2-D Design Case Tutorial 1
Case Tutorial
Section 1
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
2D Design
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2-D Design Case Tutorial 2
Section 1
During the course of this tutorial I will lead you through the creation of a case using 2D-
Design. We will use our design to manufacture a case for your electronic circuit
(CAD/CAM). Feel free to copy the design exactly to gain confidence and learn how to
use the program or if you are already confident, use it to create your own design.
1. You will have already designed your case on paper or
using ProDesktop or some other Cad program, it may look like
this. You are now ready to manufacture the case.
2. Open a new file in 2D Design and make sure you are working
on an A4 size sheet. To do this click on Setup : Drawing :
Layout as shown below
3. Click on Layout and choose ISO A4
from the drop-down menu next to Standard
size. Click on OK.
4. For this tutorial I will create the tree shape as
seen in the first picture. Click on Grid Lock
by doing this we can ensure that the lines stay
together. Grid Lock can be annoying when
working with curves because the line will jump
away from where you want it and it will be easier
to click on step lock.
5. Begin by drawing a square 60 x 60mm.
This is where your electrical circuit will go
when you finish making your case. Notice the
correct measurement on the bottom of the
screen.
6. Create the shape of your design around this
box.
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2-D Design Case Tutorial 3
7. If a symmetrical shape is
needed, it can be easier to draw half
of it and to mirror the other half. We
will learn how to do this here.
8. After drawing half your design
select it by drawing a box around
it or by clicking on each line in
turn while holding the shift key
down. The lines that you want will
turn Pink (make sure that the
square is not selected and is still
black)
9. Click and hold the Transform
button and move over to the
Mirror image button and let go.
10. A dialogue box will appear asking
you to replace or repeat. Choose
Repeat.
11. Create a line through the middle
of your design. Your shape will
then be reflected on the other side.
We have now completed the basic shape for our box and will learn about the need to
create Tool Path around our shape using the Contour tool. For the purpose of this
tutorial we will assume that we will be cutting your shape out using a 3mm diameter
cutting tool. (Those schools fortunate to own a laser cutter feel free to ignore the
following information and to feel smug)!
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2-D Design Case Tutorial 4
Creating a tool path.
Why do we need a tool path? A Camm 2 machine will cut down the centre of any line
that you have drawn. Let’s assume you need a square cut out that’s 100 x 100 mm and
you have a 3mm tool in the machine. The tool will cut down the centre of the line
shaving 1.5mm off each side (1.5 mm being half the diameter).
If this continues all around
your design you will loose
1.5 mm off each side.
By the time you finish you
will have a smaller square
measuring 97 x 97mm.
In order to solve this problem we need to draw a
new line 1.5 mm away from the first line and get
the machine to cut down the centre of that. We
call this new line a tool path and use a different
colour to the first line. The machine will cut to the
centre of the tool path right up to the edge of your
design
Tool Path.
12. Lets go back to your design and place a tool
path around it. Change the line colour to red.
13. Click on the Contour tool and change the
contour settings to 1.5mm
Click on OK.
14. Click outside your design and
inside the square in the middle.
See next page for a cheat!
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2-D Design Case Tutorial 5
Cheat!
A. If you end up having a double line around your design it means
that it is not an enclosed shape. Some times it is hard to see the
gap and this cheat will help you save time!
B. Draw another contour line outside the first one; this one should
be a single line.
C. Delete the first contour
(the double one).
D. This should leave you
with one contour line 3mm
away from your work.
E. Draw a new contour line just
inside the outside contour. This
means that it is 1.5mm away
from the work in the position
that you want it.
F. Finally delete the outside
contour.
This leaves you what you need
to cut out the perfect shape.
We will need to add 2 holes in your case so that we can
accurately join the different layers together.
15. Click and hold on the line tool and
select Draw a single point.
16. Making sure that the line colour is still red; draw
two points opposite each other on your case. They will
be hard to see even if you zoom in! If you turn the grid
off they will be easier to spot.
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2-D Design Case Tutorial 6
We will now need to move your work to the bottom left hand side of the page. It’s a
good idea to group lines together when moving them so as not to leave them behind.
We can ungroup them later.
14. Using the select tool draw a box around
all your design. Then click on Edit : Group.
15. Click on the centre yellow square of the
marquee box and drag it down to the bottom
left corner.
16. Click on the double yellow squares on
the bottom of the box to copy your design
17. SAVE YOUR WORK.
3mm
We will be constructing the box as shown in
the Exploded View. As you will notice the
10 mm
drawing that you have created is for the two
centre pieces of you design. We will be
making these out of 10 mm foamed PVC
(Foamex). We will need to change the design
for the front and back which we will cut out of a thinner 3mm material.
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2-D Design Case Tutorial 7
18.Select one of your shapes by drawing
a box around it and go to Edit : Copy.
19. Go to File : New and then Edit : Paste
to paste your shape in a new file.
20. Move your design to the bottom left
hand side of the sheet and with the
design still selected go to Edit :
Ungroup.
21. Delete the square and its red contour line
from the middle and go to File : Save to save
the new file as Cover.
Well done. You have now finished the Computer Aided Design (CAD) section of this
project. In the next section we will look at Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM).
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