Hi everyone,

I'm working on a project to build a MIDI controller, and I came across a document that the creator used in this video ( min 1:18) to drill holes into an enclosure for rotary encoders. The document is a 2D layout with circles, and each circle has a plus sign in the center, indicating where to drill. He printed it out, placed it on top of the enclosure, and then used it to precisely drill the necessary holes.

I’m still learning the process, so I have a few questions:

1. What is this type of document called? Is it an enclosure schematic, a drill template, or something else?
2. What tools or software are typically used to create such a document? For example, could Fusion 360 generate a PDF like this, or is another software like Inkscape more commonly used?
3. Does this document have a specific name in the industry? If so, what is it?

 

Engineering Spec sheet CAD drawing for machining/manufacturing purposes, you could draw this type of DWG with the free LibreCAD etc.

 

Engineering Spec sheet CAD drawing for machining/manufacturing purposes, you could draw this type of DWG with the free LibreCAD etc.

Thanks, that makes things clearer! Just a quick question: Can a spec sheet be printed and used as a reference to drill the enclosure? Because that’s what the person in the video did—he printed the document, placed it on top of the enclosure, and used it for drilling. Wouldn't that be considered a drill template? Just asking to clarify.

 

https://www.instructables.com/Print-a-Drilling-Template/

 

Yes, if this was intended for CNC M/C manuf. the CAD drawing would be fed into a CAM (computer aided manuf) drawing program.
In order to produce the machine commands required.

 

Amazing, thank you both for your help. It’s such a privilege to be part of this wonderful community.

 

Any vector drawing program can create such a document with ease. Inkscape is one of many available and is popular because it's free and cross-platform. I find it a bit difficult compared to some other options but those others have their own issues, be it cost or continued support or whatever.

Note that a key feature is what-you-see-is-what-you-get, or WYSIWYG. Wizzee wig. This was a big deal in the history of desktop publishing because, for quite a while, it was far from guaranteed that a 3" object on screen would print as a 3" object on paper. Those days have mostly passed. But I still check the printed paper to verify the scale is accurate.

 

I used to have access to Autocad after which I looked for something to replace it and found free, LibreCad.
It started out as a CAM program, now it is a neat substitute for Autocad, albeit, just 2D.

 

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a project to build a MIDI controller, and I came across a document that the creator used in this video ( min 1:18) to drill holes into an enclosure for rotary encoders. The document is a 2D layout with circles, and each circle has a plus sign in the center, indicating where to drill. He printed it out, placed it on top of the enclosure, and then used it to precisely drill the necessary holes.

• What is this type of document called? Is it an enclosure schematic, a drill template, or something else?

It is a drill hole template. It is usually drawn at a scale noted somewhere on the drawing.

• What tools or software are typically used to create such a document? For example, could Fusion 360 generate a PDF like this, or is another software like Inkscape more commonly used?

Any mechanical CAD software, like AutoCad, DesigSpark Mech, or even Visio can be used.

• Does this document have a specific name in the industry? If so, what is it?

No. But it is generally called a "drill/hole template" and is usually drawn at 1:1 scale.
It is not an engineering spec drawing because it would have dimensions lines with annotations describing fabrication specifications and tolerances.

• What is this type of document called? Is it an enclosure schematic, a drill template, or something else?

Looks like a "drill/hole template" to me. It is meant to be laid on top of an object, usually sheet metal or plastic, etc., after which you can mark holes, then drill, punch or cut holes