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Tutorial for a Toolstop 2

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 lines in 2D
  • Make planes
  • Extrude 2D to 3D
  • Add 3D solids
  • Remove hidden lines

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 hit V  (line command)

Set first point (if cursor doesn't snap to grid then hit G to turn it on) as shown at arrow (mouse click) and then move cursor to the right 4 units and set point, up 2, set point, left 1, set point, left 3 and up 1 1/2, set point, then back down to corner, set point and hit Enter.

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

  • Step 3

Change line color to blue

Starting again at arrow, draw second shape on top of first.

 

 Draw second shape

  • Step 4

Toggle to 3D mode

Use Ctrl+Shift+W to fit drawing to all views

Click on the red shape and then Edit->Selection->
(Convert)->Make Plane

Do the same for the blue shape.

Change line color to red and draw on ortho line with first point GS (Gravity Snap) at A1 and second point PR (Point Relative, hotkey ' ) DZ=1 then hit enter.

Change line color to blue and do an ortho line at A2 to PR DZ=-1.5 (minus 1.5)

Make each shape a plane and extend ortho lines

  • Step 5

Select the red shape and hit X (extrude)..

Set first point GS at A1 and second point GS at end of red ortho line.

Hit Enter

 

First shape extruded

  • Step 6

Now do the same with the blue shape setting first point for extrude at A2

Now on menu choose Solids->Solid Add and set a point on each side to combine them.

Draw a bounding box around the whole object.

Set color to red and click the A (Apply) button.

 

Second shape extruded

  • Step 7

Choose Edit->Hidden Edge

Click on a line to hide, hit F3 to repeat the command, click a line, F3, etc

Use REFRESH to restore  visible lines

Solid Add the 2 solids together and
apply color red to all lines

  • Step 8

Your toolstop should now look like this!

Select the image loaded at the start and hit Delete

Hit Ctrl+Shift+W to fit drawing to all views

 

Hidden lines removed

DONE