The 3d fastener problem

[Dadgad]

Cool, thanks for the feedback, your profile shows 2011.

I have downloaded it before on my old laptop and didn't get it working,

but I have just downloaded it onto my new laptop, and will check it out again.

[RBPrice]

WOW - I shall go and investigate this good news

 

Thanks a great big bunch Geordie

[RBPrice]

OK - guess my lack of proper skills is showing. I went to the link, downloaded the files, which are zipped, un-zipped them and put them into a subdirectory where all my lisp programs live.

 

Did an APPLOAD thingy and typed what I thought was the name of the file - STL in the case of the steel beam program. Nothing happened. What did I do incorrectly?

[SLW210]

First, there are plenty of add on programs that do what you ask. SOFTDRAFT has a few.

 

From other threads I see you have the Product Design Suite Professional, which includes Inventor.

 

I get most of my 3D fasteners from McMaster-Carr.

 

Two, read the STL_help.txt in the STL Folder. (you need to add the sub-directory to the support file search path.)

 

2. LOADING AND STARTING THE PROGRAM:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A. FIRST, ALL STL FILES SHOULD BE LOCATED IN THE SAME DIRECTORY. THE DIRECTORY

SHOULD BE SPECIFIED IN THE AUTOCAD SEARCH PATH. MY PERSONAL APPROACH IS TO

PUT ALL MY CUSTOM AUTOLISP FILES IN A DIRECTORY CALLED AUTOLISP WHICH I THEN

ADD TO MY AUTOCAD SEARCH PATH. THIS KEEPS THEM SEPARATE FROM ALL THE ONES

SUPPLIED WITH AUTOCAD IN THE SUPPORT DIRECTORY.

B. LOADING CAN BE DONE BY VARIOUS MEANS DEPENDING ON HOW FREQUENTLY YOU EXPECT

TO USE THE PROGRAM. FOR INFREQUENT USE, THE "LOAD APPLICATION" MENU ON THE

"TOOLS" PULL-DOWN (R13 AND R14) MAY SUFFICE. YOU CAN ALSO LOAD DIRECTLY

AT THE COMMAND PROMPT BY TYPING (LOAD "STL") AND PRESSING ENTER. FOR

FREQUENT USERS WHO WANT THE PROGRAM AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES, ADD (LOAD "STL")

TO YOUR ACAD.LSP FILE SO THAT THE PROGRAM LOADS AUTOMATICALLY EVERY TIME.

YOU CAN THEN START THE PROGRAM BY TYPING STL AT THE COMMAND PROMPT OR BY

CONFIGURING A CUSTOM TOOLBAR BUTTON TO START. MY PERSONAL APPROACH IN R13 AND

R14 IS TO CREATE AND CONFIGURE A CUSTOM TOOLBAR BUTTON THAT BOTH LOADS AND

STARTS THE PROGRAM. THE BUTTON COMMAND IS (LOAD "STL") STL. IT'S THAT SIMPLE.

[RBPrice]

I had no problem getting to the subdirectory/file; but when I got there, there were no lisp files displayed. But Explorer shows them there.

[RBPrice]

OK - I fussed some more and now the Lisp file is showing in the STEEL BEAMS subdirectory and seems to load correctly. But typing in STL does not invoke the routine. And another poster says that it will run in 2013.

[SLW210]

Should only be 1 LISP file. You still need to have the path to the Folder in the Support File Search Path.

 

OPTIONS>FILES>SUPPORT FILE SEARCH PATH, select NEW and browse to the folder STL.

 

I have STL load through the ACADDOC.lsp.

 

If that doesn't work, you may not have all of the files.

[Jimmy111]

I have auto cad mechanical 2010 and There is little 3d support for anything. There is some content for 2d bolts and beams but it is pretty much useless.

Most people just build up their library of parts and work from there. Anyhow a 3d bolt and nut takes up a lot of memory and when you have a bunch of them in a drawing it can cause problems. Beams, I have 60' pre made lengths of most everything and just cut to length and add stiffeners and bolt holes as I go. There are lots of shapes but few are really used. Check with your local steel service centers before you specify a beam. It either may be available only on special order or not available at all.

[Dadgad]

OK - I fussed some more and now the Lisp file is showing in the STEEL BEAMS subdirectory and seems to load correctly. But typing in STL does not invoke the routine. And another poster says that it will run in 2013.

 

It sounds like you have located it, but failed to LOAD it, after which hopefully STL should take you there.

[Manila Wolf]

Try here "http://cadtips.cadalyst.com/standard-blocks/steel-shapes-all-types-and-sizes" for 2D & 3D beams and

"http://cadtips.cadalyst.com/blocks/fast-fasteners" for 2D & 3D fasteners

 

I regularly use these two utilities suggested by Geordie.

 

In addition for Hex Hd Bolts give this one a try: -

 

http://files.engineering.com/getfile.aspx?folder=8ba45fad-c6d2-4391-ad78-5a51dbabb499&file=HELICAD.zip

[drwhite]

I have a lisp routine called Steel.lsp by Stephen R. Taylor I purchased some years back,

around 2000 or so. It creates 2D and 3D Autocad drawings of structural shapes.

It may be in the public domain by now, I haven't found it recently. May be at Cadalyst.

Screenshot:

[-TJ]

I also typically go the route of McMaster-Carr for any fasteners I want to represent in a 3d model. I download the .SAT version then just drag the file from the folder it was saved to the drawing. Scale if necessary.

[gazza_au]

I use AutoCAD 2012 but use Bricscad for the very function your looking for, has a great variety of structural , mechanical and fasteners. and you can save to dwg.

 

 

[RBPrice]

Hello DR - does that progam work in 2013 and if so could you post a link to it?

 

Thanks

[RBPrice]

Thanks Gazza - but doesn't your solution beg the question of why doesn't Autodesk think is important that its premiier program does not have that capability? I am quite sure that they would prefer that everyone use Inventor but not everyone can afford Inventor and the annual maintenance cost. But AutoCAD has had 3D capability since Release 10 and thousands of folks use it every day to design in 3D.

[JD Mather]

Thanks Gazza - but doesn't your solution beg the question of why doesn't Autodesk think is important that its premiier program does not have that capability? I am quite sure that they would prefer that everyone use Inventor but not everyone can afford Inventor and the annual maintenance cost. But AutoCAD has had 3D capability since Release 10 and thousands of folks use it every day to design in 3D.

 

Not everyone can afford a Cadilllac, shouldn't GM put all the features of the Cadillac model in their best selling model. (for the same price of course)

Is that how you operate your business? Seems pretty logical to me - you get what you pay for. They key is to figure out how much all these missing things are costing you and perhaps the additional cost of an upgrade is actually a savings.

[RBPrice]

Reasonable commnent JD - as I have said in the past, I was fortunate to have the capability of 3D fasteners and shapes from Release 11 to 2008. New I have 2013 and do not. Yes, they were supplemental packages but they were developed by Autodesk authorized folks. And from my perspective, when I am asked to design a special manufacturing system for one of my customers, we spend some time discussing how many features should be included and how much they are going to cost. If AutoCAD 2013 can do 3D work, then Autodesk should provide an option for things like 3D fasteners and shapes for those users that want them. I do not want a flat panel display on the dashboard of my pickup truck but I do want cruise control, antilock brakes etc. becasue they make the truck safer and more functional. AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

And just for the sake of my curiosity, does Inventor have a complete 3D library of every Imperial/Metric fasterner and steel/aluminum/pipe shape?

[SLW210]

You might take a look at Steel Plus add-on by Softdraft.

[JD Mather]

And just for the sake of my curiosity, does Inventor have a complete 3D library of every Imperial/Metric fasterner and steel/aluminum/pipe shape?

 

Every?

Not sure about that, but there is an extensive library and anthing that isn't in the Content Center I can easily find on-line or create myself and add to the library.

Seems like it would be fairly simple to build a library in AutoCAD too. How many different fasteners structural shapes do you use. It is common to try to reduce standard component variety. My biggest problem in Inventor is too much stuff. Once I find what I need I move to a custom library so that I don't have to wade through all the stuff I don't normally use.

In addition to the Content Center there are also a number of Design Accelerators that build common components on-the-fly from specifications you enter in dialog boxes.