Free CAD for Vex

[swe9]

There doesn't seem to be any source for Vex building instructions on the web, so I went ahead and created the HobbyVex CAD project. The HobbyVex CAD project is based completely on the FREE tools from the LDRAW.org package.

The instructions to get started are now available at http://hobbyvex/CAD/index.htm. Give it a try. Publish those building instructions!! The first bundle of parts (most of the starter kit) is now available along with a preliminary version of the first robot model and instructions on http://hobbyvex/Robots/index.htm.

Given that people are intermingling Vex and Lego, using the LDRAW tools has a singular advantage that all the Lego parts are already defined. The tools in the LDRAW.org package include a simple way to produce rough building instruction images and also a more complex way to produce professional quality building instructions.

I hope the Vex community will be interested in producing building instructions for the many robots already out there. I'm willing to help where I can; right now I'm working on getting the rest of the parts library converted over.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by swe9

There doesn't seem to be any source for Vex building instructions on the web, so I went ahead and created the HobbyVex CAD project. The HobbyVex CAD project is based completely on the FREE tools from the LDRAW.org package.

The instructions to get started are now available at http://hobbyvex/CAD/index.htm. Give it a try. Publish those building instructions!! The first bundle of parts (most of the starter kit) is now available along with a preliminary version of the first robot model and instructions on http://hobbyvex/Robots/index.htm.

Given that people are intermingling Vex and Lego, using the LDRAW tools has a singular advantage that all the Lego parts are already defined. The tools in the LDRAW.org package include a simple way to produce rough building instruction images and also a more complex way to produce professional quality building instructions.

I hope the Vex community will be interested in producing building instructions for the many robots already out there. I'm willing to help where I can; right now I'm working on getting the rest of the parts library converted over.

Links don't work...I think you forgot the ".com".

[s0FaB0y]

I tried getting LDRAW installed on my computer (Win. XP) and it wouldn't work...Somewhere it just wasn't working maybe you could PM me EXACTLY where to save everything to (i think thats my problem.). Also thanks for getting this going, I hope many people will begin to publish thier work so that many others can critique and use thier ideas for thier own concepts...

[Schematicsman]

Originally Posted by swe9

There doesn't seem to be any source for Vex building instructions on the web, so I went ahead and created the HobbyVex CAD project. The HobbyVex CAD project is based completely on the FREE tools from the LDRAW.org package.

The instructions to get started are now available at http://hobbyvex/CAD/index.htm. Give it a try. Publish those building instructions!! The first bundle of parts (most of the starter kit) is now available along with a preliminary version of the first robot model and instructions on http://hobbyvex/Robots/index.htm.

Given that people are intermingling Vex and Lego, using the LDRAW tools has a singular advantage that all the Lego parts are already defined. The tools in the LDRAW.org package include a simple way to produce rough building instruction images and also a more complex way to produce professional quality building instructions.

I hope the Vex community will be interested in producing building instructions for the many robots already out there. I'm willing to help where I can; right now I'm working on getting the rest of the parts library converted over.

ya could you plz fix those links id luv to have a CAD program for vex.

[swe9]

Sorry for the bad links, here are the correct links:

http://hobbyvex.org/CAD/index.htm
http://hobbyvex.org/Robots/index.htm

[ryguy]

Wow that's awosome I'll try to put my swerve-ish style tank on that and upload it there. thanks for the links.

Ok...now its not working, I cant get MLCAD to open up, I keep getting a little pop up that says "

base path:
C:\LDraw\Apps\MLCAD

Status:
Invalid path (no Parts and/or P dir found)!
and it wont let me open the thing. any idea what i should do?

[swe9]

Originally Posted by ryguy

Ok...now its not working, I cant get MLCAD to open up, I keep getting a little pop up that says "

base path:
C:\LDraw\Apps\MLCAD

Status:
Invalid path (no Parts and/or P dir found)!
and it wont let me open the thing. any idea what i should do?

Looks like you did not get a complete install of the LDRAW tools. MLCAD depends on LDRAW being installed because it uses all the infrastructure. If you've put those directories somewhere else, you might be able to tell MLCAD that in its configuration options.

The Parts and the P directories hold all the official Lego parts and primitives respectively. It looks like MLCAD won't open unless it can find them. LDRAW installs them directly in the LDRAW install directory by default. If you have them somewhere else you might also try moving them back there.

[ryguy]

I didn't understand a word of that but I'll just try to reinstall it :P

edit: wow I re-read the installing instructions for ldraw and i knew i forgot something my bad

[GlennGraham]

This is great! My FLL team has used MLCAD for years to document their robot designs. I've got a new laptop so I went to the LDRAW website and did the full install. I then followed your instructions and added the Vex parts to the library. Everything went well except that I didn't realize that the VexParts folder needed to be placed at C:\LDraw\VexParts (same level as C:\LDraw\PARTS forlder). My first attempt was to place it within the PARTS folder. Everything is working great now.

This is going to be very useful to produce assembly instructions for example robots (for those of us who do not have access to AutoCAD or Inventor).

-Glenn

[ryguy]

The only thing i cant figure out is how to add parts to eachother, all I can see when i open a part from the vex parts menu is 4 views of that part. and My vex parts dont show up in the little side box...i only see the lego ones, I says Vex as one catagory, but nothing is in it.