Scan Tools..

[james.lynch]

Hi,


I would like to know if anybody uses Pro Scan Tools (insert/independent geom.)


Here is a like to describe part of the functionality. (maintenance rqd) http://www.ptc.com/cs/cs_26/howto/sct363/sct363.htm


The above article shows how to create scan lines from point cloud data. The result is as if you patterned a plane and got the intersection of the plane and point cloud.


I'm wondering if anybody uses this and also if it's possible to intersect a surface and a point cloud (or indeed an STL) to produce a curved scan curve?


I do not have REX (restyle) but I do have copy cad and trace surf. I can do it in this software but I would like a native proE solution.


I would also like to hear from anybody who has had success in using scan tools.. it is any good? Is it bad? Is it worth spending a few hours learning it? maybe give some hints and tips?


Cheers,


James

 

[dojo]

Hello,


Yes, once and a while we use scantools.


When we have a mockup of a industrial vehicle and the designers went nuts with the styling (as in complex surfacing) we tend to scan lets say the dashboard on a 3 axis machine to generate point information. With scantools we read in this data and create scancurves. Thats the part I dont understand in your question. The curves are created automatically by the tool. After the import it's just dead geometrybut doing this we have some sort of a reference for recreating the model in 3D.


Our experience is that you cant used it for much else (or we use it in the wrong way ). With scans from large mockup parts the data tends to become to heavy. The points still can be used to select as a reference, so when you draw your base curves or isdx curves they can be used (lets say to define the tension of a curve) When you have your surfaces created you can ofcourse measure the distance in between these points and the surface to show how close you are to the 1/1 mockup. I doubt if you will need a couple of hours to learn it, there is not much to it.


I checked the link and aye it looks nice, but when the scandata is a little more complex then a wavy rectangle it becomes pretty much useless. The surface quality will never be as perfect as a redesigned one in lets say isdx, especially not when you need complex A side surfaces.


Nick
Edited by: dojo

 

[james.lynch]

Hi Nick, Thanks for taking the time to reply.


I very much aggree about not really being able to use teh scan curves directly.. especially if it's a scanned hand model!


I too often work with hand models - usualy highly curved and quite complex geometry.


presently tho'.. we use a reverse engineering tool called Copy CAD (from DELCAM) to quickly construct and wrap a surface around the point cloud, alowing us quite a bit of control over the surface - and you can produce pretty good results. we'd often use these surfaces to import into Maya and do some cocept renderigns to show to marketing - or to quickly build a feasability file to give to our EE guys to see if we can get a PCB in there.


We woudl also use these surfaces to create our own scan lines in ProE. These are used as a VISUAL reference with in Pro to ocnsturct a naster model - absolutely nothing is allowed to reference thie imported geom.


I do however, find it extreemly useful to be able to control my scan lines - simple example..


if I am constructing a surface and this surface requires a curve to be at an angle to any of th three primary datums (which is more than often the case) tehn I'll do an intersect between the sketch plane adn the imported surface and delete it after the sketch has been created. (or indeed do an intersect between a surface extrude adn the imported surface)


mroe often than not anyway once the EE guys, or the mechanical guys, or marketing makes a last minute change, the surface changes from teh original scan data anyway - so actualy using and imported data leades to a bad model..


So this is why I'd like some control over the scan lines..


James