Dimension Tips

Five tips for dimensioning with ViaCAD presented in five minutes. The tips are extracted from the ViaCAD Tips and Tricks EBook.

Model To Sheet Layers

In this short video we show how to track down a layer from an item within a draw view. It can get challenging with lots of layers.

Creating Tangent Lines and Circles

Demonstrates how to create:
• Line Tangent to Two Circles
• Circle Tangent to Two Curves

Creating 2D Drawings from 3D

The ViaCAD products have the ability to create 2D drawings from 3D models.  This demonstration shows:
• Automatically create a 2D drawing from 3D parts
• Add detail and section views
• Add scaled regions to your drawing for printing

Create a CutList

Creating a good cutlist for a woodworking project can take some time, but will ultimately save you more time and money when it comes to purchasing  your material. In this demonstration, we explain how to make a cultist using the Bill of Material feature and CutList attribute.   The cutlist attribute will help identify parts of the same length, width, and thickness.  After you add  your cutlist attributes, ViaCAD will generate a Bill of Material listing all the common parts.  With cutlist  in hand,  you can now go to the lumberyard confident that  you get the correct amount of material for your project.  

Tracing an Image with ViaCAD

Demonstration video showing how to trace a part from an image using the following steps:

1. Find a known distance in the image.
2. Create a line along the known distance.
3. Create a second line that represents the actual model distance.
4. Use the scale command to scale the image to the desired model scale.




Import Text from Illustrator

Many designers use Adobe Illustrator in their tool chest. One common use is o create text in AI using the advanced text tools such as kerning and tracking, and then import into ViaCAD. Once in ViaCAD you can extrude the text paths into 3D and perform operations such as blending and chamfer of the edges.

Moving Spline Points

There are several ways to modify spline poitns with ViaCAD. This video shos two methods:
• Nudging with Arrow Keys
• Gripper

Trim

The Trim tool is used to re-limit curves to other objects. Several useful tips related to the Trim tool are:

• Press the Shift Key to extend the number of objects selected
• Press the Control Key (Option Key Mac) to extend the curve to a selected boundary
• Press the Control Key (Option Key Mac) to keep the selected curve after the trim is performed

Another useful tip when using the Trim tool is using it in conjunction with Select All. Selected objects not only serve as a trim boundary, but can be trimmed as well depending on where you click with the mouse.

Section Properties

Demonstrates how to calculate the 2D section properties from a 3D shape. 2D section properties include:
• Centroid
• Principle Moments
• Principle Moments A and B Axis