Is there an ETA on this, can I beta test it? I work for a large mechanical contractor as an electrician and they want to start prefabrication of parts so that that sub assemblies can be made and then brought on site and installed. I pitched SHAPR3D to them because the foreman all carry IPad Pros. Well they went for it and now I have a bunch of conduit runs drawn and I’d like to be able to send them off to the prefab shop dimensioned.
Dimensions needed for prefabbing conduit:
Conduit is essentially a metal tube but when bending it and installing all measurements are based on the outside dimensions of the bend (not the center).
Imagine three sides of a square but instead of corners there is a known (and standard based on nominal size of conduit 1/2”, 3/4”…etc.) radius corner. I would need to know (and convey to the prefab shop) the total distance from the outside of the tube on one side to the outside on the other. The center to center does me no good if that flattened U-shaped conduit doesn’t fit between the two things I need it to fit between.
More specifically for the 2d drawing it would be nice if it could include both orthogonal and isometric views so that one body could be shown multiple ways. Also a basic title box would be great or some field for naming the thing that would show up when it was printed or viewed as a pdf, or .jpg or whatever. Also the ability to add a table so that quantities could be shown sort of like a BOM.
Also just for a little extra motivation. I work in the union, in the middle of the country we are building data centers for all the big guys. You have created a CAD app the could bridge the gap between the field and the office. We are building almost completely off of BIM and are rarely using paper plans. If I as a field guy can send back 2D and 3D drawings/ redlines/ prefab details that would complete the loop.
RIght now its an Open loop system, the plans are created and bestowed upon us with little viable way to offer feedback and the system is LACKING! If we can close the loop and provide feedback to the engineers in a format that is accessible for us and is not reliant on human interpretation than that would be a BIG win. Field guys and engineers / office guys are speaking almost two different languages and pretty pictures with numbers bridge the gap. This is a great app but the time for viable 2D drawings was like 4 days ago when my Project Manager said “sure lets try it”.
@Samweld1
No. I deliberately Sketched to take advantage of the Grid, obviously that is not always convenient but it was quicker for me to respond.
Also I Tapped with a Finger, on a zoomed in closeup, so that the Face of one Tube End was large enough to be a successful target.
The above action squares up the view and places a Grid on that surface enabling the Vertical Line to be drawn, in this case on Grid. It also stops at a Grid Intersection.
By carefully two Finger dragging move horizontally to the second Tube End and similarly draw a Vertical Line. If you lose the Grid you will have to Tap with a Finger again, alternatively Add > Construction Plane and choose Offset without entering an Offset value.
Zoom out so that both vertical Lines are visible, and draw the Horizontal Line to hit the ends of the verticals.
The Verticals can be drawn to finish on a Grid Intersection, and if the Verticals cannot [it should be possible to arrange for at least one end to use the Grid] use Constraints to position the second Vertical Line.
Alternatively draw the Vertical on Grid then Move it into position.
If things get really tricky create Half of the Tube, say on the X Axis, with the Tube End that will need extending butting up to the Z Axis.
Draw the Vertical and the Transform > Mirror the Tube + Line. A Line to use as the Mirroring Point will be required.
Join the Tubes using Tools > Union
Adjusting the Grid spacing to accommodate the Sketch beforehand is a good idea.
Looking to get dimensions on my drawings I found that I can send my drawings to Autocad for mobile IOS and this is got in 2D, only X and Y, If I want to get the drawing with the Z dimension, I need to turn the entire shapr drawing to get the image I want on the X,Y plane and send it to Autocad.
I hope this is useful for you.
So I brought a model into AutoCAD for mobile for IOS and my objects which are made using the sweep tool appear as just the profile and the path. Did you project your stuff onto a work plane before moving it?
Has there been any more consideration on dimensioning.
I would like to be able to construct 3D and 2D drawing and have in the free version.
I am in the metal fabrication business and without dimensions this program is vertically useless to me.
If I was able to creat a drawing from my 3D model with multiple 2d views of the model with select dimensions included you would have me signed up in an instant.
I really enjoy using the program and look forward to your response
This is not exactly what’s being discussed here but it’s on the dimensions part. I am new here so if this is possible let me know.
I would like to see you be able to create a new body and then be able to dimension it from the existing body or part of that body. Like making a shelf inside a cabinet. I can’t just make a square and then extrude to a point or dimension off a point.
Let me explain a different way if above is confusing. I draw a box and extrude it. I have a cube. I then want to draw a rectangle to cut a cavity. I want to start that rectangle at a precise point. I can’t just draw a rectangle close, dimension the rectangle and then add a dimension from a point on the existing body to position.
This I truly miss. Please let me know if this is possible.
Sort of. After you make the carcass and want to add the shelf. I made a plane and drew the rectangle. In some drawing programs you don’t have to figure out the size you can reference from other parts. The size of the shelf will be less the width of the carcass by the two sides. I know easy calculation but there are situations where it’s a pain.
@Jel111
The Carcass I created was not produced in the manner you have described, and in this case the Shelf is not a separate entity but part of the carcass.
S3D usually has several differing MOs to get the same result, with very little Calculation required for simple designs like this.
A sight variation on the MO used will produce an exact fit Shelf without any calculations at all.
You can decide the Dimensions including the Thickness, i.e., you have control over the Design.
If you decide to work, on your own, with the Features that are on offer within S3D I would strongly recommend spending time to ascertain what ‘fun and games’ lie hidden beneath every Icon in ALL of the Menus.
If you feel you need help just shout.
I did try that way at first just to play around and that is how I noticed you cannot add a rectangle and then move that rectangle a desired distance from the edge. If the parts are not separate then it really is no use to actually build the shelf. Don’t get me wrong I like the ability to model on my iPad and Shapr3D is the best on iPad so far but unfortunately as you say it’s just fun and games for now.
@Jel111
S3D is very versatile and offers a result when you have discovered the appropriate Features to use.
My point regarding ‘fun and games’ is my take on using S3D, IMO it does a lot of the hard work leaving me to enjoy the fun and games.
In the following the 1M x 1M x 300mm Deep Carcass is created using 20mm Thick Material, the 6 pieces are separate. There are many other ways to obtain a similar result with S3D:
Sketch the Outside, Length and Width Rectangle, of the Carcass.
Then use Sketch > Offset Edge choose the Loop Option to form an Inner Rectangle.
Pull Up this Rectangle to 20mm Thickness, Type in to correct if necessary.
Extend appropriate Inner Lines, these form some of the 6 separate pieces in this Design:
Tap with your Finger on the Back Panel Inner Face to present a Grid to Sketch the Shelf.
If you have difficulty drawing a Line ‘on Grid’ zoom in and draw 2 short Lines. then select the end and drag it as required. With Snaps Switched On it should attach appropriately.
Pull the Shelf Up 280mm.
WOW! Thanks for taking so much time to spell it out for me. I see where I went wrong. I model a whole different way and am used to a different program. I guess I’ll have to change my mindset if I want to use this. I still do think that being allowed to do things with a more dimensioned based approach would be a benefit for Shapr. Hey, prolly not, what do I know I’m just a guy on the internet.
@Jel111
Please remember that the MO described is only one way of completing this task.
IMO you actually did NOT do something wrong, just a case of old habits dying hard.
Rest assured you are not alone, many new Users crave Features they have used in other Software before trying/testing S3D’s offerings.
The input was intended to inform and show something undiscovered. Importantly you were able to understand the input. That is pleasing news for me.
Detail is important to reach out to as many Forum Members as possible.
So I’m a couple weeks new to ANY type of CAD software, so bear with me.
My father used an older piece of desktop CAD software, there’s no updates so we moved to Shapr 3D as our first choice, looking at others as well, but already love the modeling ability of this software.
I think we have a unique need, as a custom booth designer - perhaps in the future we will work on modeling our chairs, but we started easy.
I like having the colors we used as an option, but I understand that’s not required, everyone else’s looks quite good! I guess if there was a way to export the views as DXF, then have the option to add the dimensions you want at that point, add to a sketch sheet even, OR even make your dimensions (different type of plane specific for dimensions), then pick and choose which to show as you “take” your picture, maybe?
