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modify existing autocad file with a radius

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claymation

Computer
Dec 12, 2003
5
I need to take an exisiting autocad file that is rectagular 80" x 18" with many designs inside the rectangle. I need to modify the design to have a radius at the bottom of the design to the dim of 26'4.375". does anyone know if this can be accomlished in autocad or an auto plugin or completely different software? I will post a link to a web site in a future post so one may see the file in question.
Autocad 2006
 
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Yes. But, I'm not clear what you are trying to accomplish.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-05)
 
Hoo boy. You are attempting to 'map' a very complex linear pattern of arcs, lines and circles, to an arc. Only recently has AutoCAD been able to do anything like that with text. I'll be amazed if it can do it without a lot of manual intervention.

Because it's a repeating pattern, AutoCAD surely can repeat it in a polar array, but you would have to generate the unit cell manually.


I'm guessing that an expert Rhinoceros driver could do the whole thing in a minute or two, maybe even including converting file formats back and forth. I'm not that good with Rhino, but your Friendly Local Dealer probably is, and would surely love to do it once as a sales tool.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
 
If you already have the circular pattern as an image as shown in your link you may insert it, scale it to the dimensions that you want and redraw over the scaled image only half of the drawing, then mirror the other half.
 
What file formats can Illustrator export to; there may be a way to convert it to an AutoCAD drawing. For example, there are pdf to dxf converters available.
 
It looks like Mike's idea using rhino is going to work. i have been with tech support working a step by step process.
By the way, the source file is an autocad file. i take the dxf and import into illustrator using a third party plugin as not to lose any of the intergrity of the file. However illustrator does not allow you to use precise dimensions, such as, i need a radius of 7'4.250" illustrator may only let me use a 7'6.375" radius, and in my case the tolorance of this radius has to be within 1/8".

and yes i could draw a simple radius in autocad and get the design as close as possible and then manually set the pattern, however i have 7 different radius to create and it would be difficult to align these patterns end to end as they maust make a perfect match. some of these radius continue for 100's of feet.
 
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