how to build a Autocad parts database

As a student yacht design I spend (too) many hours browsing the internet for suitable CAD drawings that I can use in my designs.
Does anybody know if there is a site with links for this?

Hanco Poot

[Admin]

Are you thinking of a database of specific manufacturer parts and hardware which is verified to be up to date and linked with product data or a more generic parts database with commonly used but not necessarily manufacturer specific or verified exact parts?

I'm not aware of a good database currently in existence, but I would be interested to know if one does exist. If not, I would also be very interested in creating one. There are a few difficulties:

1.) The start-up period is a bit painful, as until a certain mass of models is built up, the value is minimal. Who contributes good models in this startup period? A few manufacturers will likely contribute models, but it will be difficult to immediately get enough variety for the database to be useful so there would likely be a 3-6 month growing period.

2.) The actual cost to maintain the database isn't huge - figure $100 a month to start for an unmanaged witebox server with 40 gigs of storage and ~100 gigs of bandwidth/month for the first year (or $200-250/month for a managed server). I think we could find some people, myself included, to donate the time to setup the initial database and do some maintenance, but especially in the case of a manufacturer-specific detailed database, there is some ongoing maintenance time which would have to be covered. How do you pay for this? Is the model database free to access? Pay-per-model downloaded? Or subscription? What would be an attractive subscription fee - $50/year, $100/year, more? Maybe it could work on a contribute a good model - take a good model (which would be great for students) and a pay per model / subscription basis which might be better for professionals.

3.) Larger design firms who could potentially support this database likely all have their own collections of blocks and would probably not want to merge them into a database which their competitors would use. This might apply to many smaller designers as well.

I am interested in this and would like to hear your ideas.

[duluthboats]

Jeff, is it possible to have a section in the gallery for 2D and 3D blocks. I don't know how it would work, but the way the gallery is growing such a collection would grow fast.

Gary

Harken and Lewmar both have 2-D CAD drawings of most of their gear you can download. It doesn't take much time to make 3-D models from these drawings. Check them out at www.lewmar.com and www.harken.com

Good Luck

[Jeff]

Originally posted by duluthboats
Jeff, is it possible to have a section in the gallery for 2D and 3D blocks. I don't know how it would work, but the way the gallery is growing such a collection would grow fast.

Gary

I think that's a great idea Gary, but it might take me a couple months to implement it. I'm not sure yet if using the existing gallery software will be the way to go, or whether we'll end up using a separate application which will share the username/password database with the forums and gallery.

What would be very nice would be if the gallery software could be customized to extract/generate thumbnails on the fly from the dxf or other cad files, but I honestly don't know how to do this yet or even if it's feasible without spending a lot of $,$$$ off the bat. It might come down to me doing a quick render of every block that's added to generate thumbnails initially, but that would be ok too (if I can't find a more elegant way to do it on the server to start.)

I'll see what I can come up with...

[Doug Carlson]

Jeff,

I work with Pro/E (product and tool design) on a daily basis and might be willing to produce solid (3d) models on a time available basis. There seem to be a few questions that would need to be answered:

1. What would be the appropriate file types for best use of output?

2. Who, if anyone, would benefit economically and how?

3. What is the legality of rendering someone elses product under these (as yet undefined) circumstances ?

[duluthboats]

http://www.reidtool.com/support/reidcad.htm

Here is a library of 2D and 3D non marine hardware blocks. There are many such libraries out there for standard items. It would be nice to have a list of these sites. But I was thinking the library here would be original work, marine related, and be public domain. Format would be a big question. Submissions would be from amateurs or pros who wish to get exposure for their work. So what do the rest of you think?


Gary

[Jeff]

I was initially thinking of a free library also, but I'm always open to suggestions.

I suppose one big question is what can we do to compensate and reward those who generously offer their blocks? Or would people feel the resource is worthwhile and contribute just to build a free library that they could then use? Would we have a system where you have to upload before you can download? Or would that encourage low quality blocks to be added just so people can download others? Do we need to setup a system where someone can post a file and set a price? That would involve a lot of overhead to handle the transactions, customer service in case someone was dissatisified and demanded a refund, and a lot more security, etc...

[Doug Carlson]

It would seem to me that to prepare a set of family of parts tables and 2d (.dxf, .dwg) and 3d (.igs, .stp, etc) representations of all the standard hardware formats would be fairly straight forward. The blocks would be representative and aesthetically acceptable for addition to design illlustrations but would not represent actual rated designs. I guess I'm not clear as to the function of such a database. Are you contemplating actual custom block designs or simply a library of pre-rendered representative plugins or both?

[nico]

I find the idea of a 3d cad library very good. I am begining to build mine.
If we can share our models, it can be great.

For the problem of accessibility to non contributor to the sharing, my idea is that somebody should be responsible for the database, check the models and for example when 10 good models are given, accessibility to the database is given.

Nico

[turnershells]

I've downloaded most of the fasteners from Reid Tool, and I've got their catalogue as a reference.

Does anyone have a link to a 2d or 3d library of woodscrews? I know it's a simple thing, but I'm basically incompetent at AutoCad and I'm just looking at putting together simple drawings input from a digitizer. I'd like to be able to drop in the fasteners as well.

Regards,

Matt Turner
Turner Racing Shells Ltd.

[duluthboats]

This site has many models that you won't find at Reid and some you will. The nice thing is you can choose the format to download. Add some of your own and this great resorce will grow.

3D Models

Gary

[Willallison]

Can anyone point me towards some 2D dwg or dxf blocks? Stuff like marine toilets, basins, cookers, etc etc

[SHOKOPEE]

IM LOOKIG FOR A DXF,DWG OR IGES FILE OF AN OLD TALL SHIP TO PROGRAM ON A CNC MILL IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME CONTACT ME AT SHOKOPEE@MSN.COM. THANK YOU