) and then scale up the geometry by 25.4
I've been informed and I've checked the case for TurboCAD that is if you open the DXF in an imperial template then there's no need to scale up the geometry. Please check the dims from within your CAD system to make sure you are getting the dims you expect.
I've no plans to support other units or a mixture of units at this time.
A bug that escaped through beta testing but does not effect the limited edition. Some applications require header and layer information. The DXF files exported should now work in the majority of CAD applications and DXF viewers. A patch has been released to all full version users which creates a layer called STORV1 for all the inserted geometry and fixes a couple of bugs with my original DXF export functions.
Here's 3 test files you can download and test in your application.
testdxf_pattern.dxf {Use Right Button and Save Target AS}
testdxf_2D.dxf {Use Right Button and Save Target AS}
testdxf_3D.dxf {Use Right Button and Save Target AS}
Please email me at sheetmetal@tyharness.co.uk if for some reason the DXF does not open in your CAD system and I'll look into the problem. If possible send me a simple test file that does import into your software and I should be able to work out why the import fails.
The program produces a red box when there's an invalid string of letters. Not that your input is invalid just that your OS locale is using comma's (,) instead of decimal (.).
The only work around is to put windows into a UK or USA locale or maybe customize your locale.
From the Control panel go to Regional options.
You can customize your own locale and the decimal symbol needs to be a (.) point. I'm not sure if this will effect any of your other programs (especially data bases) - Be Careful.
I'll see if I can come up with a programmatic way of solving the decimal point/locale issue.
Several software applications allow you to uncompress a WinZip file. XP will uncompress the file by selecting the file with the Right Button and choosing extract to folder. If you've got an earlier version of Windows then WinZIP or WinRAR will also extract the zip file using the same technique.
Once the zip file is extracted it should just leave the setup.exe (inside a folder) then Double left button click on the setup.exe file and software should then install. It's just the bog standard Installshield and once started click next - next etc. Once installed there should be a desktop icon to launch the program and also a start programs thc sheetmetal icon to launch as well.
You may need admin privileges to install software. The install is best done by the administrator because their are no license restrictions on the number of users so the administrator can just allow all users to use the software. Any further trouble with installing then please let me know.
You can add the wrl file into a larger scene wrl file with inline url and the translate/rotate commands allow assembly. It's a bit more complex than what I've made out but here's a example page I hope will get you started.
VRML sheet metal assembly
Also, CAD systems have 3D tools to allow you assemble 3D objects.
Just check that when printing patterns that the scale on the status bar is 1:1 and when printed the top left of the paper states at what scale the pattern was printed. Right button click on the displayed scale and then set it to 1:1. If like me you can't resist scrolling the mouse wheel by accident then apply the scale lock and the mouse wheeling and wheel click won't rescale the drawing.
There's some more info at : Printing 1:1 when the pattern larger than the paper
I'm working to fully integrate all the features to work in Windows Vista for future versions and here's a page with the current test results.
Vista Test page
It works OK but the original help files installed can not be read. W7 offers to download a viewer but all the help files are available online so it's not worth downloading a 3rd party help viewer. Please see the Vista page page (link below).
Vista Test page including W7.
I've stoped testing in 95,98,Me,NT4,2000 for future development to concentrate on XPSP3, Vista and W7.
Yes, goto View and then Zoom Factor. Enter a negative sign in front of the speed. e.g. 5 become -5.
I've written some more here
I though it would be a good way of creating documentation at the time and with the cursor caption option checked I can often help people with a screen shot. By pressing F10 the application window is saved in the output folder as a bitmap. When I wrote it in WinMe all we had was Alt+Printscreen but there are some nice utilities these days like Lotus Screen Cam and Windows own Sniper tool.
I think you're running XP pro, Vista or W7 and the permissions to write to the folder are prohibitied. Depending on what version of Vista and W7 and if you installed the software as an administator or not etc. The simplist way is to Right Button click the Output folder as Administrator and goto properties and edit permissions check Full control for each of the users that are likely to use the Sheet metal Apps.
By pressing the scroll wheel (or third) button you are scaling the drawing to fit the extents of the paper size. You need to plot the pattern at a specific scale so that the pattern is (say) 1:1, 1:2 etc which makes it easier for the sheet metal worker to transfer the pattern from the paper to the work peice. Here's some more info. on scaling: Scaling.htm
Mathematics Questions
There are 1000mm in 1m and 1m x 1m x 1m = 1m^3 = 1000mm x 1000mm x 1000mm = 1 000 000 000 mm^3 = 1E9mm^3
So the conversion factor is 1m^3/1E9mm^3 Say you have a square to round with a volume of 500 000 000 mm^3 then
5 000 000 mm^3 x 1 m^3 / 1E9mm^3 = 0.5 m^3
If you write out the above in a more conventional fraction form then the mm^3 cancel leaving the answer in m^3
There are 1000 litres in 1m^3
0.5 m^3 x 1000 litres/m^3 = 500 litres.
The secret to units is to write out your equation in conventional form including the units and the problem is self formulating and self checking.
Again to convert cubic inches into cubic yards then by knowing there is 36 inches in a yard. 1(cubic yard) = 36(in) x 36(in) x 36(in) = 46656 (in)^3
1(cubic yard) / 46656(in^3) = 1
15000 (in^3) x 1 (cubic yard) / 46656 (in^3) = 0.322 cubic yards
In general you can use the simple formula: V = (1/3) A H
More Info.
The software works out the volume of a cone by summing tetrahedrons and is only an approximation to the true value of a cone. If you ask for the volume when n=12 and then 24,36,48 etc you should start to see the volume converge.
More Info.
The Conet software divides the base circle in n divisions and then summates all the triangles made by connection to the apex. It's only a truncation and the higher n then the more accurate the answer will be. I searched for year to find a working man's approximation to this problem but have never found a simple solution. Here's some more info on the topic: Surface area of an oblique cone
For a circular arc centre line you could just simply divide up the 250mm centre into n segments say 6 250/6 = 41.67 and then use the tape measure in the application and with a bit of trial and error, but the maths is trivial for a circular arc.
250mm = R x 45 (pi/180)
R = (250 x 180) / (45 x pi) = 45000 / 141.37
R = 318.3mm
and you just feed R into both Major and Minor axes edit boxes
A centre line that follows an ellipse is a lot more fun where you need to calculate an elliptic integral, E(z,m):
m = k^2 = 1 - b^2/a^2
Now we don't know what the a and b semi axes are but we can make a guess to ratio b/a let's say 1/1.25 .
m = k^2 = 1^2/1.25^2 = 0.64
z is then bend angle in radians: 45deg x (pi/180) = 0.785398163
You can calculate the the incomplete elliptic integral from tables or from Wolfram website:
http://functions.wolfram.com/webMathematica/FunctionEvaluation.jsp?name=EllipticE2&ptype=0&z=0.785398163&m=0.64&digits=6
E(z,m) = E(0.785 , 0.64 ) 0.737136 as calculated by Mathematica
s = a x E(z,m) where s is the arc length that we do know.
a = 250/0.737136 = 339
b = a/1.25 = 271
As you'd expect one would be greater than the circular arc R and one less.
Feed those into major and minor axes in the software.
That ratio b/a might be too slight or extreme for you actual application but it gives you an idea.
I think you'll agree that incomplete elliptic integrals of the second kind are fun.
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