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Old 10-27-2016, 03:17 PM
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Stuart Chale
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: , NY
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Vector based drawing programs do not care if you are drawing something the size of a postage stamp or the size of a school bus, the file size does not get huge as you go larger for the most part unlike bitmap based picture editing software. Because of this we will be working with drawings that are life sized. In fact the first step is to draw accurate outlines of the wing and stab. I use measurements from the actual components as well as copying an angle or 2 from the "corners". Putting both halves on the wing and stab tube and measuring the sweep back or forward will also help you draw an accurate outline. The available 3 view of the Allure is not accurate enough in this regard as I believe the design changed after the 3 view was drawn (wing swept back further). Vinyl cutters can also be plotters and draw so drawing your life sized outline should be done before drawing the rest of your design. Get the outline right first otherwise you will be adjusting the rest of your pattern. And of course I don't know this from first hand experience. No never!

This shows the wing (with color pattern) drawn on tracing paper and laid over the wing to make sure it fits properly.


After finalizing the outline you can draw the pattern without regard to the final overlaps that you will need to have when cutting your material. The first step is to make sure you are happy with the drawing. I started with a couple of drawings and pictures with measurements from Dave.


There were more but this gives you an idea of what I used to draw the design in Corel.

Initial drawings in Corel of the top and bottom of the wing and stab


Note the use of Guidelines in Corel. These represent lines parallel and perpendicular to the fuse center line. One of the goals in the design is to have the thin outboard stripe portions of the pattern perpendicular to the center of the fuse and the outboard edges and bottom stripes parallel to the center of the fuse. Measuring the sweep with the wing and stab tubes in place and drawing them that way makes it fairly easy. I realize the camera angle makes the guidelines not look parallel in the pictures.
Note in these first drawings the base color is under the trim colors. If you delete the red, orange and yellow pieces the entire wing outline in white will remain.

A straight edge along one of the outboard stripes is nicely parallel to the wing tube.

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Last edited by Stuart Chale; 10-27-2016 at 03:27 PM.