Has anyone else run into issues using HBTM?
I’m able to load my .brd file (saved from boardcad) but when I go to generate a full template or spine and ribs template, I get an empty pdf file.
What’s strange is that I’m able to generate an outline template just fine.
I’ve tried this on 3 machines now with the same results.
Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks.
If you’re going to build a HWB then you need to hook up with Huck (one of the mods on this forum) and see if he’ll teach you his method. The way he does them makes the others look primitve by comparison.
Thnx but my methods are not suitable for general consumption: I’ve tried, to no avail.
But there are ways of designing a standard rib design hws without a computer, and its amazing to me how few people actually learn.
Woodylogic over at woodboardforum.com has posted build threads explaining the process. I posted an explanatory thread on the old tree-to-sea forum, but that forum is defunct now as far as I know.
Anyway, all of this falls under the category of Not what the op was asking for, and there seems to be little tolerance for that kind of meandering these days, so I will leave it to the computer savvy posters to address the software issue.
It is working fine over here, BoardCAD+ Win10+ HBTM 2.0.10 and some not-so-current revision of Java (months not years). I did the stock funboard and shortboard and both worked for the full monty template, regardless of whether the NURBS model was rendered or not.
BoardCAD V3.0 has its own hollow board routines. Not as paper friendly as HBTM but it is native to the application. Print>hollow board>etc…
I send mine to a third party print driver like PaperPort, so I can view the outputs as PDF before printing them.
I normally do foam boards and just used BoardCAD for rocker and outline templates so I am not 100% dialed in to all HB issues through BC and HBTM.
HIghly reccommend reading on WBF as well.
Enclosing the ‘funboard.brd’ source file ( renamed to *.txt ) and the resultant HBTM funboard PDF (stock board in BoardCAD).
https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/funboard.txt
I sometimes had problems in the past, when I set some points wrong. For example setting a point in the bottom of profile, but Bardcad was set to deck, of pulling some points in the tail from deck towards bottom and vice versa. But now, I do not have any problems. Finally there are three options in the HBTM, Full template, including everything, spine and ribs and outline. Does the full template show ribs?
Do you have the chance to send the brd file to somebody else working with BC, maybe it works or. If it is possible you might upload your brd file here and I will check it on my system. If uploading here does not work, go to woodboardforum.com. there is an .brd upload post and uploading brd files is premitted there.
I’ve repeated the process with the stock funboard shape as you did and I was able to generate the full template back without issue. Must be a problem with my board file.
Thanks for your help troubleshooting, I feel really stupid for not having done it myself!
I think it’s a problem with the .brd file as you’re suggesting, probably a point pulled too far in the wrong direction.
I was just now able to print the stock funboard as mentioned above.
Thanks!
I’ve had the problem every now and then also. Mostly happened when I had a sharp corner on a rail or a control point that looked smooth, but wasn’t. I just go around the brd and smooth every “sharp” control point and try again. If all else fails make your own with paper like huck said. He is a wise dude, I made my first full board with his rail first method.
I have personally been using the boardcad print functions. I don’t care for the hollow board print option because no matter the board size it only gives you 8 rib cross sections. Instead I print all the cross sections and stringer as a PDF and then edit them using a PDF editor. I also would rather print and tape a bunch of normal printer size papers together than take it to a printer. Hope that helps.
Hi Philipp, your answer is a little bit confusing. If you use boardcad and the hollow wood print options therein, you are right, you only get some ribs and not the cross section you have planned. Thats the reason why Musabi and myself use the hollow wood template maker by jdail. Its a freeware and you export your brd file into it and get all the designed crosssections printed as ribs. The template maker exports into pdf too, which you can print. If you have a plotter availlable, you can get all parts on one large page… , you may try it too, it works great for me, its an easy programm, but you can even set deck, ribs and stringer strenght. This really helps, because if you set for example deck strenght to 1/2inch, the stringer height automatically decreases and you do not have to care for it during the build. Just cut the parts out of the pdf, glue it onto wood and start sawing the parts, everything ready to be glued…
Sorry for any confusion. I have used the jedail program before. I know the hbtm puts everything nicely on one PDF, but I don’t have access to a plotter or large format printer and all the places I’ve asked to print want more money than I am willing to spend. So I still have to use a PDF editor to self tile the large template into smaller 8.5x11 letter size pages. If I just print my stringer and cross sections in boardcad it does it automatically and gives me a grid to help line it up when taping/glueing it down. I do have to manually pen in my slots and any weight reduction holes. I really wish the boardcad hollow board printer would let you select the number of cross sections. One of these days I hope to get a small cnc router and find a way to easily send stringers and cross sections to be cut without the hassle of glue and scissors.
I have done many stringers and outlines and a few sections out of BoardCAD using the DXF export function and then doing any needed edits in Draftsight. After that I can send them to a CNC router or laser. The router I have is not big enough for anything full-sized so I have a couple methods of joining pieces together to get to surfboard-sized templates.
Out of curiosity, how have you been joining your stringer pieces?
I was thinking of making a puzzle pattern template and using a router with an inlay bit.
Any thoughts/suggestions?
I used to use jigsaw puzzle type interlocking features. Now I use a bow tie shaped third piece. This allows me to make longer main pieces and it is easier to sand the bow ties to fit…
I will generally follow up any jigsaw or bow tie joint with glassing. Pic enclosed of a hotwire template for a windsurf board. It is still ‘in the rough’ and needs a quick sanding before use.
That is a nifty trick! I always glued them together like a butt joint and then glued another piece on either side to strengthen it.
Jrandy, have you tried to do any tiling when cutting stringers on your cnc? I know some cam software will do it for you, but its easy enough to section it off in autocad or draftsight then cut each section sliding the board along after each section is cut. I did something similar for a sign in school, I even had the cnc cut holes for a peg to ensure I slid it the same distance after each section was cut. I really wish I had access to a cnc again, it would take some of the tedious parts out of building.
Phillip, I have not tried that. The router is currently in a corner of a small room so I do not have space to feed in and out under the gantry.
Go to this site and you have a lot of templates and files
www.surfdesign.eu
Regards
