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EXPANDING YOUR HORIZONS

Using CAD Mechanical Software in Design Projects
by George Martin

Start ı Drawing The Line ı Scaling New Heights ı Fitting In ı Sources and PDF

SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

I drew Figure 1 on A-size paper at a 1:1 scale. I also created the drawing you see in Figure 2. I copied the dimensions of the DB25 cutout in Figure 1 and then removed all of the unwanted lines to create the DB25 object. Iım reluctant to say it, but this is just like a routine in software or a hierarchical drawing in an FPGA design. Who would have thought that mechanical CAD was object-oriented? The really good part of this is that the DB25 drawing is created and remains in my library. So, for the next project I take on, I wonıt need to do this work over again.

Figure 2ıThis is the DB25 connector with all of the unwanted lines and dimensions removed.

I next created a D-sized drawing so that I could draw the cover of the enclosure at a 1:1 scale and have it fit on the paper. This is not a big deal, seeing as the cover is just a simple rectangle. I then copied the object in Figure 2 and placed it on the cover drawing. Presto! The cutout was scaled to the proper size for the D-sized drawing.

The true dimension of the cutout was preserved. I used the intersection of the center lines as the base point of the object. I measured the placement of all of the cutouts from the edge of the enclosure to the center of each cutout. I then placed a copy of the detailed opening for each cutout on the enclosure cover drawing.

Figure 3 is a clip of that front panel design. The cutout for the network is not in place because I havenıt found the right connector yet.

Figure 3ıThe front panel design is seen here. Notice the network is missing.

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