Should I get a 3d probe for 2d?

[knight_toolworks]

Mostly I want to use the probe to get a outline of a part someone brings me. I have a upholstered furniture maker in my shop that I have been using is drawing on cardboard to get a file. Was thinking of cutting the cardboard out and using the probe. but I don't know how fast it is doing 2d.
I am getting faster at drawing them. then I throw my laser on the bot and trace the drawing to make sure it is right and adjust the curves.
but the probe at 400 is a lot of money right now.

[jdervin]

It's been awhile since I've used mine, but it certainly goes a lot faster in 2d than in 3d. On a project where I was trying to copy some hand-crafted letters (not from a font) that were about 6-8" tall, it didn't take more than a few minutes to trace the perimeter. However, it was mathematically improbable for it to discover and cleanly capture corners, which left me with an unacceptable amount of cleanup to do afterwards.

The problem was (if memory serves -- and it rarely does), the probe advances from point to point by a repeating amount, and while it found the corners, it never worked out that the corners were in alignment with the distance between probing points. This resulted in a point on either side of the corner and a bezier between them.

[knight_toolworks]

I know it does little circles a friend has one and said I could use it. but thats unpractical.

[Brady Watson]

A digital camera and a contrasting background, along with any software that will let you manually trace is my preferred method. If you know at least one measurement, you can do photogrammetry...Smaller stuff can be done on a flatbed document scanner.

-B

[ssflyer]

I agree with Brady - I use the method all the time. I just make sure that the camera is perpendicular to the piece, to avoid perspective errors. Another old tip - I also use this method to add irregularly shaped pieces, like burls, to my textures directory in Aspire, so I can send accurate previews to clients, before cutting...

[bob_s]

Steve
I use an inexpensive flat bed scanner to capture profiles of moldings, etc. the camera works well too but if the parts are small enough nothing is faster than the scanner and setting the paths around the part by hand

[srwtlc]

I'm in agreement with the last three guys, but if you have a large part and really want to give it a try, you could use conductive tape or even tin foil around the perimeter of the part and chuck up a small shank of something like a broken off small bit or a drill rod etc. and run the Copy Machine tool. Your results may vary, but it might be just enough to get what you want with a little editing afterwards. Just make sure you have continuity all the way around the part or you'll break a broken bit.

[knight_toolworks]

I do the pic method. but once the part gets larger then that does not work well. so far measuring and using the laser works ok,

[Brady Watson]

I do the pic method. but once the part gets larger then that does not work well.

This is where you have to take multiple shots dead on, in a grid pattern per se, and then stitch the photos together in software. A tripod is helpful in order to keep the distance from the part the same between shots so that you don't get depth distortion.

-B

[bleeth]

People who sew have a large piece of cardboard with a grid on it. If you took your picture on that it would make drawing it a lot quicker by putting a grid of the same spacing on your drawing screen.