how to put 3d picutre in 2d drawing solidworks

When creating your models in SOLIDWORKS at that place may be occasions when you want to make employ of a logo image in your blueprint. For instance you might want to have your company logo engraved or embossed on your model, or create a 3D model of your logo for sales and marketing.

The challenge is converting a bitmap image file (could exist a JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, or another blazon of bitmap) into a vector file that you tin generate sketch entities from then create a solid or surface body.

In this example I'm going to cover a couple of methods I used to convert our corporate logo, a PNG image, into a 3D model.

Javelin logo converted into a 3D Model

Method #1: Trace your bitmap in SOLIDWORKS

In a previous post we demonstrated the SOLIDWORKS Autotrace Add-in, which allows you lot to insert a bitmap picture into your sketch and then automatically trace over it to create your sketch entities. Hither is a quick summary of how to practice that:

1. Beginning a new part
2. Insert a new sketch on a plane i.e. front aeroplane
3. Insert a new sketch picture from Tools > Sketch Tools > Sketch Picture show
4. Select your bitmap file, in this example I'll select the Javelin logo PNG file

Import sketch movie

5. So select F on the keyboard to fit the paradigm into the display
6. In the Sketch Picture Property Manager select the right arrow in the upper-right corner
7. Then under Trace Settings pick a choice tool, in this example I selected the Use to select colour (dropper icon) and and so selected the white background of the image
8. Select the Brainstorm Trace push button and you'll come across an outline of the paradigm as sketch entities
9. Use the sliders to adjust colour and recognition tolerance and repeat steps 7 and 8 until you are happy with the outline
10. Then select Utilize

Autotrace Sketch

In this case the results were non that great, y'all can see in the image beneath that the sketch outline has captured the basic grade of the logo and the sketch is comprised of lines and splines. So some tidy up and adjustment to the sketch is required.

NOTE: You can as well apply the sketch trace over multiple passes if it makes sense, e.g. to capture the internal surface area of objects. Acquire more than about using AutoTrace finer in this weblog mail service »

Traced outline

An culling method that will likely produce better results is to convert your bitmap to a vector paradigm.

Method #ii: Import your bitmap as a vector image

At that place are two main vector formats that y'all can import into SOLIDWORKS, these are:

• AI/Adobe Illustrator — in order to import/open up an Illustrator file you really need Illustrator installed on your automobile!
• DWG/DWG — this is the Autodesk propriety file type associated with AutoCAD, and you lot don't need a license of AutoCAD or DraftSight to use it in SOLIDWORKS, so I'll be using this blazon of vector file every bit an example

Pace A: Converting your bitmap to a DXF (vector) file

Outset thing to practice is to convert your bitmap into a vector file, this can be done with an online converter tool. I typically use the Convertio website to convert bitmaps into DXF:

1. Go to Convertio.co
2. Select Cull Files
3. In the open dialog select your bitmap file eastward.chiliad. javelin-logo.PNG and pick Open

Choose files to convert

4. For the to selection, yous tin can select CAD > DXF

Catechumen file to DXF

5. And then pick Convert and the file will be generated after a few seconds
6. Pick the Download button to obtain the file

NOTE: information technology is e'er a adept idea to run a virus scan on whatever unknown files you obtain from the internet before you use information technology.

Step B: Import DXF into a SOLIDWORKS Sketch

At present that you accept your logo vector DXF file y'all can now import information technology directly into SOLIDWORKS. This is a simple step as SOLIDWORKS has a wizard for importing DWG/DXF data:

1. Select File > Open up and cull your DXF file (you might need to filter the file blazon to select it)
2. In the DWG/DXF Import Wizard dialog:
   • Select import to a new part as 2D sketch
   • And uncheck the Import every bit reference option
3. Select Finish (to skip the next magician step)

Import DXF

The DXF will at present exist imported into a Sketch, and as you can see in the example below there are more reference points and a improve representation of the logo bitmap file than using the Autotrace:

Imported DXF sketch

Stride C: Make clean up your SOLIDWORKS logo sketch

Depending on how y'all are going to use the SOLIDWORKS logo sketch some cleanup might be required, in this case I've extruded the sketch to produce a model and you tin can run into that the curves of the letters are comprised of smaller curves and points rather than unmarried curves. This ways I have boosted faces than required.

DXF 3D Model

To solve this I just edit the sketch, delete the curves, and utilise a spline using the reference points. And so color the model and the design is complete:

Javelin SOLIDWORKS Logo Completed

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Source: https://www.javelin-tech.com/blog/2020/09/converting-a-logo-bitmap-image-file-into-a-vector-sketch-for-solidworks/

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