by DrPR » Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:19 am
Mike,
What CAD program are you using?
Whatever you use to add texture to surfaces will have to translate into real 3D coordinates for mold making. Some programs allow you to "paint" a picture onto a surface as a "texture map." For example, if you use a photo of oak wood as a texture map the surface you map it onto will render to look like oak wood. However, it is a 2D texture, and if you export the file as a 3D stereolith file the surface will be smooth with no texture. Likewise, you could map a photo of a line of rivets onto a surface, and the pretty picture that you render will look like rivets. But again, if you export the file the surface will be smooth without rivets.
One certain way to get deckplate surface is to draw the deckplates with all of the surface tread features. Wood grain will be a bit difficult, but you can model each board individually, with gaps between them. It is a lot of work!
Another way to get deck tread features and the gaps between boards in wooden decks is to photo etch the patterns into metal. The pattern is a simple 2D drawing that is used to create the photo mask. Some resin model makers use photo etch to create a "negative" pattern for decks where the boards are etched away and the "groove" between the boards is left raised. This pattern is then inserted into the mold, and the resultant molded parts have deck boards with grooves between them. I suppose you might be able to photo etch surfaces for injection molds. This would be a lot easier than trying to machine the patterns into the molds.
Phil
Mike,
What CAD program are you using?
Whatever you use to add texture to surfaces will have to translate into real 3D coordinates for mold making. Some programs allow you to "paint" a picture onto a surface as a "texture map." For example, if you use a photo of oak wood as a texture map the surface you map it onto will render to look like oak wood. However, it is a 2D texture, and if you export the file as a 3D stereolith file the surface will be smooth with no texture. Likewise, you could map a photo of a line of rivets onto a surface, and the pretty picture that you render will look like rivets. But again, if you export the file the surface will be smooth without rivets.
One certain way to get deckplate surface is to draw the deckplates with all of the surface tread features. Wood grain will be a bit difficult, but you can model each board individually, with gaps between them. It is a lot of work!
Another way to get deck tread features and the gaps between boards in wooden decks is to photo etch the patterns into metal. The pattern is a simple 2D drawing that is used to create the photo mask. Some resin model makers use photo etch to create a "negative" pattern for decks where the boards are etched away and the "groove" between the boards is left raised. This pattern is then inserted into the mold, and the resultant molded parts have deck boards with grooves between them. I suppose you might be able to photo etch surfaces for injection molds. This would be a lot easier than trying to machine the patterns into the molds.
Phil