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Hi!

Can anybody point me in the right direction. I'm drawing my panel in Autocad and looking for some CAD drawings of instruments. I realize most company's have pdf files of their instruments showing all the dimensions. I'm wondering if there is a site with a library of sorts of these drawings?
 
Kristjan,

I think you will have trouble finding CAD drawings of all the instruments you may want to use. Alternatively you can download images of each instrument which are pretty easy to find in advertisements and then scale the image in AutoCad to the exact manufacturer’s dimensions (also pretty easy to find). Then you can use these images to lay out your panel. That’s what I did and it worked pretty well. You can also print the final result (tape the pages together) and lay the drawing over your currently blank panel to get a very good idea of exactly how the panel will look once completed.

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I draw panels in autocad. Best thing to do is to download dimensions. Put then in a block, which will save them in a library. You need to draw the actual cuts on one layer, bezels on another layer. That way when you give the file to a waterjet or lazer cutter, you only leave on the cut layer for them to see. I think autocad is the only cad program to use to actually cut panels. It has unbelieveable accuracy. I started drawing in it about 25 years ago, it takes some time to learn, very expensive program, but very good. Just take the time to really review your drawings. You will get what you draw.
 
The cheaper ones...

CNEJR said:
I draw panels in autocad. ..... I think autocad is the only cad program to use to actually cut panels. It has unbelieveable accuracy. ...., very expensive program, but very good. Just take the time to really review your drawings. You will get what you draw.
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...such as TurboCAD (and others) will work too, as long as they can output DXF files.

The DXF file is what the cutting machine translation software reads, and is a common output format....:)

TurboCAD can be obtained for around $20 for an older, but still legal, version on E-bay.

For a visual look, you can put color BMP files for each instrument on a separate layer and scale them to fit. The resultant printout will look like your panel.
 
For Mac folks...

At the professional level, you'll want Vectorworks - it's basically AutoCAD for the Mac (though easier to use, IMHO). You can export in DXF to drive a CNC router or laser/waterjet or whatever.

For roughing out a design, however, you can't beat OmniGraffle or OmniGraffle Pro (again, IMHO).

I've designed furniture in Vectorworks, and I've used OmniGraffle Pro to lay out control panels for video game cabinets (another hobby), so these recommendations are from personal experience. Of course, YMMV, and this advice is worth every penny you paid for it. :cool:

-- Chris
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm thinking there is a lot of us making CAD drawings of instruments. Since it takes a bit of time sketching them in Autocad or similar programs I'm wondering if they are available as templates or blocks somewhere. It would be a time saver to have access to a database like that.
 
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