Re: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries...
Hi Andy, Take a look at http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/ for a program called "Front Panel Designer". It is freeware and works on all versions of Windows and also Mac / Linux. It might be what you are looking for with regards to designing panels, cabinets, etc. 73 from Dave, VA3RJ __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries...
Hi Andy, Back in the mid-60's I drew components for the Apache helicopter machine gun turrets for Emerson Electric here in St. Louis... and we did them by hand. No software. You could not pay me enough money to do that today. Now we typically use a program called "Visio" in our RF equipment/system design business. It is very versatile, but very expensive. There are several others out there but the names escape me. Good luck with your search. 73, Terry, W0FM -Original Message- From: Andy - GM0NWI [mailto:andy.gm0n...@btinternet.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 2:26 PM To: bit...@yahoogroups.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net; g...@yahoogroups.com; heath...@yahoogroups.com; parasetbuild...@yahoogroups.com; qr...@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries... Hello Good People (on the various lists included) Just wanted to ask & "try" to explain what I am looking for Does anyone have any idea where to find, I guess the "Artwork" (as I would call it - perhaps this is the wrong words to use on my account of ignorance !) for when a person wants to "design" radio cabinets, panels, switches, knobs etc etc. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries...
You might try http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/ which is a commercial service, but they do have design software that is free. Leigh/WA5ZNU -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Radio-Electronics-Line-Drawing-Software-URL-s-Libraries-tp6455114p6456591.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries...
Andy, I don't know of any software that does a decent job of turning a photograph (bitmap) into a line drawing. However, a well executed line drawing with appropriate fills and shading can be made to look surprisingly like a photograph or, at the least, like a very well executed colored drawing. You probably know that there are two ways of imaging on your computer - vector drawings (which produce "line drawings") and bitmaps (which are synonymous with "photographs"). A vector program works like a child's "Etch-a-Sketch" toy with its flat screen and two knobs. You start at some point, proceed a certain direction for a certain distance at a certain angle, then proceed at another angle for a certain distance and continue until you have drawn the outline of what you want to image all in "vectors". A bitmap editor works with individual pixels on the screen, each defined by one or more "bits" of data that define its luminosity and color. You are looking for a vector drawing program. Two that have been in the marketplace a long time and have professional status are Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw. I happened to use CorelDraw mostly. I find the two equal in capability. They are general purpose programs that will allow you to draw anything you want - a beautiful beach scene filled with people, a cutaway view of a ship or spacecraft, or the front panel of a radio. To do really exotic stuff, they do require some serious practice and study, just like any flexible and powerful tool. Not surprisingly, there are some special-purpose tools that are on the market that try to focus on specific needs and avoid some of the cost and complexity of the general purpose programs. Having used CorelDraw or Illustrator ever since I found myself a writer without a technical illustrator sitting nearby (casualties of technology, Hi), I can't really recommend any specific special purpose programs. Some of these are CAD tools that are generally vector drawing programs focused on designing objects. Like all powerful tools, they tend to be pricey too. You can find more about the capabilities of CorelDraw (now sold as part of a graphics suite including Corel PhotoPaint - their bitmap editor) at: http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1191272117978#versionTa bview=tab1&tabview=tab0 And you can get details of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe's bitmap editor, PhotoShop at: http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html?promoid=DJDTO Ron AC7AC -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Andy - GM0NWI Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 12:26 PM To: bit...@yahoogroups.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net; g...@yahoogroups.com; heath...@yahoogroups.com; parasetbuild...@yahoogroups.com; qr...@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries... Hello Good People (on the various lists included) Just wanted to ask & "try" to explain what I am looking for Does anyone have any idea where to find, I guess the "Artwork" (as I would call it - perhaps this is the wrong words to use on my account of ignorance !) for when a person wants to "design" radio cabinets, panels, switches, knobs etc etc. We all have the various manufacturers manuals that come with our equipment where we see the "black & white line drawings" throughout the pages there, outlining the various functions & controls etc. What I am tryin' to ascertain is - "How Is This Done\Designed" within the various manufacturers BEFORE we actually go and buy a given piece of equipment that comes with it's said manual ? What\How do the various designers in a given company use on their respective computers to put these "pictures of equipment" in "line drawing" form for us to see ? Is it done with some sort of C.A.D. software ? or maybe something else ? Is\Will There Be a steep learning curve for this sort of thing for a general ham op to play around with ? Is there some kind of readily available software that someone on the list already uses, that perhaps comes with its own "Libraries" for the designers to use to put together the final "Black & White Line Drawings" that we all see in these given manuals etc etc ? Or perhaps a URL that someone knows with software & libraries included ? I would like to try and build up here on my shack PC a "Library" of different pictures if you like of various designs done in this way to hopefully use in the future where I put an idea together - To help I guess with the "final look" of something that comes to mind. I've tried on many occasions (to many to remember !) to turn a internet "Photo" - into - a "line drawing" with Adobe Photoshop to see if that would be an easy
Re: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries...
Andy, I'm not sure what you are asking. In years gone by line art and picture renderings were sometimes generated in manufacturing engineering. For others pictures were generated in publications with the manuals. Such drawings were often marked "Do Not Scale" because they were not accurate. They were artists renderings. Today, CAD programs like ACAD or SolidWorks, use scaled databases. They can be used to generate line art or pictures, or more often NC tapes for production. More often .DWG (extent) files are used for transferring scaled data. There are free DWG viewers available on the internet. Does this help? de Fred, AE6QL -Original Message- From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Andy - GM0NWI Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 12:26 PM To: bit...@yahoogroups.com; elecraft@mailman.qth.net; g...@yahoogroups.com; heath...@yahoogroups.com; parasetbuild...@yahoogroups.com; qr...@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries... Hello Good People (on the various lists included) Just wanted to ask & "try" to explain what I am looking for Does anyone have any idea where to find, I guess the "Artwork" (as I would call it - perhaps this is the wrong words to use on my account of ignorance !) for when a person wants to "design" radio cabinets, panels, switches, knobs etc etc. We all have the various manufacturers manuals that come with our equipment where we see the "black & white line drawings" throughout the pages there, outlining the various functions & controls etc. What I am tryin' to ascertain is - "How Is This Done\Designed" within the various manufacturers BEFORE we actually go and buy a given piece of equipment that comes with it's said manual ? What\How do the various designers in a given company use on their respective computers to put these "pictures of equipment" in "line drawing" form for us to see ? Is it done with some sort of C.A.D. software ? or maybe something else ? Is\Will There Be a steep learning curve for this sort of thing for a general ham op to play around with ? Is there some kind of readily available software that someone on the list already uses, that perhaps comes with its own "Libraries" for the designers to use to put together the final "Black & White Line Drawings" that we all see in these given manuals etc etc ? Or perhaps a URL that someone knows with software & libraries included ? I would like to try and build up here on my shack PC a "Library" of different pictures if you like of various designs done in this way to hopefully use in the future where I put an idea together - To help I guess with the "final look" of something that comes to mind. I've tried on many occasions (to many to remember !) to turn a internet "Photo" - into - a "line drawing" with Adobe Photoshop to see if that would be an easy answer, alas the results were disappointing to say the least. Although I am NOT by any means an electronics wizard\guru, I DO however get immense enjoyment out of trying to design the various parts\elements to the ideas that sometimes come into my mind regarding this sort of thing. With all the brilliant & beautiful minds that fill the various lists here, I am hoping that someone can give some good insight thoughts to what "some" of the answers to this may be, NOT just for "me" but for future folks out there that have perhaps as yet asked the same question - But have always wondered. Thanks Goes Out To Each & Everyone Of You Out There Across the Globes Continents, the 4 Corners Of The Globe for at least taking the time to possibly read this.. Much Obliged, 73's Andy GM0NWI andy.gm0n...@btinternet.com __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] Radio & Electronics Line Drawing Software, URL's, Libraries...
Hello Good People (on the various lists included) Just wanted to ask & "try" to explain what I am looking for Does anyone have any idea where to find, I guess the "Artwork" (as I would call it - perhaps this is the wrong words to use on my account of ignorance !) for when a person wants to "design" radio cabinets, panels, switches, knobs etc etc. We all have the various manufacturers manuals that come with our equipment where we see the "black & white line drawings" throughout the pages there, outlining the various functions & controls etc. What I am tryin' to ascertain is - "How Is This Done\Designed" within the various manufacturers BEFORE we actually go and buy a given piece of equipment that comes with it's said manual ? What\How do the various designers in a given company use on their respective computers to put these "pictures of equipment" in "line drawing" form for us to see ? Is it done with some sort of C.A.D. software ? or maybe something else ? Is\Will There Be a steep learning curve for this sort of thing for a general ham op to play around with ? Is there some kind of readily available software that someone on the list already uses, that perhaps comes with its own "Libraries" for the designers to use to put together the final "Black & White Line Drawings" that we all see in these given manuals etc etc ? Or perhaps a URL that someone knows with software & libraries included ? I would like to try and build up here on my shack PC a "Library" of different pictures if you like of various designs done in this way to hopefully use in the future where I put an idea together - To help I guess with the "final look" of something that comes to mind. I've tried on many occasions (to many to remember !) to turn a internet "Photo" - into - a "line drawing" with Adobe Photoshop to see if that would be an easy answer, alas the results were disappointing to say the least. Although I am NOT by any means an electronics wizard\guru, I DO however get immense enjoyment out of trying to design the various parts\elements to the ideas that sometimes come into my mind regarding this sort of thing. With all the brilliant & beautiful minds that fill the various lists here, I am hoping that someone can give some good insight thoughts to what "some" of the answers to this may be, NOT just for "me" but for future folks out there that have perhaps as yet asked the same question - But have always wondered. Thanks Goes Out To Each & Everyone Of You Out There Across the Globes Continents, the 4 Corners Of The Globe for at least taking the time to possibly read this.. Much Obliged, 73's Andy GM0NWI andy.gm0n...@btinternet.com __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
