ART

Quick Start Guide

VisualCAD/CAM 2024
Published: May 2024

MecSoft Corpotation
© Copyright 1998-2024
VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide
by MecSoft Corporation

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 Contents 2

Table of Contents

Quick Start 3

Resource Guide 6

About this Guide 7

1 Useful ...................................................................................................................................
Tips 7
2 About ...................................................................................................................................
the ART Module 7
3 Using this
...................................................................................................................................
Guide 8
4 Watch...................................................................................................................................
the Video! 9

Getting Ready 10
1 Running
...................................................................................................................................
VisualCAD/CAM 10
2 About...................................................................................................................................
the VisualCAD Display 10
3 Launching
...................................................................................................................................
the ART Module 11
4 Loading
...................................................................................................................................
the Part Model 12
5 Strategy
................................................................................................................................... 14
6 Basic...................................................................................................................................
Steps 14

Creating ART Operations 16

1 Create
...................................................................................................................................
Project Workspace 16
2 Create
...................................................................................................................................
Sweep Operation 18
3 Create
...................................................................................................................................
Puff Operation 23
4 Create
...................................................................................................................................
3D Relief Operation 31

Export as Meshes to CAD 39

More Resources 41

Index 42

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2
 3 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

Quick Start

ART Module

Prefer Printed Documentation? Click Here!

Quick Start Guides for each VisualCAD/CAM module are available in both PDF and Video format.
Refer to the following information to access these resources:

What's New!
What's New in VisualCAD/CAM 2024

The Complete Quick Start Video Play List

Here is a link to the complete 2024 Video Play List

How to Access the Quick Start Guide Documents

To help you quickly get started in working with each module, select one of the Help
buttons located on the VisualCAD/CAM Learning Resources dialog.
You will find:
· Quick Start Guides
· What's New documents
· Online Help links
The Quick Start Guides will help you step through an example tutorial which will
illustrate how to use the module. To access the Learning Resources dialog:
1. From the VisualCAD Home Ribbon Bar, drop down the Main menu and select Learn ...

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 Quick Start 4

To access the Learning Resources dilog in VisualCAM

2. Select a document from the Learning Resources dialog to get started using the
module of your choice.

You can also select the Open Quick Start Files Folder button located at the bottom
of the dialog to open the Quick Start folder where the source files (start and
completed versions) are located.

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5 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

Learning Resources Dialog

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 Resource Guide 6

Resource Guide
Download this PDF Guide for a list of the available VisualCAD/CAM Resources.

2024 VisualCAD/CAM Resource Guide

The 2024 VisualCAD/CAM Resource Guide!

18 Pages
Lists PDF downloads and Online resources including Quick Start
Guides, Reference Guides, Exercise Guides, Tutorials and
More.

Prefer Printed Documentation? Click Here!

© 2024 MecSoft Corporation

 7 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

About this Guide

3.1 Useful Tips

Here are some useful tips that will help you use this guide effectively.
1. Copy the tutorial part files in a location other than the installation folder to make sure you
have read/write privileges to the files.
2. Once you start working with the tutorial file, save your work periodically!
3. Don’t stress out too much if you are having trouble with the tutorial. Call us or send us
email and we can help you out.
4. Most of all have fun!

3.2 About the ART Module

VisualCAM's ART module (VisualART) is used to convert artwork into geometry suitable for
machining or 3D printing. To accomplish this, the user utilizes modeling techniques unique to the
ART module that are found within the “Relief Operations” tabbed browser window or the “Raster
to Vector” tabbed browser window. These modeling operations augment the traditional
modeling methods available in VisualCAD. A simple and well thought out user interface makes
this system one of the most intuitive and easy to use ART packages in the market.
ART’s capabilities enable you to create 3D reliefs as well as wireframe geometry from picture
files. You can work with bitmap images such as .bmp, .jpg, and .gif files as well as native CAD
geometry. Then you can use VisualART with its selection of tools, variety of bitmaps and
operations to create different shapes.
On-line help compiled on: Tuesday, May 14, 2024

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 About this Guide 8

The ART Module Quick Started Guide

3.3 Using this Guide

If you already installed VisualCAD/CAM successfully on your computer and are now looking at the
blank screen of VisualCAD and wondering what to do next, this is the guide for you. This guide
will explain how to get started in using VisualART to program a simple part through an example.
This guide will illustrate creating relief operations using 2D curves using the various functions
available in the ART module. We will start with 2D curves and end up with a 3D mesh geometry
shown in the preceding page that is suitable for being manufactured. The focus of this tutorial is
to create 3D shapes that would be difficult to model using traditional CAD modeling methods.
This guide has two associated VisualCAD files that you can find located in the QuickStart folder
under the installation folder of this guide. The first file is a completed file that contains all of the
completed relief operations and represents the file that you should end up with after working
through the tutorial. The other file is a starter file that contains only the geometry. Use the
completed file as a reference. Copy the starter file and use this file to begin each tutorial.

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 9 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

ARTQuickStartTutorial_Completed.vcp

3.4 Watch the Video!

Want to see a video demonstration of this quick start guide? Just click on the play list below and
watch the ART Quick Start Guide video.
Here is a link to the complete 2023 Video Play List

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 Getting Ready 10

Getting Ready

4.1 Running VisualCAD/CAM

Locate the VisualCAD/CAM 2023 shortcut on your desktop and double click to launch the
application.
Alternatively you can also click on the Windows Start button and select All Programs. Go to the
program group containing VisualCAD/CAM 2023. (The name of this program group will usually be
called VisualCAD/CAM 2023, unless you specified otherwise during setup.)
Once you locate the program group, select it and then select VisualCAD/CAM 2023 to launch the
application.
If the installation was successful, upon launching of VisualCAD/CAM 2023 you should observe a
menu entry called VisualCAM 2023 on the Home Ribbon Bar menu of VisualCAD.

4.2 About the VisualCAD Display

Before we begin, let's talk a bit about the VisualCAD display. When you run VisualCAD for the
very first time, your screen may look this.

These windows on the left belong to plug-in modules that are currently loaded. For now, let's
close all of them.

With all plug-in modules closed your screen will look like this:

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 11 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

4.3 Launching the ART Module

To launch the ART model:
1. Drop down the VisualCAM 2023 Main Menu.
2. Select ART.

You will see one docking dialog called the VisualCAM – ART Browser.
The ART Browser contains two tabs named 3D Relief Operations and the Raster to Vector.

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 Getting Ready 12

4.4 Loading the Part Model

“Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product. You can create parts
within VisualCAD or import geometry created in another CAD system. Bitmaps such as .bmp, .jpg,
and .gif files can be loaded when using 3D Relief or Raster to Vector operations.
1. From the VisualCAD main menu, pick Open ....

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13 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

2. From the Open dialog box, select the ARTQuickStartTutorial.vcp file from the C:
\ProgramData\MecSoft Corporation\VisualCAM 2023\QuickStart\ folder. As mentioned
before, it is advisable to make a copy of this part at a suitable alternative folder so that
you have write privileges to modify the part.

By default, the ProgramData folder is "hidden" from view. Here are the steps
to Show hidden files and folders:
1. For Windows 8 users: Go to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization >
Folder Options.
For Windows10 users: Go to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization >
File Explorer Options.
2. Select View tab and under advanced settings select Show Hidden files and
folders, clear the check boxes for:
· Hide extensions for known file types
· Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)

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 Getting Ready 14

3. Click Apply and OK.

The part appears as shown below.

ARTQuickStartTutorial.vcp

4.5 Strategy
We will restrict the project extents to be 10 inches x 4 inches. This example will include three
operations; Sweep, Puff and 3D Relief. We will go through each of these three relief operations to
create 3D shapes so that the user has a better understanding of how the ART module works.

4.6 Basic Steps

The following steps will be followed in creating relief shapes. Some of these steps will have to be
performed just once and others may have to be repeated to create the reliefs.
1. First we will create the Project Workspace.
2. Then we will use the Create Sweep operation.
3. And after that we will use the Create Puffed operation.

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4. Then the Create 3D Relief operation.

5. Finally we will Export the part as Meshes to use as CAD geometry.

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 Creating ART Operations 16

Creating ART Operations

5.1 Create Project Workspace

The first step in creating reliefs is to define the project workspace to be used. The project
workspace specifies the extents of the finally created model. This can be thought of as a canvas in
which we will be creating our 3D model.
1. Click the 3D Relief Operations tab under ART browser and select the Create Project button
in the toolbar.

2. After selecting the Create Project icon, the Project Setup dialog will pop up.

Make the following changes in the dialog:

Under Extents, set the Length to 4 and the Width to 10.

Under Resolution Settings, set the dots/inches to 150 or select the radio button for Fine.
Selecting the radio button for Fine automatically defaults the dots/inches to 150.
Under Color Options, select Display Projects in Relief & Base Colors.

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3. Click Generate. The project workspace icon now appears under the Projects folder in the
browser area. The project workspace name defaults to "Project1" but can be renamed by
right clicking on "Project1" and selecting Rename from the list.

The project workspace will also be displayed in the graphics screen as shown below.

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 Creating ART Operations 18

5.2 Create Sweep Operation

The Create Sweep Operation allows you to sweep a cross-section shape along the selected rail
curve to generate a swept volume. The cross section shapes are selected from a predefined set.
The rail curves can be any 2D curve, such as straight lines, arcs, ellipses and NURBS curves
modeled in CAD. This is a very useful function typically used to create borders, highlights and
even 3D text shapes.
1. Select the Create Swept Volume icon from the 3D Relief Operations toolbar to display the
dialog.

2. Under the Create Swept Volume tab select the cross section shape to be Convex Arc from
the toolbar at the top. Refer to the dialog shown below.
3. Set the Type to Add and under Cross Section set the Scale to 1.
4. Then we'll set the X coordinate for arc radius by dragging the point on the arc in the Sweep
operation dialog to approximately 0.15 as shown.
5. Also, check the box for Fill insides if closed.

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19 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

6. Now select the Relief Curves tab and then pick the Select Border Curves button. The
dialog will minimize to allow you to select geometry.

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 Creating ART Operations 20

7. Select the outer ellipse and then right-click of press Enter. The dialog will reappear and
display the name of the curve we just selected in the list box.

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21 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

8. Now we pick Generate.

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 Creating ART Operations 22

9. A Sweep Operation icon is added to the ART Browser project tree as shown.

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 23 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

10. The result of the Sweep Operation will also be displayed in the graphics window.

5.3 Create Puff Operation

The Create Puff Operation allows you to select one or more border curves and puff up the insides
using a shape function that can be selected from a predefined list. The shape of the puff can
further be affected by selecting detail curves inside the border curves. This will be illustrated
below.
1. Select the Sweep operation we just created. Then, select the Create Puffed Volume icon
from the 3D Relief Operations toolbar to display the dialog.

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 Creating ART Operations 24

2. The Puffing Operation dialog will pop up. Then, select the Sphere icon from the toolbar.
3. Now set the Type to Add and the Max. Puffing Height to 0.5.
4. Select the point on the arc to modify the puff cross-section
5. Under Smoothing, make sure the box is checked and then set the smoothing scale to 6.
You can use the slider, the up/down arrows or simply enter the value.

The dialog should now look as shown below:

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25 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

6. Next, select the Relief Curves tab. This tab contains two sub-tabs named Border Curves
and Detail Curves.
7. Select the default border curve BorderCurve1 from the previous operation and then pick
the Remove Active button to remove it from the Selected Curve(s) list.

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 Creating ART Operations 26

8. Now, pick the Select Border Curves button. The dialog will minimize to allow you to select
geometry.

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27 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

9. Now, we'll select the border profile of our relief geometry as shown below. Right-click or
press Enter and the Create Puff Operation dialog will reappear.

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 Creating ART Operations 28

10. Next, select the Detail Curves tab and pick the Select Detail Curves button. Again, the
dialog will minimize to allow you to select geometry.

11. Now, while pressing the left-mouse button, drag a selection window around the detail
curves.

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12. If the selection window captures unwanted curves as we have done here, you can exclude
them by pressing the CTRL key and then selecting the curves you want to exclude. When
the details curves are selected, right-click or press Enter to complete the selection.

Note that selecting a Curve from the list also highlights it in the graphics window.

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 Creating ART Operations 30

Alternatively, you can select one or more curves listed in the dialog and then pick the
Remove Active button to remove them from the list.

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 31 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

13. Now with our Detail Curves selected, we can pick the Generate button.

This will create a Puff Operation icon and append it to the end of the project tree in the
ART browser as shown above. If this icon is not highlighted as shown above, select it and
the geometry created by the Puff Operation will be displayed in the graphics screen as
shown below.

5.4 Create 3D Relief Operation

The Create 3D Relief Operation allows you to convert a color bitmap image to gray scale image,
which in turn will be converted into a 3D model by assigning a height value to each of the pixel
gray scale values in the gray scale raster image. Thus the darker the gray value, the lower it will be
in height. This process can be quite useful in creating 3D geometry out of hard to model images
such as a texture map.
1. From the ART Browser, select the Puff Operation that we just created.

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 Creating ART Operations 32

2. From the 3D Relief Operations toolbar, select the Create 3D Relief icon and the file
browser will display.

3. Now, select the Texture.jpg bitmap image file located in the QuickStart folder and then
pick Open and the 3D Relief Operation dialog will display.

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33 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

Note that the Original Image is displayed on the left and the resulting Grey Scale Image
preview is on the right.

4. First we'll change the Operation Type to Add and then check the box to Invert
Black/White.
5. Then on the Image Edits tab, make sure Filter Off is selected. This will update the Gray
Scale Image preview on the right.

If you turn on the Filter On button you can selectively remove colors from the
bitmap image from consideration in the color to gray scale conversion process.
You can also control the how the gray scale values ought to be mapped to the color
values under this scenario using the corresponding slider controls. The dialog will

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 Creating ART Operations 34

dynamically update the resulting gray scale bitmap on the dialog as you modify
these controls.

Your dialog should look like this:

6. Now, select the Parameter Edits tab and uncheck Use Image Size and then also uncheck
Maintain Aspect Ratio.
7. We'll also change the Width (W) to 10 and the Height (H) to 4 to scale the image to our
project size.
8. In the future, you can also select the Pick button. This allows you to select two diagonal
points to define the relief width and height.

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35 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

9. Next we'll change the Relief Height (R) to 0.025.

This means that white pixels on the gray scale image will be assigned a height value of
0.025 and black pixels will be assigned a height value of 0.0. All other gray scale values
will be assigned a height between these two values.
10. Now, under Smoothing we'll type in a value of 12. You can also use the slider or up/down
arrows to set this value. Smoothing is performed to remove any abrupt changes in height
from pixilation in the graphics file.

Your dialog should now look like this:

11. Now, select the Relief Curves tab and notice the Border Curves tab within. Border Curves
are used to restrict relief geometry within the extents of the selected curves. Select the
default BorderCurve 1 from the previous operation and then pick the Remove Active
button to remove it from the Selected Curve(s) list.

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 Creating ART Operations 36

12. Now pick the Select Border Curves button. The dialog will minimize to allow us to select
border curves.

13. For the border, select the outer elliptical curve and then right-click or press Enter and the
dialog displays once again.

14. Finally, we pick Generate to create the Relief Operation and append it to the Project Tree
in the Art Browser.

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37 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

15. Selecting an operation from the Project Tree will display it in the Graphics Window.
16. To see all three operations we created together, select Project1 from the Project Tree.

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 Creating ART Operations 38

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 39 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

Export as Meshes to CAD

The resultant geometry obtained by the combination of all three operations that we have created
thus far can be visualized by selecting the Project1 icon under the project tree in the ART browser.
It should be noted that by selecting each individual operation in the project tree, the ART module
will only display the geometry corresponding to the selected operation.
We can now export the project as a 3D mesh to be used within the CAD design system.

Completed Project Geometry

1. Select Project1 and then from the 3D Relief Operations tab, select Export as meshes to
CAD. Note that you must export the 3D Relief Operations before the geometry can be
used within the CAD system.

2. Once the export is completed, select the Projects folder at the top of the Projects Tree to
see ONLY the CAD mesh geometry in the graphics window.

Unless the Export as meshes to CAD function is used, the geometry will not be
available to the CAD system. The display of the geometry in the graphics

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 Export as Meshes to CAD 40

screen, before the export is performed, is done by the ART system and the CAD
system has no knowledge of the existence of this geometry.

Resulting 3D Mesh

This completes the Quick Start tutorial for the VisualCAM 2023 ART module.

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 41 VisualCAD/CAM-ART 2024 Quick Start Guide

More Resources
Download this PDF Guide for a list of the available VisualCAD/CAM Resources.

2024 VisualCAD/CAM Resource Guide

The 2024 VisualCAD/CAM Resource Guide!

18 Pages
Lists PDF downloads and Online resources including Quick Start
Guides, Reference Guides, Exercise Guides, Tutorials and
More.

Prefer Printed Documentation? Click Here!

© 2024 MecSoft Corporation

 Index 42

Index -W-
Where to go for more help 41
-A-
About the ART Module 7
About the VisualCAD Display 10

-B-
Basic Steps 14

-C-
Create 3D Relief Operation 31
Create Project Workspace 16
Create Puff Operation 23
Create Sweep Operation 18

-E-
Export as Meshes to CAD 39

-L-
Launching the ART Module 11
Loading the Part Model 12

-R-
Running VisualCAD/CAM 10

-S-
Strategy 14

-U-
Useful Tips 7
Using this Guide 8

© 2024 MecSoft Corporation