New user in need of help

[ultimateguy]

I am currently doing my undergraduate thesis in medical physics. I need to use Mastercam to model 4 lumbar vertebrae. (Such as this picture: http://www.chiromobile.com/Images/LumbSpineLat_small_01.gif )

 

Doing this by hand in Mastercam appears somewhat daunting. I read somewhere that it may be possible to obtain what I want by importing a picture into Mastercam. What would be the easiest way to do this? I am using Mastercam X2 11.0.3.25.

[Ocean Lacky™]

To import as picture....you would likely need Mastercam Art....If you don't already have it. How close to real does it need to be?

[Colin Gilchrist]

If you want to model the organic 3D shape of a vertebrae in Mastercam, you are in for a world of hurt. Can you get any physical models (plaster) and have them lazer scanned? That would be the best way to accurately model these shapes.

 

Importing a picture into Mastercam wouldn't work very well. The picture is 2D and you could trace the shapes and create a Mastercam Art "relief", but I think you would struggle to get a true 3D shape. The Art relief 3D model creation seems more suited to creating "wood carving" style reliefs.

 

Where are you located?

 

Cimtech Inc. does lazer scanning and reverse engineering of the point cloud data into solids using Rapidform software.

 

Cimtech Inc.

www.multiaxis.com

253-333-0126

 

If I had to model the same shapes I would not use Mastercam, I would use Rhino.

[cadcam]

to bring a picture in and get a 2d profile you need Raster to vector. if you want some what of a 3d image like a coined image you need MC-art

[Ployd]

I agree with Colin 100%. Are you planning on machining these vertebrae? MC would be good for that but if you want to create a model use Rhino or Inventor. Also, if you have the means scan in the real vertebrae or a modeled version.

 

If none of this helps and you don't have the means use what you got and jump in. The water is warm! You can do it in MC and it will be a great learning experience.

 

Keep us posted on your progress

[Yogesh K. Raman]

We did a project to produce a sheet metal plate to cover an accident victim that had part of skull (left forehead section) destroyed. We had the 3D scanned image of the skull to work with... i don't know what they use to produce them ( the 3D scanned model). I don't know what happened to the guy either...

[Todd Tracey from Fastech]

Contact Ernie Husted at Verisurf www.verisurf.com

He may be able to reccomend a couple of other alternatives. I know someone he was working with at one point had a method of converting MRI type data for importing in to Mastercam.

[ultimateguy]

I will be working with a machinist to make a phantom for a bone densitometer. We were initially going to do the drawings in AutoCad but he recommended Mastercam because he could machine it more easily with that.

 

This doesn't sound very promising because I have a presentation in 2 weeks and I need to have some drawings by then. I guess I'll start playing around and see what I can come up with.

[Ployd]

You can still draw it in AutoCAD and import to MC when your ready to machine.

[ultimateguy]

How would I import from AutoCad to Mastercam? Would I draw all 6 sides of the vertebrae and then import them?

 

I'll have to do something like this as we don't have access to the laser scanning technology.

[john316]

.

 

Mcam will import the dxf file straight from Acad.

 

If you right mouse click on the acad file and "open with" mcam it will open right up.

 

.

[Dan@home]

You can also drag the Auto Cad file and drop it on the MCX2 short cut. Then do a fit screen in MC.

 

[ 11-24-2007, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: danbo ]

[Thad]

quote:

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Would I draw all 6 sides of the vertebrae and then import them?

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Yes, but your MC guy would still need to do quite a bit of work to make them into something machinable.

 

EDIT: Just re-read your original post. You don't have to machine them, just model them.

 

Thad

[pip]

I have a friend who has several 3d models of humans, modelled in 3DS max. I will ask if he can send me something in iges format. Possibly wont be till end of week, if your interested.

[Kannon]

might just buy the model?

[Surface]

Zcorp has an entire package designed for just this application. Mimics Z is able to convert high definition MRI or CT scans into STL. Push "go" on the 3D printer and your done.

[ultimateguy]

Thank you for all the advice guys .

 

I found a model of a vertebrae in .psi format. Is there any way for Mastercam to use this?

[Rick Henrickson The Boeing Co.]

3d scanner +100% it isnt that expensive and you will not have to machine it

[mowens]

Do you have any kind of dimensioned drawings to start with?. I have access to Catia away from work and would be willing to give it a try. You could then import an iges file into Mastercam, though that is a chancy thing.

[Yogesh K. Raman]

quote:

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I found a model of a vertebrae in .psi format. Is there any way for Mastercam to use this?

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info on .psi file

 

It seem to be a 3D point cloud data file.... u can try using the File-Open-File Type -Ascii option...maybe need to simplify the format so its readable