Making yacht drawings in CAD

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by danstanford

Jim, I work with a laser doing room layouts every day but we do not do point clouds but rather use planes for the walls and other surfaces. I am not sure if something like this is in our future or not.

Can you tell me how long a scan like this took to do and how much it cost?

Thanks, Dan

The scan of the engine bay was done with an Einscan HX hand held scanner. The scan itself is fast enough - its placing the stick on dots needed for the HX scanner to be able to register all the various scans together that take time to place and remove. The engine bay scan all up probably took 4 hours to do with 75% of that placing and removing dots.

If you review the YT video I have posted you can see the outside of the boat (and some inside as well) that was done with a Lecia BLK2GO hand held scanner - that scan probably took 20 mins all up - impressive indeed !! However the BLK2GO is a 50K USD scanner - the Einscan HX is a 10K USD handheld scanner.

For very detailed work i think the Einscan HX is the winner - takes a lot more time but the results are impressive.

I also have had scans done with a Faro S70 scanner - super super high res scanning. The Faro is more suited to buildings and "as built"scans as it can scan an object over 100 meters away and is tripod mounted.

The FARO S70 scans cost me $650 USD, the Einscan HX scans were about $750 USD (but different company hence different pricing) - the BLK2GO scans were thrown in as a freebie by the guy who did the scans with the Einscan HX scanner. He wanted to show me what he could do with his BLK2GO and how quick it was to scan and the impressive results he could get.

The challenge I have is that while I can get the scans done easily enough and have point clouds delivered to me its the next step that is the challenge. I now need to get these scans "reverse engineered" - this means we take the "point cloud" data and convert it into solids so we can import the scans into a CAD program and then start designing solid 3D models - thats when it gets interesting.

I do get a lot of people will say "why do all this" ? If i were in the western world and had access to the ppl i need to do the various things I need done, then I can see there may be other ways forward - where I am, the area is in a permanent time warp and is stuck in 1971 - so my plan is to send these scans to the ppl I need to design things - they will be able to design exactly what i need with mm precision. I can then get my ductwork designed and manufactured off site (far far away from where I am) and then have it sent to me and it will all fit straight in. YMMV.

[Jim Jones]

This is a video I shot on my phone of the guy doing the actual scan - so much higher res.

Its an interesting process and the results from the einscan HX are excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOlXHsuXegQ

[Jim Jones]

[MicHughV]

If you know how to use autoCAD, it's child's play to do. If you don't know how, there must be 1,000's of Cad techs that can do it for you.

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

If you know how to use autoCAD, it's child's play to do. If you don't know how, there must be 1,000's of Cad techs that can do it for you.

Childs play to do the reverse engineering ? With the right software and knowledge - yes. Well not childs play but doable for sure.

However where I am not so easy. Few scanning people here who know this stuff. Not all is lost though - I will find ppl online who can do it and send the files to them, let them reverse engineer the scans and send them back to me. It is 2024 after all and the world is connected. The sleepy little fishing port where I am is stuck in an alternate universe and has not manged to leave 1971 behind, so its a little challenging here.

I plan to use Solid Works.

Big learning curve ahead for sure but no one was born a Solid Works jockey -everyone has to learn at some point.

Main thing is to collect the field data while the areas I am scanning are accessible and we have successfully done that. Once the engine is in, the bulk heads are back in and all the stuff that goes into the engine bay is installed its hard to get 100% of the engine bay scanned.

[MicHughV]

Yes, the marvelous thing about AutoCad and the internet is that you can send electronic files/drawings anywhere you want.

I started to learn autocad when it first came out, in the early 80's. It's an incredible tool.
While I'm quite good with it, I'm no match for the modern day autocad tech, that can do stuff that will make your head spin.

[Spot]

Jim, is your engine new? If so, perhaps its manufacturer can give you CAD as well for comparison. The scan videos are impressive, thanks for posting them.

Hugh, after 30-some years of 2D CAD I am starting to explore 3D and what it takes to draw boats. 'Make your head spin' is a great way to put it.

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by Spot

Jim, is your engine new? If so, perhaps its manufacturer can give you CAD as well for comparison. The scan videos are impressive, thanks for posting them.

Hugh, after 30-some years of 2D CAD I am starting to explore 3D and what it takes to draw boats. 'Make your head spin' is a great way to put it.

No its a 2004 D2-55D - the last Volvo before the infamous black box. I have just had it rebuilt which is why the paint work is fresh.

I need to 2 things to the engine - I am adding a high output alternator @48v to replace the stock 12v job that the engine comes with. (putting in a large LiFePo4 battery bank - so need some serious charging ability). I dont think the large case alternator will fit where the old 12v alternator is AND I need some duct work designed/installed to get a LOT of cool air pumped in over that alternator so I can get as many amps as possible out of it while its charging depleted LiFePo4 batteries.

A 3D scan is the ideal way to plan all this out to see what fits and what doesn't. I dont have a lot of room in the engine bay so figuring out duct work will be a challenge - but not in a 3D model of the engine bay with the engine in it. So thats why I have gone this way.

[Jim Jones]

Originally Posted by Spot

Jim, is your engine new? If so, perhaps its manufacturer can give you CAD as well for comparison. The scan videos are impressive, thanks for posting them.

Hugh, after 30-some years of 2D CAD I am starting to explore 3D and what it takes to draw boats. 'Make your head spin' is a great way to put it.

That Leica BLK2GO is VERY impressive. The hand held HX from Shingling 3D is also very impressive - different tools for different jobs.

The hull is 42ft long - while technically it could be done, doing it with the hand held HX scanner is not very practical.

The Lecia BLK2GO is simply amazing at how fast it scans such huge areas but not as much detail as the Hx scanner.

I also have had Faro 70 scans done - it has the best of both worlds - very very high res and scans large areas fast but is the most expensive scanner to purchase or hire someone who has one.

If you would like a copy of the scan data you are welcome - you can play around with them at your own leisure if you are into this stuff. Just have to figure out a way to get them into the "Cloud" so they can be freely downloaded. It does not bother me one bit if someone has the data. If you have somewhere to host the files let me know. There is about 45 Gigs of data though !

[Jim Jones]

Note the blue Lasers on the scanner. The Infra Red mode was not that great - one really needs those blue lasers. Also cant scan with the HX in strong sunlight. The Lecia BLK2GO and the Faro s70 can scan in full daylight without restriction

[Jim Jones]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmw8FCt-Wcw

[Jim Jones]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTFGTvynyWI

[Jim Jones]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaDn0yKJyQ

[danstanford]

Thanks Jim that is really informative. I guess you must receive a point cloud as a file rather than solid models?
It looks like the little dots are how the scanner software works out the 3D element of this while in my case the scanner is held still on a tripod so you can only measure what you can see from that spot.

[Jim Jones]

deleted as duplicated.