Need to create 3D topographical raised relief map using CNC routing.

[shall356886]

Hi,

I have a project where I need to make ~2'x2' 3D raised relief topographical maps using a CNC router. I have access to AutoCAD 2012 Architecture, REVIT, Mechanical, and Civil 3D products, and I'm trying to determine how to approach the problem. While I'm not an AutoCAD expert, I have used Mechanical off and on for years, but not the Civil 3D or Map products.

I'm starting with USGS National Map 1/3arc sec elevation data and have it in both ArcGIS, DEM, and GRIDFloat format. The representative areas I'll be dealing with are 1-5mi square, with elevations of less than 200ft. I am having trouble importing the entire 450MB chunk, and don't know how to import a small subset of the data. I have used another product which allows me to extract a subset of the data, generate excellent contours, etc., but good as it is, I'd like to avoid having to purchase this product if at all possible.

I assume that I'll need to import the ArcGIS or DEM data, to create a 3D surface (mesh?) which I can then create tool paths using Mastercam. Using Civil 3D I was able to import a small DEM data set as a test, and create a surface, and the contours appear very good, with the correct elevation attributes, but it appears to be in a 2D space, not 3D, and I am not sure how to apply a mesh to it.

Any and all help would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Seth

[Novarese]

I suppose your CNC machine accepts DXF files, isn't it?

When you create the C3D surface based on Dem, you can explode it twice to obtain a bunch of 3Dfaces, which you finally export do DXF.

[shall356886]

Hi Novarese,

The CNC router I am using accepts so-called G-code, which is output by the Mastercam post processor. Mastercam can read more or less any kind of format, including DXF, DW, STL, etc.

I am not sure what you mean by "explode it twice to obtain a bunch of 3Dfaces". I was able to create a surface, and then populate it with the DEM data, as per a "create Surface" tutorial that comes with C3D 2012. The problem is that I can only see a single line of points, not anything that looks remotely like a surface, even when looking at it in ISO mode.

As I mentioned, I'm no AutoCAD expert, and would appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks, Seth

[Novarese]

I guess it happens 'cause you are loading a Dem having X,Y in lat/long and Z in meters.

Please zip and share with us that Dem file, thx.

[Opie]

Did you just use the "Create Surface..." tool or "Create Surface from DEM..." tool? I think the latter would be more appropriate to what you are looking to achieve.