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How Did You Layout Your 3D Panel?

rockitdoc

Well Known Member
Sponsor
How did you guys plan where to put all the gear behind the panel? I would like to make dummies of the all the avionics out of cardboard or something similar and play with positioning and wiring. So far, I am doing it like a kid in kindergarten with paper dolls (see below). Fortunately, Dynon publishes the mechanical drawings with dimensions. I know I should learn a CAD program so I don't have to size the drawings on my printer, but the Fusion360 program that can read the .IGS files is not easy to print from in 1:1 scale. Is there a better, more elegant way to create these 3D models? Or, is putting all of this together on the computer the 'elegant' way?
 

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Whatever method you choose, please make sure you take into account the connector backshells and associated wires that hook to each box when you're developing your layout. I didn't, and had a few close calls where I had barely enough space between boxes or other structure to attach backshells and route the wires exiting from them.

HTH

Dave
 
Some people have better 3D CAD skills than I do so they have modeled the panel area in great detail. Solidworks is available through EAA. I grabbed a copy and I'm learning it. However since its a diversion for me I didn't go down that path. I've kept the panel in a 2D perspective and worked in that manner. It has seemed to be fine. I've been using the frontpanel express tool which is very easy to use. https://www.frontpanelexpress.com/ If you decide to go down that path PM me I've made several custom models that I could share.

I haven't gotten to the stage of planning out where all of my remotely mounted boxes are going. Again you could model the sub-panel and some have done this.

I just take it one step at a time. Once I get the panel figured out and mounted I'll move onto the sub-panel and associated boxes.
 
Just me

Earlier last year I went to the website and looked at the dimensions for all the boxes that go behind the panel. i made cardboard dolls and taped them to my sub-structure.

fast forward to this week, I got all the boxes and made a fake instrument panel out of cheap press board from home depot. i cut out for the center stack and the screens. I taped the whole thing together and verified i could get to all the connectors once installed in the plane, planned out my wire runs and also finalized box locations. I think I am going to use flush rivets to hold the sub-panel together so that boxes can span the joint between the center and edge pieces of the sub panel.

This weekends plan is to install the nut plates for the sub panel boxes, rivet the sub panel together, and than start wiring with the sub-panel on the bench. The wire routing will be such that I can later install the sub panel into the airplane without the harness hanging around. Well, that is the plan at least.
IMG_1752%2B%25281%2529.JPG
 
Cheating

It is probably cheating, but I had access to a 3D printer and made a 3D print of each Garmin G3X component from the Garmin CAD files and attached them (with backshells) to a place that fit. Nothing beats actual 3D mockups as it worked great
 
I made simple dummy models for most of the Dynon components (all but the displays), and got a couple of extra backshells for checking fit. PM me with your email and I can email you the .stl files for my dummy parts.

Still need to make one for a GPS-175...

I’m currently playing 3D tetris with them right now, trying to nail down a few components.
 
I long for the days when a Kellogs Corn Flakes box, scissors, tape & a bit of imagination sufficed.
Does Kellogs still come in a box?
 
Panel boxes mock up

I really feel like Garmin or someone could market and sell plastic dummy boxes for mock up and panel planning. In the meantime pink foam board from Lowe’s glued together to make blocks then cut to size on a bandsaw.



Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 

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I really feel like Garmin or someone could market and sell plastic dummy boxes for mock up and panel planning. In the meantime pink foam board from Lowe’s glued together to make blocks then cut to size on a bandsaw.



Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer

Exactly! I sent some 3D model files to a 3D printer for a quote on how much to print the Dynon Skyviews. $350/ea!

I decided to go the paper doll route and resurrect my crafts skills.

I'll do the rest of the avionics that go behind the panel tomorrow.

S
 

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3d print

I think the 3D printing is the way to go. The prints are so accurate that you can locate nutplates using them. Any pal with a printer should be able to do it for $5. I have a fairly decent printer that was about $300.

That said, I just tried to print out the Arinc429 module but I got errors in Solidworks and in Cura (the 3d print slicer). Because of that, the mounting holes got filled in.

Did anybody get past that issue?

dynon3dPrint.jpg
 
3D Models in Paper and Foam

I decided to forego the 3D printing method. Big learning curve for me and my brain cells are nearly gone from learning riveting, bucking, etc.

Anyway, got some 3/16" foam board and a hot glue gun and went to town mocking up all the avionics....I think. Dynon publishes the 1:1 scale drawings for most everything except the side views. That, you have to scale up by trial and error on a printer, but it's no big deal.

Models are just intended for space allocation and to figure out approximately the routes the wires will need to go.

The only object not shown is the magnetometer, but I'm not sure I will need it?

Any opinions re this welcome, of course.
 

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I think the 3D printing is the way to go. The prints are so accurate that you can locate nutplates using them. Any pal with a printer should be able to do it for $5. I have a fairly decent printer that was about $300.

That said, I just tried to print out the Arinc429 module but I got errors in Solidworks and in Cura (the 3d print slicer). Because of that, the mounting holes got filled in.

Did anybody get past that issue?

View attachment 7790

I remodeled the parts and eliminated a lot of the unnecessary features like small radii and such. The mounting holes are there but not all the pins in the d-sub connector, for example.

I think the slicer is throwing errors because the Dynon models aren’t perfectly closed - they have gaps and slicers don’t like gaps
 
Making all of the paper and foam models shown took me 4 hours. Not good enough for drilling holes and mounting the real thing, but good enough to plan where the units will reside behind the panel and where wires should go.
 
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