Can anybody help find the right software?

[boxkites]

Greetings to all in this forum.
First of all I am new to cad design and not sure if I am in the right topic.
I am looking for some software that will take a 3d image of any object and flatten it out to get a pattern for building a hard copy.

I would like to use this application for kites. Yes Kites. I have made a thirty feet garfield kite. You can view it at my website.
I plan to make other charactures and would like to use some sort of software to accurately create the patterns.

Can anyone help?

Steady Breezes
Robert van Weers
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/aztec

[Bo]

[quote="boxkites"]Greetings to all in this forum.
First of all I am new to cad design and not sure if I am in the right topic.
I am looking for some software that will take a 3d image of any object and flatten it out to get a pattern for building a hard copy.

I would like to use this application for kites. Yes Kites. I have made a thirty feet garfield kite. You can view it at my website.
I plan to make other charactures and would like to use some sort of software to accurately create the patterns.

Can anyone help?

Steady Breezes
Robert van Weers

Your request is, unfortunately, not a trivial one. There are software for sheet metal that will "unroll" folded plate shapes, but sailcloth can attain curved shapes that are not conic sections for easy making of flat patterns.

The hint from above is "sailcloth". I built my first (& only) mega-kite with a 16 foot wingspan for a kit contest back in 1969 sponsored by the Ancient Mariner restaurant & held on the then empty hills of Dana Point, California. I was designing sailboats back then and went to a sailmaker friend and we put together some Yellow ripstop nylon & PVC pipe on a Friday afternoon & went out to the "races" on Saturday. We flew the "Screeeming Yellow Zonker" on 5/16" line to a sheet winch on the top of my old International Van (or we would have been airborne). It was a horribly designed kite (as one might expect), but it did stay airborne. It just wouldn't stay in one place. It would veer about + or - 20-30 degrees across the sky continually. Didn't make any friends amongst the other kite flyers that day, though so much Bud was consummed that noone really remembered much except the fun.

I am sure the advanced software used to design and build sails for the likes of the America's Cup and other racing sailboats, would do the job to a T. Unfortunately, I'm sure it is like other advanced 3D CAD programs in that it is multi-thousand dollar software.

That said, I think you should talk to some local sailmakers as they are a very inventive sort of crowd. There may be low cost software alternatives that they know of. Google wouldn't be a bad place to start.

Even with computers, there is a lot of art, because of the different stretching aspects to cloth both across the warp, with it and diagonally, so I suspect skill will come into play in your final work.

Bo

[Andy Caldwell]

Robert:

You might be able to do what you want using SketchUp, Possibly also in DesignWorkshop, both are easy to learn 3D apps.

SketchUp can export and print othagonal views to scale of objects you create. It's not automatic though. SketchUp has a free 8 hr demo.

www.SketchUp.com

Also look at the SketchUp model on Objective Networks called "How to Make a Paper Town" Result is different, but the priciples there apply to turning a 3D model into a real form. It's on the second page of recently posted models:
www.objectivenetworks.net/search.php?query=recent%20models&orderBy=&area=Models&startPos=20


Andy

[Bo]

[boxkites]

Hi guys
Thanks for all your help, you guys rock.
I understand that unless I fork out tens of thousands of dollars I will have to contend with the various 3d progs out there. Since I am a poor hardworking chef I might just have to do it the hard way. DOH!
Had a look at scetch-up and that prog looks great to start off with. I will for shure give it a go.

Anyway again thanks for all your assistance.
Should you come up with any new progs I'll be delighted to hear from you. Technology moves very swift nowadays.

To answer one of the questions:

[boxkites]

Hi all
After some more searching, I found this website.

http://www.mtu-- abuse alert -/mosseev/current.htm

From what I can gather is that you can submit a cad file to them and for a small price of $100 -$500 they will do the work for you.
Is this correct?
What program do I now need in order to submit the requred files?

Remembering I am as thick as Homer S. -Doh!!

Thanks
Robert

[Bo]

[philloheed]

I referred the question to my brother, a designer of ride-control systems and high-speed vessels like surface-effect ships, large catamarans, etc. (and the odd sailboat); with the following result:

"Re the kite software, Rhino does developable surfaces very well and allows for some 'stretch', reporting the difference in area before and after unrolling. It also unrolls curves applied to the surface, handy for finding matching corners because they don't always unroll with the same orientation. It is usually very close. You can search for 'developable surfaces' or 'NURBS' and find plenty of others. Maybe there's one for the Mac, I couldn't tell you."

He is refering to a "NURBS" 3d modeler that you can see at:
http://www.rhino3d.com/

Unfortunately, this excellent software comes from the PC "dark side..."

[Bo]

Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 17
Location: Somerville, MA

Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2004 11:49 am    Post subject: Rhino Modeler

"Re the kite software, Rhino does developable surfaces very well and allows for some 'stretch', reporting the difference in area before and after unrolling. It also unrolls curves applied to the surface, handy for finding matching corners because they don't always unroll with the same orientation. It is usually very close. You can search for 'developable surfaces' or 'NURBS' and find plenty of others. Maybe there's one for the Mac, I couldn't tell you."

He is refering to a "NURBS" 3d modeler that you can see at:
http://www.rhino3d.com/

Unfortunately, this excellent software comes from the PC "dark side..."


Fortunately, the Mac can run Win2000 and WinXP in emulation (& it should get faster for G5's late this summer with the next release of Virtual PC v7 by Microsoft).

Unfortunately, Rhino is not "cheap", and may run slow in emulation, though I indeed have never tried it. It usually saves hair and frustration to just buy a moderately fast PC if you need it.

Finding a product design company that uses Rhino or their VAR in your area down under to check it out ought to be easy.

Bo

[Matt]

there was a scandanavian company that had a package that would probably fit your needs to a T -- it was for prototyping packaging and making fold-up paper models -- developed surfaces, even ship hulls. I couldn't find it with a quick search on Google, but you might be able to...

[boxkites]

I just heard back from the people that sell the MONSTR-PATTERNER software. This is really what I was looking for. Boy at 12000 Euros it must be one hell of a program. Good thing for me is that for a small fee they will do the work for you. I might just do it this way.

I want to thank all that helped me out over the past few days.
Because of your help I now have a much better understanding of what is involved.

I will have a go at this for my next big project. I have just started a new project last week so it will have to wait. Keep a look out for a 15 meter long inflatable "Cat in the Hat" kite from the Dr. Seuss series.

Steady breezes
Robert van Weers

[philloheed]

[ispn]

I suggest you use the following soft:

Archicad 8.1
Artlantis 4.5
Chief architect 9.5

These soft are cost much
But if you using these soft, you may get a good returns,So very worth it.