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How to create CNC plans on Illustrator?

Former Member

In one of the last episodes we got a glimpse of Ben creating plans in Illustrator.  I'm building a custom pinball cabinet and would like to have parts cut via a CNC machine.  I have no experience in creating my plans digitally, only hand drawn.  I've been searching for tutorials on creating plans in Illustrator, but Ihave not come across anything. 

 

Would anyone here happen to have a tutorial or anything on creating technical & precise plans in Illustrator?

 

Perhaps, in one episode we could get a more detailed look on how ben actually creates his CNC plans.

 

Thanks!

 

Dazz

Parents

  • Do you have your own CNC machine?  Or are you looking on how to make plans for someone else to CNC it?  If the second, it depends on the company for what format they want, many shops want drawing files from a real cad program, others, like Ponoko will take vector images from Adobe Illustrator, look at this for an example of how to create AI files for Ponoko to use

    http://www.ponoko.com/starter-kits/adobe-illustrator

     

    I'm not an expert on how Ben converts his 2D vector images into GCode for his own machine, he would have to comment on that.  I will say though, a lot of times when doing simple 3D things (like an arcade cabinet) its easier and quicker to draw up the 2D pieces showing all the views than it is to create the 3D part, which would then have to be converted to 2D views anyways for anyone to machine it.

     

    When I get things custom machined, I typically use Draftsight which is like a free version of Autocad 2D by the solid works company.  It works pretty well, doesn't annoy you with ads, and is free.  Pretty awesome.

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  • Do you have your own CNC machine?  Or are you looking on how to make plans for someone else to CNC it?  If the second, it depends on the company for what format they want, many shops want drawing files from a real cad program, others, like Ponoko will take vector images from Adobe Illustrator, look at this for an example of how to create AI files for Ponoko to use

    http://www.ponoko.com/starter-kits/adobe-illustrator

     

    I'm not an expert on how Ben converts his 2D vector images into GCode for his own machine, he would have to comment on that.  I will say though, a lot of times when doing simple 3D things (like an arcade cabinet) its easier and quicker to draw up the 2D pieces showing all the views than it is to create the 3D part, which would then have to be converted to 2D views anyways for anyone to machine it.

     

    When I get things custom machined, I typically use Draftsight which is like a free version of Autocad 2D by the solid works company.  It works pretty well, doesn't annoy you with ads, and is free.  Pretty awesome.

Children
  • in reply to colecago

    Hey colecago, I don't have my own CNC. I was planning on using ponoko.com. I have seen their starter kits, which have great advice on format and things like line color and thickness and overlaps and things of that nature. I'm looking for some advice on how to actually create a deisgn with proper dimensions.

     

    Everything I've found still treats your design as artwork, meaning that they just show you like a bird that was drawn or something, where you wouldn't necissarily care about exact dimensions, other than total height and width, and the fact that it looks pretty. I need to figure out how to say, create a trapezoid. I have the dimensions on paper, I culd easily create this in a program like say sketch up, where there are clear cut tools for designing with dimensions, but it doesn't seem so easy in illustrator.

     

    Obviouly I'm lacking some basic skills with illustrator, I was just hoping someone had found maybe a 'maker's guide' to illustrator somewhere.