AutoCad for Nanotechnology writing software. Any ideas?

I am a PhD student in nanotechonology whois looking to create a simple programme to write small structures ontosurfaces. I use a techniques called ‘scanning near-field optical lithography’which is where you get a metal tip with a laser on the end and use it to‘write’ structures onto a surface.

To define which shape of the strutcure we want to write we currently have toget graph paper, draw the structure and work out the coordinates and type theminto notepad to create a code that the instrument software can read. This is OKfor simple structures such as lines but it is quite laborious for drawing morecomplex things. To give you some example of the code that we use, to draw asquare which is 25 micrometers in size you would write.

SS 30

MR 25.0,0.0

MR 0.0,25.0

MR -25.0,0.0

MR 0.0,-25.0

With SS being the speed that you would likethe tip to move, MR (x.y) (move relative) followed by the coordinates that thetip should move to.

I am wondering if there could be a simpler way to do this and thought I maybeable to draw a structure in CAD then somehow export the coordinates and type them into code. Or evenbetter a way that would allow me toexport the coordinates straight into a code that I could use for the instrument software. I am new to CAD so was wondering if someone could tell me whether thisseems feasible and if so if they could point me in the right direction.

Thanks

The coordinates could be extracted from the drawing and brought into a spreadsheet. Would that at least be a start?

Yes that would indeed be a good start

One option would be to use the EATTEXT command. The output can be sent to a mdb, xls, cvs or txt file. For instance you could capture the start/end values of X, Y and Z.

you should use nanoCAD (www.nanocad.com) instead

I know I have supplied polyline profiles for laser cutting as a DXF file before. You might be able to take a Plot file from your drawing also. I'd suggest looking at laser/plasma cutter machine code. Maybe talk to a HW manufacturer like Roland, Oce or HP

Is nanoCAD designed for use with nanotechnology? I thought it was just another free CAD program.

Is nanoCAD designed for use with nanotechnology? I thought it was just another free CAD program.

RobDraw I think you know I was being cheeky

Didn't the Russians invent nanotechnology or was it Al Gore?

I'm a little slow on the uptake this morning. I've known about nanoCAD for so long that as soon as I read nano, nanoCAD popped into my head.

most of the structural programs can open .sat files