Using photos in cad software, guide needed.

[Konstantin]

Hello.
Please advice.
I am in the mid of this PDA (small computer) mod and I intend to use a software to model the desired layout. Since I need to buy some parts and I do not know whether they will fit, I choose to model them. But playing with simple geometric forms and arranging them isnt very helpful without the skins, I mean I have the keyboard I am using, the motherboard, the LCD screen, I am missing the batteries, speakers and other stuff.
What I would like to do is to take photos of my components and grab photos of the components I need to buy from the web and use them as skins in some 3D modeling software. So I could arrange the best possible way all the components.

What software allows the things I intend?
Preferebaly one that can be downloaded as demo.

Thanks you.
Konstantin.

[vinot]

Hi,

I'm thinking in about two different ways. One, use some "raster to vector" to put your photos as a dxf in your cad (and finally, do a raster), but in this way you're working in 2d so your have to extrude it (algolab, ie, google...). Second way is to use photogrammetry (i'm thinking in photomodeler, look at google too), but maybe larger way.

oh! third way: david laserscanner, more google. Really sounds incredible, but I'm using it now in my job, and with a few improvements (good movement basically), can obtain very good 3d scannings all well textured.

good luck