Hi there,

I need help and i hope this is the right forum!

I work for a company that makes 3D images in crystal blocks. Sub-surface engraving using point clouds. Our machine uses .cad files for this. The company that supplied the laser gave us software to convert the 3D images we take with our 3D camera into their .cad format. Now, the thing I need help with is this - how do I convert existing 3D files (eg. .3ds, .dxf)  into this .cad format so that they are compatible point cloud files?  The company, for some reason, won't give us the software they use or tell us what it is so I was hoping someone here who knows more about this stuff can help.

The laser machine that makes the 3D images in the blocks will also accept .asc, .pro, .pnt and .cbf files. I have downloaded a program called Biturn which converts to .asc but these files don't work. Huge parts of the models go missing when I open them on the laser machine.

I had heard that .cad files were created by/belong to a program called CadStd which I also downloaded but it can't read the .cad files that work perfectly fine on the laser.

Basically, I'm at my wits end and really need some help!!!!

Um.. what I might be asking here is "How do I convert a polygon model to a point cloud?"

Attached Link: http://www.scs.carleton.ca/~roth/CD97_ROTH/docs/n_inputs.html

All polygon models are constructed from a set of vertex (i.e. points) and face definitions.
If all you need is the points on the surface of an object, then provided you know the format of the input files, converting from OBJ format (or another text based format) is a relatively simple scripting problem.

Please take a look at the attached link and see if the ASC format described (at bottom of the page)  is the right one (try creating a small test file by hand in a text editor).

If so, get a copy of Python and CGKit.
You should then be able to script a convertor from the 3D formats that CGKit will read to ASC format.

If you need internal points as well as the surface points, you need to use a meshing program to create them (one possibility would be Gmsh).
You'll still need to script a conversion for the output to ASC format.

Thanks for your reply!

However, you've gone right over my head!! I've never scripted anything before and not sure I'd know where to start...

As for wether or not our files as the right ASC format, I'm really not sure. Here is an abbreviated version of one of our .cad files, showing the start and end:

0 594 L0
0 590 F01
0 591 ZKONST 1 BCOD 856 ABXY 0.10 ABZ 0.40
0 528 0 2.00
0 591 ZKONST 0.000000
0 530 54687
0 501 -34.90 -15.60 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -15.40 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -15.20 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -15.00 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -14.80 0.00
0 501 -34.90 -14.60 0.00
.
.
.
.
.
0 501 34.90 -15.40 0.80
0 501 34.90 -15.10 0.80
0 531
0 529

Well the point data is fairly obvious (lines beginning "0 501"), but the other lines are likely to be important.

Best thing to do is ask your supplier for the format definitions.

Ok. Thanks for all your help, mate.

Hi Warewulf,

Your subsurface engraving software most likely orders the points in ascending/descending order relative to the focusing axis of the laser (usually Z).

Can you post, or email me a larger .CAD file to check? I sent you a message with my email address yesterday.

You can try AccuTrans 3D from www.micromouse.ca to translate polygon files to .ASC format, and many others. Its also useful for moving, rotating or scaling models when saving. Its good and cheap at $20.

Chris

That's great, thanks. I'll mail you later on. (Sorry, I didn't see your message to me!)

Right.

I was playing around with .asc files this morning. I found one .asc file that loads perfectly in my laser software.  It has a point count of over17,000. I have tried converting other files to .asc but they all come out around 2000 points so they look as though they are missing pieces.

Does anyone know a way of increasing the point count on a .asc file? 

 I am using Deep Exploration, by the way. But if anyone knows of another program that will do the job, I'm all ears! :)

Warewullf,

I've only just seen this thread so you may have solved your problems by now. If not ....

I have written some software which will convert a standard obj file into a point cloud. With a bit of adjusting it could be made to add the header and footer to make it into an asc file. However, I would need to see a few more.asc files together with information about the size of the image you get within the crystal in each case. My Scaler utility (see freestuff) can then adjust it to fit.

Without scaling to fit you are liable to get the image created outside the crystal rather than inside it.

Increasing the point count can be done, but it's much better to start with a high resolution model in the first place.

If you want to send me some files I'm at maz@sandylodge.demon.co.uk

Please include the word 3D in the subject so as to get through my spam filter.

Regards,

Maz

I know this is an extremely old thread but did this ever get resolved as I have the same issues with .CAD files. The manufacturer of the Sub-Surface Laser engraver wants to charge us for an out of date piece of software that only works with Cinema 4d 10.5

Warewullf - Have you found a solution? is the plug-in they sent you available for download anywhere?

Many Thanks

Alvin

Cloud Compare or Meshlab could help.

Cloud Compare might be better here because you can add points with a regular spacing using point sampling. So rather than just giving each vertex as a point, you can get points that lie on the triangles/polys. This will help if your object has a low poly count or the polys vary in size.

As far as the ordering of points I mentioned in my earlier post, hopefully the software that came with the engraver will do this. Its possible to change the ordering by using a spreadsheet, and then you might be limited in the number of points. I don't know the maximum number of rows in a typical spreadsheet.

You might also have to decimate your model if it has too many points. Cloud Compare can't decimate meshes, but Meshlab can. Blender can decimate also, and I believe it does a better job of preserving the shape if I recall.

I know this an very old post but i'm struggling also with a file i got from a cristal laser point cloud file i got after i let them make my face in cristal glass.. They send me the file but i had no extension. I called them and the said it was a .cad file. But what ever i tried i never got it open. I'm working on a Mac and got Cinema 4D R20. And i want to get in there and i don't know how.. I also tried Meshlab and some other convert programs but with no success.

Can anybody help me out to get it open. I saw there werewolf got a same sort of file i wil show you a piece of my file

0 31 8 0 '' 0 591 ZKONST 1 BCOD 856 ABXY 0.120 ABZ 0.120 0 528 0 167 0 591 ZKONST -9.960 0 530 7 0 501 10.691 -0.679 -9.933 0 501 10.946 -0.594 -9.867 0 501 10.776 -0.594 -9.950 0 501 10.691 -0.509 -9.867 0 501 10.607 -0.594 -9.975 0 501 10.437 -0.594 -9.872 0 501 10.522 -0.679 -9.940 0 531 0 591 ZKONST -9.840 0 530 4 0 501 12.813 0.255 -9.827 0 501 10.522 -0.509 -9.829 0 501 11.031 -0.509 -9.811 0 501 11.201 -0.509 -9.741 0 531 0 591 ZKONST -9.720 0 530 9 0 501 14.680 0.764 -9.667 0 501 12.982 0.255 -9.662 0 501 10.607 -0.424 -9.680 0 501 10.776 -0.424 -9.702 0 501 10.946 -0.424 -9.697 0 501 11.116 -0.424 -9.665 0 501 11.285 -0.424 -9.620 0 501 10.861 -0.679 -9.704 0 501 11.116 -0.594 -9.701

etc etc

Can anybody tell me what kind of file it is and how to get it in Cinema 4D via a conversion or whatever... If someone what the whole file they can get it... I hope someone can help me

Thank you