Prev: 2. Improving the images
Useful Stuff
Reverse Engineering of a Keypad in FreeCAD
3. Outlining
FreeCAD can use SVG images. And my preferred program to work with those is Inkscape (Vers. 0.48.5 r10040).
First thing we do is, we draw a 2x2cm rectangle.
And lock the layer.
Now, on a new layer, positioned below the "Scale" layer, we embed the Keypad Outline bitmap we made from the back ("File | Import").
Depending on your scanner's resolution this image might be way out of scale.
That is why we have the rulers in the picture and made our 2x2cm rectangle.
Make sure you understand your program, like how to:
- Lock the aspect ratio of an image during scaling
- Move things around without damaging anything
- Zoom and Pan
- ...
If you mess up this step, all the work afterwards goes to waste!
Now we can lock the bitmap layer and hide the scale layer.
On a new layer on top of all others, we start outlining the keypad and the alignment holes using the Bezier curve tool.
An engineer's patience and accuracy comes handy here.
Zoom and Pan are our friends.
Using a little bit of transparency magic, we align the front bitmap on it's own layer and continue with the outlining of the buttons on the outline layer.
Next: 4. Finally FreeCAD