Tutorial Toolstop 1

Tutorial for a Toolstop 1

This tutorial will be dealing with simple 2D boxes and how to move points. Then how to extrude them into 3D and assemble them for quick results. This tutorial anticipates you have learned the basics with the tutorials provided with the software in the help files and user manuals.
Many commands will start spelled out and them become abbreviated.
(Example: Arrow1 becomes A1)

In this tutorial you will learn to:

Load image into CAD
Set units
Set snap grid
Draw boxes in 2D
Manipulate points
Weld 2D shapes
Make planes
Extrude 2D to 3D
Assemble 3D basic shapes to make a complex shape

Open DesignCAD. You should have a new drawing window in 3D mode.

Toggle view to 2D

Step 1

For a visual aid we will load the image into the drawing window.

Right click image at Figure 1 and choose 'Copy'.

Switch to DesignCAD and choose 'Paste'.

Place the bounding box of the image in the upper part of your drawing window and click the mouse once, then hit ENTER

Choose Dimension->Units and left click your cursor at the left lower corner of the toolstop shape where the 4" dimension starts (you can't gravity snap to an image line) and again at the right lower corner of the shape. Enter 4 in the units dialog box and hit OK

Choose Options->Grid Setting. Choose the snap grid box and enter 0.5 in the Grid Snap Size.

Choose the Display Grid box and set value to 1. set extents to 20 and click OK

Save drawing

What completed drawing will be

Step 2

Anytime the grid disappears from parts of the drawing window just hit REFRESH or hotkey Ctrl+R

Set line color to red
and click on box command.

Set first point as shown at arrow (mouse click) and then move cursor up and to the right till box is 3 1/2 units high and 3 units wide. Click mouse again to set point.

Image loaded into DesignCAD with snap
grid set up and first box drawn

Step 3

Draw a second box next to the first 1 unit wide and 2 high as shown

Draw second box

Step 4

Click point select mode and select the first box

Position the cursor close to the upper right point and hit the period key (Gravity Snap GS)

Drag the point down to the upper left corner of the smaller box and hit the period key (GS) again.

Unselect points mode

Select both boxes while holding down the Shift key.

Press the Spacebar and type into the command box "weld" and hit Enter

Both shapes are now joined into one.

Move point and weld shapes

Step 5

Draw 2 more boxes as shown

Click point select mode and move the upper right point on the short box to the upper left corner of the tall box.

Select both boxes

Hit the Spacebar and the weld command should still be there. Hit Enter

Draw 2 more boxes move point, weld together.

Step 6

Now go into 3D mode

Press Ctrl+Shift+W to center drawing in all windows

Select each shape and choose Edit->Selection->(convert 3D max)->make plane.
This step is necessary to get a solid and not a thin walled shell.

Choose ortho line (Keyboard H {or V and then H [ortho mode]} depending on DC version)

Set point with GS at lower right corner of first shape and then hit ' (point relative) and in the DZ box enter 1 and Enter

Do the same for the second shape and enter 1.5

Drawing should be as shown

In 3D mode extend ortho lines on Z axis

Step 7

GS to point shown at Arrow 1 (A1) and hit X (extrude) Make sure 'Along a curve" is not checked.

GS again to same point at A1 and then to end of line at A(rrow)2 and hit Enter

Do the same for the second shape

Make each shape a "plane".
Extrude first shape, then second

Step 8

GS shape2 at A1, hit M and place at A2 with GS

Place second shape on front of first

Step 9

Select both shapes and choose Solid->Solid Add

Wireframe view

Step 10

You can leave the extra lines showing and solid shade it, you can use Edit->Hidden Edge command to click on the lines you want hidden (doesn't do a really good job)

For a second way to draw the toolstop without the extra lines showing do
Toolstop 2

Finished Model Solid Shaded

DONE