TECHCAD QUICKSTART TUTORIALS

The following tutorials provide an insight into using the TechCadsoftware with the TEP CNC machine. Each of the four tutorialsintroduces different features of the software and provides a starting pointfor exploring TechCad in greater depth.

CONTENTS:

Tutorial 2‘Disability’ signUsing simple line drawing tools

Tutorial 1Rectangular shape with circular holeBasic drawing setup

Tutorial 3Discs with cut-outsUsing layers and transformingshapes

Tutorial 4FlowerImporting an image and tracing it

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TUTORIAL 1CUTTING A RECTANGULAR SHAPE WITH A CIRCULAR HOLE

1. Launch the TechCad softwareby clicking the START buttonon the bottom left of thescreen, then moving thecursor to Programs >Revolution Education >TechCad. From the FILEmenu select PLOTTER SETUP.Make sure ‘TEP CNC Machine’is selected in the Plotter Setupwindow and then click OK toclose the window.

100mm

80m

m

R20

2. From the SETUP menu selectPAGE SETUP. Select ‘Plotter:TEP CNC Machine’ to define adrawing size of 220mm x150mm. Click OK to closethe window.

3. From the SETUP menu selectGRID. Set the horizontal andvertical grid spacings to10mm, then click OK to closethe window.

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4. The grid is used to helpposition lines and shapeswhen drawing. Clicking thegrid button on the toolbartoggles the grid display onand off. Ensure the grid isdisplayed. Click the ‘snap togrid’ button once so that linesand shapes automaticallysnap to grid positions whendrawing.

5. Click the ‘maximise’ buttonin the drawing window toexpand the window tomaximum screen size. Thedotted green line indicatesthe boundary of the drawingarea and the limits of thecutting area for the TEP CNCmachine.

6. Select the rectangle drawingtool from the toolbar. Clickonce at the grid position(60,120), i.e. 60mm from theleft and 120mm from thebottom of the screen. Thenclick at the grid position(160,40) to complete therectangle.

show/hide grid snap to grid

maximise button

rectangledrawing tool

first click(60, 120)

second click(160, 40)

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If a mistake is made and it isnecessary to delete a shape,select the pointer tool fromthe toolbar and click theshape to be deleted. From theEDIT menu select DELETE.Alternatively, click the deletebutton on the toolbar or clickthe right mouse button andselect ‘delete’. The delete keyon the keyboard can also beused to delete a shape (butnot the backspace key).

pointer tool

7. Select the circle drawing toolfrom the toolbar. Click onceat (110,80) to define thecentre of the circle, then clickat (110,100) to complete thecircle with a 20mm radius.

circle drawing tool

(110,80)

(110,100)

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Note: to zoom in on part ofthe drawing, select themagnifying glass in thetoolbar. Click and drag withthe mouse to define the areato zoom into.

magnifying glass

The magnified image can bemoved or ‘panned’ on screento see different areas of themagnified view. Select thepanning tool in the toolbarthen click and drag to movethe image.

To return to the ‘fit to screen’magnification, click the rightmouse button or select ZOOM> zoom to fit from theVIEW menu.

panning tool

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8. The design is now ready forcutting. From the FILE menuselect PLOT and ensure the‘show preview before plotting’option is ticked.

Click OK to view the cuttingdrawing. To cut out thedesign ensure the TEP CNCmachine is set up correctlyand switched on, then clickthe ‘Start Plot’ button.

In practice it is usual to set upthe drawing as close to thebottom left corner of thescreen as possible. Since theplotter starts from thisposition, cutting time is keptto a minimum. Materialwastage is also minimised.

Note about tool clearance:The TechCad software does notmake allowances for the diameterof the cutting tool, which will cutcentrally along the lines definedby the drawing. It will thereforebe necessary to allow for the sizeof the tool where final dimensionsare important.

cutter drawn shape

actualcut size

For example, if the final dimensions of a workpiece are to be 100mm x80mm and the cutter is 2mm diameter, the drawing should havedimensions of 102mm x 82mm.

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9. Dimensions can be added todrawings using the single ordouble arrow dimensionlines. Dimension lines willnot be plotted but can beprinted.

Select the double arrowdimension line from thetoolbar, then click once todefine the start point of theline and once to define theend point.

10. Line properties can be set inthe ‘shape properties’window. This window isactivated by selectingPROPERTIES > propertiesfrom the EDIT menu, or byclicking the shape propertiesicon in the toolbar. Select the‘Colours’ tab and set the linewidth to 1.

double arrow dimension line

shape properties icon

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11. To add the dimension, selectthe label icon in the toolbarthen click to define theposition of the dimension.Key in the requireddimension using thekeyboard.

Note: The label icon is used toadd such information todrawings as dimensions,labels and descriptions. Thisinformation will not beplotted but can be printed.The text icon is used to addtext for plotting, althoughtext plotting is not currentlysupported by the TEP CNCmachine.

Changes to the size and styleof the text can be made byselecting PROPERTIES > Fontfrom the EDIT menu.

To define a new angle for thedimension, selectPROPERTIES > Font anglefrom the EDIT menu.

label icontext icon

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FURTHER USE OF THE SHAPE PROPERTIES WINDOW

The Shape Properties windowenables lines to be modified interms of thickness, colour andstyle. Fill colours and styles canalso be set.

Begin by drawing or selecting aline or shape to be modified, thenactivate the Shape Propertieswindow by clicking the icon inthe toolbar (see page 7). Click the‘Colour’ tab.

To specify a new fill colour, clickthe ‘foreground colour’ button andchoose the desired colour. Clickthe ‘Style’ box and select solidblack for a solid fill or one of thepatterned options. (Note that thebackground colour only applieswhen a patterned fill is selected.)

Click the Apply button to applythe chosen settings, then click OKto close the Shape Propertieswindow.

Note: Select Grid on Top ofShapes from the VIEW menu toprevent a filled shape fromobscuring the grid.

When a shape is filled it willsometimes hide lines or othershapes behind it. In this case thefilled shape can be ‘sent to back’ toreveal the hidden shapes. To senda shape to the back, make surethat the shape is selected, thenclick the ‘send to back’ icon in thetoolbar.

send to back icon