TreeDiM, Packaging CAD and POS display design software

This part is dedicated to basic drawing features with Picador Geometry. For more information please read the User Guide Geometry Picador. (Help/User Guide)

Toolbars:

All the functions and drawing tools are grouped in the form of icons in toolbars, which appear around the software window.

To keep the interfaces clear, all toolbars are not visible in permanence. The list of available and visible toolbars is available by right clicking in the toolbar area:

You can manage your interface using the four dots

( or the bar toolbar move2

on some Picador skin) on the letf of each toolbar to drag it to another place.

Basic drawing: Drawing lines

First, let's introduce our two main tools to draw lines and then construct a geometry. Reproduce what you see in the video:

Segments 2 points

Or Continuous segments

To draw properly, it's essential to always select accurately a points. To do it, there are several methods that must be mastered. Reproduce what see in the next videos:

1 - Connect with the link assistants visible on the side of the mouse cursor:

The attachment point is the extremity of a segment or arc:

The attachment point is the midpoint of a segment:

The attachment point is the intersection of two segments or construction lines:

Join with a segment when orthogal to it:

Join an vertical segment horizontaly aligned to a point: / Join an horizontal segment verticaly aligned to a point:

Connect with the center of a circle:

2- Input the point coordinates, defining the position of the point on the X and Y axis:

To open the tab, press X or Y key or any digit (0,1,2,3,...).

Picador assistant d'aide au dessin

From this panel you define the coordinates of a point, for a 2pts segment, you may click the first one on the page and define the second with coordonate.

Coordonate could be define from the previous anchor point by adding "R" or "r" before the value; It's relative coordonates:

3- Input the size and the direction of the segment:

Click the starting point of the segment, then to open the panel, press D key on the keyboard.

The first panel is to set the dimension of the segment, the second is to set the direction or angle:

The angle is define according anti-clockwise direction (trigonometrical) : anti clockwise

Basic drawing: interactions

Select elements:

Use selection arrow or windowed selection to select one or multiple elements. Selected entities change color to black (or white if the background color is black):

Delete elements:

Using the eraser tool

, delete an entities by clicking on it. You can also select elements and then use the erase tool to delete the selection:

An other option is to use the delete key

key on the keyboard when Hover over an element to delete it:

Navigation:

To move the view in the document:

Press the arrows on the keyboard naviagation dans le document

or press the wheel of your mouse (button 3) and drag the page.

Use the Z key

to reframe the view to the content of the page.

To Zoom forward and backward:

Roll forward or backward the mouse wheels. zoom dans le document

Tip: Point with the cursor the area you want to look closer, then use the wheel to zoom, the view fit to the cursor location. It may seem tricky at the beginning but you can move and zoom in the same time

The type of line selections:

The vast majority of designs made with Picador are plans of packaging or cardboard displays. The plan which are drawn with Picador represent the packaging 2D design, and are usable for production. It's directly the plan for the diecutting tool and the process for the cutting table. Therefore the pens of different colors directly define type of lines that will be used on the cutting process.

The line color is define by the drop-down list on the top of the Picador window.All the entities are drawn of the color of this attribut box.

Cut line: the board will be cut following those lines.

Crease line: the board will be process to make a fold along those lines.

To change the type of line of one or multiple elements, select them (

) and simply change the type of line in the drop-down menu:

Basic drawing: construction lines

The construction lines or guides are a very important element of our structural drawing methode. Placing guides help you to define your design and once in place, the guides create attachment points to build your drawing. Here is the main tools to place them, reproduce the use of each tool you see in the video.

Horizontal or Vertical guide :

Parallel guide at a distance :

Orthogonal guide :

Oblique guide :

Guide by extention :

Our first model:

It's time to implement what we seen by creating our first model. follow the steps detailed in the next videos:

Draw a 200x100mm rectangle using multi-segment tool and XY coordonate:

There is also a rectangle tool , here the XY coordonate corespond direclty to the size of the rectangle:

Draw the construction lines, to separate the rectangle in four egal parts:

Save the document:

The default saving folder is C:\Picador, create a new folder name training in this location to save all the document generated during the training.

Let's have a look on what it's look like in 3D:

Create a 3D folding:

This action import you 2D drawing in a new Picador3D document.

From this 2D file you need to create your first foldable solid:

select the "create new foldable solid" tool

name the generated object

Clic on the reference face of the box drawing to create a 3D foldable object. The reference face choosed , is the one around which the folding will articulate.

Interface 3D:

- Use Left Clic to move the 3D object

- Use Right Clic to rotate the 3D object

- Use the wheel to manage the zoom

- Z key to fit the view to the 3D object

Don't hesitate to refer to this chapter if you feel a bit lost with the drawing features during the next chapters.

Back to the training menu

Basic drawing : let's get started