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Creating a map using Solidworks

General Information

This tutorial shows you how you can create a map for naviagtion and an map for simulation using Solidworks.

• You need a full version of Solidworks with with PhotoView 360 enabled

• The "stl"-file is needed for simulation
• The "bmp"-file is needed for navigation

Prepare 3D Part

• dowloand and open the template: map_template_v01.SLDPRT

• edite the 3D part so that it fits 1:1 with the desired map
• note the following colors:
  • white areas are free to operate
  • black areas are walls
  • grey areas are not to be operated in
  • one pixel is equivalent to 5 cm, therfore walls have to be at least 10 cm thick to really exist later on.

Camera View

• switch to the camera menu

• right click on the "kamera1" and check the box "Kameraansicht"

• you should now have a top down view of your part / map with the origin of the coordinate system exactly in the lower left corner of the field of view.

• right click on the "kamera1" an press "kamera bearbeiten" to edit the camera settings if neccesary
  • if you adjust the camera, make sure that the edges of the camera view stay algined with the orginal coordinate system.
  • if needed, adjsut the size of the field of view
  • one pixel is supossed to equal 5 cm, hence if you change the cameras filed of view you
    • have to later on have to adjust the resolution of the bitmap
  • make sure you do not check the box "perspective" when adjusting the camera

Execute Rendering

• switch to the rendering tool

• go to options if you have to adjust the resolution
  • output as "bmp"
  • no greyscale output
  • adjust the resolution of the bitmap if neccesary, in our example to 4000x4000

• end rendering
• save the bmp-file

Save Stl-file

The map template includes an additional coordinate system. If you do not need a special position for the origin of the coordinate system in your stl-file you don't have to do anything here.

• edit the coordinate system to move it to you desired position
• go to "save as" and choost STL format
• go to options and chekc the boxes:
  • output: binary
  • unit: Meter
  • STL-Ausgabedatei nicht auf positiven Raum übertragen
  • Alle Komponenten einer Baugruppe in eine Datei speichern.
  • Ausgabe Koordinatensystem: Koordinatensystem1

• save the stl-file

Additional Drawing

Usually it is very helpful to create a drawing or screeshot that shows (you and especially your colleagues) where the additional coordinate system is located in reference to the corene of the bmp-file. The drawing should also show the distance between the corner of the bmp-file and some characteristic spot in the map.