Create an extrusion from an image

In some cases, you need to add an extruded shape from an image to your 3D model. Many times you may only have a raster image i.e. a file format such as *.jpg or *.png. Certainly it is possible to project the image onto a surface and then draw it using splines or other lines in the cross-section. This is a time-consuming process and you need to be very careful to get the best possible result.

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How to do it

The image we will use is a raster image in the *.png file format. The image does not consist of any points and lines (vector information) from which we can get any information for IRONCAD, but is made up of pixels. Since the image has a solid black colour with a white background, we can almost expect the conversion to work well.

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Keep in mind that the ideal is to have as "clean" an image as possible from the start. So in this case, you can't use an ordinary photograph of a car or similar, avoid shadows and aim for single solid colours if possible. The quality of the conversion is usually entirely determined by these factors.

When you have your raster image ready to be converted to vector information, you can browse to this page: https://convertio.co/

Click on Choose Files or drag-and-drop your image from Windows Explorer.

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Then click the arrow on the drop-down menu to select file formats, choose CAD and press DXF followed by Convert.

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Once the file has been converted, press Download.

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Now launch IRONCAD and open a new 3D scene. In this case, we drag in a simple block (1) and give it a dimension of 300x300x30. Then go to the Sketch tab(2) and click on the 2D-Shape button (3), then press the center point (4) on the surface. Execute by pressing the green check mark (5).

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Then right-click on the cross-section and select Import...

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Now find the file you just downloaded and press Open.

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Here you first get a preview of the DXF file. Now press OK to start the import.

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Then press OK again.

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The logo was too big for our space, so we scaled it down by first making a box mark (press and hold the left mouse button) over all the lines (1), then clicking the Scale tool (2). Set a scale factor (3) to reduce or enlarge the lines, in this case I chose 0.2 to make them smaller. Then press OK (4).

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Now the logo is a good size. Now press Finish.

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In this mode, we can now extrude by right-clicking on the 2D profile in the history tree and selecting Create followed by Extrude.

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In this dialog box we can now control how our extrusion will be. Under Distance (1) we choose a thickness of 2 mm. Then press Add Material (2) to create a feature that adds material. Then click on the block in the 3D scene (3) so that the name of the part appears under Affected Part. Now switch to the Profile Behavior tab at the top of the window.

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A tip is to select Copy Existing Profiles, which will give you a copy of your cross-section and save you from having to re-import the file into the cross-section. Then tick Use the currently. .. which will always give you a copy of your cross-section. Then press OK.

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This is the result with Add Material...

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...and so with Remove Material...

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Finally, as a stand alone part.

To create a standalone part, you can also drag the handle in the 3D scene that appears in the middle of the 2D profile when it is selected (no dialogue follows, but a standalone part is created immediately).