Inkscape... how do you guys locate your enclosure holes

[MatthewD]

Hi, I am currently doing my first painted enclosure and I have purchased some of that stick on vinyl decal sheets.

I am now using inkscape for the first time.

I am wondering how you guys locate the holes for the pedal enclosure. Does everyone use another program to do this or is there an accurate way to do it in inkscape?

I have access to and experience with solidworks so I am pretty sure I can make it work (not sure what file format would be best though), but I am wondering if there is a good way to make it work in inkscape.

Cheers,
Matt.

[John Lyons]

When I am coming up with a new knob/switch/hole pattern I use a spare enclosure and mark the holes with a fine marker.
Double check all your holes and drill them with a small bit. Scan the box with a flatbed scanner and import into your
software. Use the guides to mark hole centers and scan you knobs etc and import them as layers  to get spacings.
That's how I do it as least. You can reuse the different templates for further pedals. Print your template and place on the box.
Using clear laser film will give you a clear template which is easier to place on the enclosure. Make a small hole in the
template with a small nail and you can use a fine marker to make a drill pattern on the box.

[davent]

When I am coming up with a new knob/switch/hole pattern I use a spare enclosure and mark the holes with a fine marker.
Double check all your holes and drill them with a small bit. Scan the box with a flatbed scanner and import into your
software. Use the guides to mark hole centers and scan you knobs etc and import them as layers  to get spacings.
That's how I do it as least. You can reuse the different templates for further pedals. Print your template and place on the box.
Using clear laser film will give you a clear template which is easier to place on the enclosure. Make a small hole in the
template with a small nail and you can use a fine marker to make a drill pattern on the box.

I've done it this way when reusing an enclosure for a new pedal.

Normally and for years before i came across Inkscape and still do use a CAD program to do all the hole layouts then import
that into Inkscape  where i'll figure out art work and labelling.
dave

[EBK]

Set your units to mm instead of pixels and drag some guides onto your workspace (simply click and drag the rulers).  You can then mock things up precisely and fairly easily by placing additional guides as needed and lining up your drawing elements with the guides.

I can dig up an example later if you want a visual.

I also use a vector art pack with all the usual pedal parts and enclosure outlines in it.  Someone else will post a link before I can look it up again. 

[davent]

Think i have this one, are there different versions?

http://www.ontheroadeffects.com/vectorpack/
dave

[EBK]

Think i have this one, are there different versions?

http://www.ontheroadeffects.com/vectorpack/
dave

That's the one I use.  Although, I have found that some of the parts are not quite the right size, so on tighter builds, I have been adjusting them to match real world measurements.  I should really make a new file with my adjusted parts sometime.

Also, another useful tidbit:  If you are making something that has a build doc with a drill template, you can import PDF pages into Inkscape and use the drill template as a base layer to line your graphics up (you can also Ungroup the objects in the imported image and clean it up a bit).

[davent]

Also, another useful tidbit:  If you are making something that has a build doc with a drill template, you can import PDF pages into Inkscape and use the drill template as a base layer to line your graphics up (you can also Ungroup the objects in the imported image and clean it up a bit).

This is also handy for editing published pcb pdf's, often i'd change all the pad sizes, adjust pad spacings for parts i was using, change trace sizes, any edit i thought necessary. Some pdf's are locked and you can't edit the bits, for those you can trace the whole pcb in another layer and then edit that tracing to your hearts content.

To go between my CAD program,  my pcb program and Inkscape i first print to pdf and open the pdf's with Inkscape to edit the CAD drawing or pcb.
dave

[MatthewD]

Thanks for all the replies and advice, I will have a play around with a few of these methods... in particular the idea about scanning the enclosure hadn't occurred to me and it just happens that one of the pedals I am building is unique. I have just tried it and it works

Thanks again,
Matt.