Converted plans

[BobW55]

Is there a place where I can find the FT PDF plans that have been converted into dxf, or svg files for those who are using needle cutters or laser cutters?
If not maybe we need one.

If you have a set of 100% converted plans for the DR1, please email me. I would be willing to pay you for a set.
Thanks
Bob

 

[Michael9865]

Good idea

 

[rockyboy]

This has been discussed several times with the FT crew, and decided that it's just a little too close to providing commercially via files to produce their designs at mass quantity. They already provide the printable plans for free, and it's not too difficult to do the conversion for individual use.

Personally, I first split the Full Size PDF into separate pages using an online free tool like https://www.splitapdf.com/en/

Next I import each of the plans pages into Inkscape (also free) and ungroup the objects until the lines are individually selectable.

Then it's a matter of deleting the lines I don't want and saving it all in SVG format.

I use a home built needle cutter so to get to final gcode files I use the free online CAM tool http://easel.inventables.com/ that imports SVG files nicely. Once I open the page in there I change the lines to final cut depths and arrange the parts for cutting.

Sure, it takes a little time - I probably have 3 hours into setting up the FT Simple Scout for cutting - but I think of it as a chance to get to know the plans better and appreciate @SP0NZ 's excellent CAD work

 

[BobW55]

Found a program called AIDE PDF to SVG that did a nice job of converting the plans.
I have the first sheet loaded up in lightburn now. Removing the things I don't need and setting the lines to cuts or etch.
I know once done, will only take seconds to pull one up and reprint it if necessary. Very hard sometimes to learn a new program.

 

[rockyboy]

Excellent! I remember using software like that a couple years ago when I had access to a laser cutter at a TechShop (that's now closed). The line segment order drove me nuts - really not optimized at all and it easily took 5 or 6 times longer to cut than if I just traced over the lines in a CAD/CAM software. Not a big deal if you're only cutting one, but if you're trying to get 6 kits sliced up for a club combat build....

 

[BobW55]

Being a novice pilot still. There have been and will be crashes, will be nice to be able to easily cut out spare parts.

 

[aerojunkie]

Try using inkscape. Its free and can load a pdf, then save as a dxf. You can also clean up the things you dont want to cut like some of the logos, and even rearrange things to take up less space on the foam.

https://inkscape.org/

 

[BobW55]

LightBurn allows me to rearrange, delete, and assign all the colors and such.
Resized everything to fit the full sheet, going to try and laser it out today. ANd try it on black paper white foam core too.

 

[JBradders]

Personally, I first split the Full Size PDF into separate pages using an online free tool like https://www.splitapdf.com/en/

Next I import each of the plans pages into Inkscape (also free)

I know it probably doesn't take long, but is the first step necessary?
When importing into Inkscape it allows you to pick which page of the PDF you want to import.

---

But yeah, my process is similar for scoring all the lines on a vinyl cutter.

I tend to import each page into a single Inkscape document so all bulk operations can happen at once (mostly using "edit > select same > stroke colour")

I'll then arrange everything to optimally fit on A1 sheets ...On bigger models this step can often save quite a bit of foam vs the plans as they're laid out on the PDFs.

Vinyl cutter specific, but I'll also extend some of the lines by a couple of mm to enable the cutter head to spin into position on the spoil rather than the work piece.

If I can be bothered, or if I plan to make a few of a design I'll also optimise the path directions & order so it cuts everything with minimal cutter head movements (partially for speed, but mainly to minimize potential for errors). I also arrange the path orders so it cuts each individual part fully before moving on to the next (so any missed steps won't generally matter and in the worst case only a single part will be a write-off rather than the whole operation.

Yeah, it takes a bit of time, but I find the process of editing plans more enjoyable than marking & cutting out parts manually.

 

[BobW55]

I too just started using inkscape.
In the case of the FT DR1 plans, there are 4 pages in the pdf. I just had inscape do all 4 into SVG files.
I then import them (pages 3 &4 have the actual plans) one at a time into light burn.a few clicks to tell it to ignore some of the colors.
Assign colors to cut power and speed. First time around it took me about 3 hours because I did not understand inscape or the Lightburn software. I can do it all in about 15-20 minutes now.

 

[rockyboy]

I didn't know about the Inkscape direct import being able to select a specific page - that's very handy!