2BOT® ModelMaker™ for Architects and GIS Professionals

2BOT ModelMaker for Architects and GIS professionals is a new and better way to create scale models. With a proven rate of production that averages 10 times faster than most other model-making methods and dramatically less expensive, 2BOT ModelMaker is quick and with a simple software process that anyone in your office can learn in about fifteen minutes. Using 2BOT ModelMaker is incredibly easy.

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Product Details - Hardware

The 2BOT ModelMaker is an entirely new class of subtractive model making system specifically designed by the engineers at 2BOT to meet the needs of architects, GIS, civil engineering and educational professionals. Modelmaker is bundled with 2BOT Studio software to deliver unparalelled ease of use and utilizing very inexpensive non-proprietary materials.

The hardware is based on a proprietary  high strength aluminum structure completely enclosed for safety and to contain debris. The 24" square footprint is nearly as small as a desktop printer.

Six high speed DSP processors drive the motors contained in ModelMaker delivering very high motion performance with instant feedback to the PC based user interface.

 

Installation is easy, just install 2BOT Studio software and plug in the USB port to your computer.

 

 

If you lack counter space the ModelMaker can be mounted on an optional stand which has wheels for easy positioning and if need be, shuttling between departments.

 

 

 

 

 

Easy to use intuitive controls are located on the top right corner of the unit. The internal high intensity LED lights are controlled with one rocker switch. Another switch turns the entire unit on and off and the third offers a pause function for momentary halting of cutting operations.

 

 

The cutting head utilizes a proprietary carbide cutter which is specially designed for forming high density modeling materials. This cuttter is novel in that it can cut up to 2" deep along vertical edges making the formation of tall vertical structures possible. The cutter is held in a precision ER11 collet so replacement of the cutter is easy.

Driving the cutter is a brushless motor which is being powered via a 100 MIPS DSP processor. This concentration of compute power in the head allows for precise millisecond to millisecond control of torque and speed delivering very high performance motion which results in better models.

 

Material from which models will be formed is held in a novel proprietary cassette. To install material the user simply swings up handles on the material jaws, inserts the material and then swings the arms down to latch and firmly hold the material. These jaws can hold up to a 2" thick piece of material but also can hold materials down to the thickness of a piece of paper.

A novel feature of the cassette is that the reverse side of the material can also be formed by simply removing the cassette, rotating it 180 degrees and reinserting into ModelMaker. This feature along with special programming in the 2BOT Studio software allows for parts to be formed on the top and also the bottom without the user having to be concerned about re-registering the material after the flip. The top and bottom of a part can be easily created.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is shown how the cassette slides into the ModelMaker.

 

 

 

The ModelMaker in Action (topo example on high density foam)

 

Product Details - Software - 2BOT Studio

2BOT Studio is the software part of the 2BOT ModelMaker system. It allows the user to perform 3 key functions quickly and intuitively:

Step 1:  Read in virtual model data files. 2BOT Studio is compatible with many different file formats including DWG, DXF, Google SketchUp KMZ, STL, ESRI ArcGIS and USGS FLT files.

 

Autodesk applications such as AutoCAD, Civil3D and Revit will produce DWG or STL files suitable for input to 2BOT Studio. It is our goal that the user doesn’t have to spend any time converting or creating data for Modelmaker other than a few minutes exporting into compatible file formats. Google SketchUp files are exported into KMZ files. ESRI ArcGIS files can be read directly by 2BOT Studio. Solidworks and other solid modeling packages can export STL files. We can even work with STL files that are not watertight.

 

 

 

Select file to use from drop down menu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 3D representation of your data is displayed on the 2BOT Studio work piece. This process generally only takes seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Scale the Data. Here the building length was specified to be 11.5”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3: Send model to ModelMaker. The model can be positioned anywhere on the work piece with the mouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the “2BOT it!” button is clicked the ModelMaker starts cutting the model. The speeds of cutting and the instructions to cut the model are all calculated by the sophisticated 2BOT Studio software. You can just sit back and watch the precision taking place through the clear polycarbonate cover.

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