Problem with Delftship plates scaling

I'm new to using DelftshipPro. I have designed a S&G tandem kayak, and was able to "unfold" to see the plates. I've built a Pygmy Coho, so I'm familiar with the build process but since this is my first kayak design, I decided to make a scaled model before proceeding with the full size boat.

From inside the "unfold" window, I had Delftship save the file as a .dxf file. I then used a free program to view, scale, and print paper patterns for the 1/6th scale model. All of that went without a hitch. The model went together using 1/16th inch plywood. No problems with the bends or anything, and the model looks like it should.

So I decided to get a price on having the panels cut on a cnc machine. I sent the 2D dxf file of the plates to the first guy (Washington) and he couldn't get the file to open using Rhino.

Sent the same file to the 2nd and 3rd guys (Florida and Maryland). The guys in Florida have no problem opening the file, but the scale is wrong. When they open it, it is in inches. When I view it in Delftship it is in feet, as it should be. There are no selections to set units in that "unfold" window.

I tried to search for answers on the Delftship forum, but it seems to be down for maintenance.

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks.

Russ

 

I don't know what or if you're doing anything wrong, but what about opening another layer and includind a dead flat panel that is 12 feet by 1 foot within your unfolded dxf file.
Then ask the cnc plate suppliers to use that as the scale check or rescaling check.

[I would guess that the plates are 1/12 too small.]

 

mick: I don't think the suppliers want to take any risk in scaling the plates. I can't blame them for that. I've thought about scaling the design up 1200% but I'm hoping there's just some setting someplace that I've missed. Seems odd to me that the scale is correct in Delftship, and not correct in the saved dxf file. Unless my workflow is unique, this would be a huge bug in the code that someone (hopefully their software test group) would have found right away.

 

It likely is that their default units are inches: To move something 1", do you enter .08333... , and do they enter 1?
If so, ask them if they can set their default units to feet.
If not, either of you scale by 12.

**

I do not know DelftPro, but just have an earlier free version that does not have exporting . . . however in the earlier freeship version, I note that 2d dxf exports had the ability to be in inches, feet, meters, centimeters and millimeters - BUT the two 3d dxf exports did not have that capability.

My presumption is that it was a feature that was not just yet put in and then never was because it is so easy to accommodate the various differences by scaling. but that's conjecture.

 

All of my DXF exports from Freeship, import in inches into my CAD software. I end up using a scale factor of 12 to bring the units into agreement with my CAD software. I have not thought to see if it is related to default units or not. If it was me, I'd load the Freeship file into my CAD system, scale it, check it, save it and send the modified file to the cutters.

 

Thanks for the quick replies. Since my only CAD software is Delftship, I guess I'm going to scale the file up as suggested, and send it off to the cutters. Seems like an easy thing to fix in the software, and I did send Delftship an email about it. Based on what I've read on this forum, I'm not expecting a reply back from them anytime soon.

Russ

 

If you wanted me to, I would scale your DXF output and send it back to you. PM me if interested.