convert shapes to airfoil dat files

[thenated0g]

Basically i have a program that will take airfoil .dat files and use that to cut a shape on a cnc. I wanted to try taking the silhoute/profile of a fuselage and convert that the .dat point data file so i could see how it cuts fuselages. But i cant quite figure out how to generate the file. Does anybody have any links to specific software that will convert a svg/vector graphic file to the same format as airfoil .dat files?

 

[Namactual]

Have you had any luck with this?

I looked into it a bit and I think I might be able to get something to work. I see that the Airfoil .dat files come in two different formats, Lednicer and Selig depending on vertex order. While both use 2D vectors in a text format, the Selig would be easier to work with because it's vertex order is a continuous counter counter clockwise rotation.

Anyway, what I am thinking is using a 3D polygon modeler to draw a 2D n-gon and exporting as an .obj which is also in a text readable format. As long as you draw the shape with vertices counter clockwise and keep it confined between 0x0 and 1x1 units it should translate fairly easy.

If you had a .dat file your cnc uses as an example as well as an example shape you would like to try, attach them here and I will take a look when I get a chance. It might be a while though as I have a lot on my plate at the moment.

If it works, I can show you how to do it yourself using a freeware polygon modeler. It would be pretty straight forward.

 

[thenated0g]

havent looked into this since, just been busy. But its seems odd as people are getting these coordinate files to the profile websites, so how are they making them in the first place?

 

[thenated0g]

finally figured this out. Basically you need to export your shape to a dxf format and than there are lots of tools to convert dxf to dat, i just didnt know what the terms were.