NACA profile generator for AutoCAD

[quequen]

Here is a way to draw any kind of NACA 4 digit profile in AutoCAD. From AutoCAD you can export .dxf to any other software.
1: in this website you can generate the profile points:
http://www.ppart.de/aerodynamics/profiles/NACA4.html
copy the point list (whitout the profile title) and paste into a .txt file using i.e. the Notebook or Word

2: download the ascpoint routine here attached, is just a text file, open it with the notebook and pay attention to instructions. RENAME IT TO .lsp file extension, open AutoCAD and go to "load aplication", load the file, now you have a few new commands, put OSNAP off, write "ascpoint" at the command line and press Enter. Follow the instructions.

 

[quequen]

Here another web page to get naca profiles and their point lists:

http://www.worldofkrauss.com/foils/list

Attached a cup of .dxf examples drawn using this procedural.
When making .txt file having points, delete empty spaces at left of rows.

 

[keepeasy]

Draw it with this application for Windows

Yes, there is an application for Windows to draw the airfolis in Autocad, it is open source and you can find it at : http://sourceforge.net/projects/nacaairfoils/, if you see the files menu you can find NACA2D3D in VB6 (Visual Basic 6) with source code and it draws in 2D the airfoils allowing you to calculate a lot of parameters and 3D to draw it over a cylinder, you have to compile it. But there is also the package NACA2D with Visual Basic 2005 source code and executable.
Hope this helps!!!

 

[Izugarrin]

use the delft ship free module for rudders and keels!! is fantastic for this purpose ,but there are mesh surfaces....

 

[conceptia]

yes.. delftship and freeship modeller are cool.. You will see the exact shape in 3D.

 

[quequen]

Agree, off course...
Anyway, this metod brings you a way to model hundreds of 4 digits profiles, not just 12 pre-configured ones, so it can be useful for someone having interest on this kind of research (CFD etc.)

 

[quequen]

For those having interest on aero and hydro profiles, NACA profiles etc. here you have profili:

http://www.profili2.com/

Its intended to be an aeromodelism designer but has many capabilities to generate any kind of 2D NACA (even 6 series) and the free version exports to .dxf also. It's not as interactive as the first metod I mentioned (you can't interactively modify profile's shape while viewing it) but has many other posibilities. Registering, you can draw polars, play with Reynolds numbers etc.

 

[Adler]

Files to help.....

1. www.maxknots.com/ITNetData/33/525.xls
2. sports.racer.net/tech_info/aero/naca_profile_calculator.xls
3. arcebus.net/NACAFoilDesign.xls
4. www.tvbf.org/docs/NACA Submerged Inlets.xls
5. www.duckworksmagazine.com/09/howto/foils/NACA0013-with-Jig.xls
6. xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/10306322/1370166418/name/Rudders.xls
7. http://groups.google.com/group/SketchUp3d/browse_thread/thread/68865aa2fc881e30/26a9ccea8c3c9af1

 

[mvd535]

Dear Thread,

I am trying to use the NACA Profile Generator for AutoCAD.
I did all as your instructions.
I modified the coordinaltes text file got it from the link you published to tried both; "comma" and "scape" options with no success.
I tried two differents file, one from directly the link and other that I did by myself in Words with no success.

Problem I got is in AutoCAD command line message as:

"Generate Copies/Lines/Nodes/3Dpoly/<Pline>: P
Reading coordinate data...; error: bad character read (octal): 3"

I know this is very old thread but maybe you still able to help me to figure out what is my problem ?. I am sure I am very close to get success.

Many thanks,
mvd535

 

[quequen]

mvd535:
you must deactivate OSNAP in AutoCAD (F3)
use the "Space delimited option":

Comma/Space delimited <Comma>: s

Your .txt file should look like the one attached.
If you still have problems, upload your .txt file here and I'll make a .dxf
Try using ascpoint with many other non-interactive aerofoil databases, rename .dat to .txt and edit. Here a good database:

http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/coord_database.html

Ascpoint (Tony Tanzillo's work) is a very powerfull tool in AutoCAD, there are many things to do with it. Please read the file.

As you already noted, this is an old thread, I strongly recommend you to explore Profili (see previous post).

 

[mvd535]

Dear Quequen,
Many thanks for your quick answer,...

I did turn off the osnap mode in AutoCAD to try again, however the error message still the same as,...

Command: ascpoint
Comma/Space delimited <Comma>: s
Generate Copies/Lines/Nodes/3Dpoly/<Pline>: P
Reading coordinate data...; error: bad character read (octal): 3

I could not get success up loading my file, so I am attaching it here,...(sorry).

0.9990133642141359 0.002330583909727263
0.9960573506572389 0.003019743807216993
0.9911436253643443 0.004159775739170535
0.9842915805643156 0.005738073661188781
0.9755282581475768 0.007737464496315003
0.9648882429441258 0.010136646844404544
0.9524135262330098 0.012910705559027236
0.9381533400219317 0.016031669971180218
0.9221639627510075 0.01946908139428051
0.9045084971874738 0.023190535859643688
0.8852566213878946 0.027162170803642
0.8644843137107059 0.03134906948428771
0.8422735529643444 0.035715563913394
0.818711994874345 0.04022542557887525
0.7938926261462367 0.04484194261966683
0.7679133974894983 0.0495278917517945
0.7408768370508576 0.05424542244905428
0.7128896457825363 0.058955878993584676
0.684062276342339 0.06361959243018128
0.6545084971874736 0.06819567868623932
0.6243449435824273 0.07264188079702208
0.5936906572928622 0.0769144921077032
0.5626666167821519 0.08096839349314956
0.5313952597646564 0.08475723121164601
0.4999999999999996 0.08823375333428599
0.46860474023534293 0.09135031226979523
0.43733338321784754 0.09405952936559288
0.4063093427071373 0.09631510563055473
0.3756550564175722 0.09807275105960413
0.3454915028125258 0.09929119460902261
0.3159377236576605 0.09993322828747654
0.2871103542174632 0.09996673270743385
0.25912316294914195 0.09936562826340983
0.2320866025105012 0.09811069617542001
0.20610737385376293 0.09619021707326877
0.18128800512565463 0.09360038151118126
0.15772644703565514 0.09034543650191841
0.13551568628929372 0.08643754436597445
0.11474337861210489 0.08189634426364584
0.09549150281252579 0.0767482219486043
0.07783603724899198 0.07102530870234289
0.06184665997806776 0.0647642451988804
0.04758647376698983 0.058004759348215515
0.035111757055873924 0.05078811818706953
0.024471741852422884 0.04315552195808781
0.015708419435684164 0.035146513136282254
0.008856374635655447 0.026797474008908126
0.003942649342760936 0.01814028338975868
0.0 0.0
0.003942649342760936 -0.01814028338975868
0.008856374635655447 -0.026797474008908126
0.015708419435684164 -0.035146513136282254
0.024471741852422884 -0.04315552195808781
0.035111757055873924 -0.05078811818706953
0.04758647376698983 -0.058004759348215515
0.06184665997806776 -0.0647642451988804
0.07783603724899198 -0.07102530870234289
0.09549150281252579 -0.0767482219486043
0.11474337861210489 -0.08189634426364584
0.13551568628929372 -0.08643754436597445
0.15772644703565514 -0.09034543650191841
0.18128800512565463 -0.09360038151118126
0.20610737385376293 -0.09619021707326877
0.2320866025105012 -0.09811069617542001
0.25912316294914195 -0.09936562826340983
0.2871103542174632 -0.09996673270743385
0.3159377236576605 -0.09993322828747654
0.3454915028125258 -0.09929119460902261
0.3756550564175722 -0.09807275105960413
0.4063093427071373 -0.09631510563055473
0.43733338321784754 -0.09405952936559288
0.46860474023534293 -0.09135031226979523
0.4999999999999996 -0.08823375333428599
0.5313952597646564 -0.08475723121164601
0.5626666167821519 -0.08096839349314956
0.5936906572928622 -0.0769144921077032
0.6243449435824273 -0.07264188079702208
0.6545084971874736 -0.06819567868623932
0.684062276342339 -0.06361959243018128
0.7128896457825363 -0.058955878993584676
0.7408768370508576 -0.05424542244905428
0.7679133974894983 -0.0495278917517945
0.7938926261462367 -0.04484194261966683
0.818711994874345 -0.04022542557887525
0.8422735529643444 -0.035715563913394
0.8644843137107059 -0.03134906948428771
0.8852566213878946 -0.027162170803642
0.9045084971874738 -0.023190535859643688
0.9221639627510075 -0.01946908139428051
0.9381533400219317 -0.016031669971180218
0.9524135262330098 -0.012910705559027236
0.9648882429441258 -0.010136646844404544
0.9755282581475768 -0.007737464496315003
0.9842915805643156 -0.005738073661188781
0.9911436253643443 -0.004159775739170535
0.9960573506572389 -0.003019743807216993
0.9990133642141359 -0.002330583909727263
1.0 -0.002099999999999963

mvd535

 

[quequen]

Seems to be a NACA0020... Attached here.
There are little mistakes on the trailing edge of your incoming data, you can fix it by hand.

Suerte

 

[mvd535]

Many thanks Quequen,
I appreciate very much your help on this, specially the DXF you sent that I will use to propose a spade rudder blade shape.
Even I solved this particular case with your help, it is very frustating to not get the "ascpoint" lisp rutine working properly. If you have any other idea why this is not working, please let me know it so I can try.
Muy agradecido, y que tengas un muy buen domingo. mvd535

 

[CWTeebs]

Yet another neat tool for generating NACA foils. Runs on GuiOctave if you don't have MatLab. Rename to *.m, put both files in the same folder and run tst_naca4gen which calls naca4gen.

 

[keepeasy]

Naca Project

My application http://sourceforge.net/projects/nacaproject/ is open source and draw 2d airfoils sections in DraftSight and 2d/3D one in Autocad.

In 3d you can plot airfoils over a cylinder, good for axial pumps.

this is for Windows, Linux, Mac os X (intel)

Hope you enjoy

Best regards
Mattia