[CAM Note] From 3D formwork drawings to CNC milling.
The specifications and two-dimensional drawings normally employed in construction of buildings are only useful in certain areas. Coordinate information should be made available, in part, for the formwork planning, whereby it is necessary to differentiate between those which will be determined by a surveyor using global coordinates. The coordinates for the surveyor can be prepared as Excel charts, and in addition, can be denoted in the plans to facilitate cross checks. However, the surface model can be the basis for constructing the framework. 
The shell geometry can be attained through the milled egg-crating supporting formwork skin. Within the framework on the workshop planning, the virtual model can be elaborated upon in such manner as to provide the information necessary to automate the CNC cutting of the egg-crating. For such automated processes, in order to rule out mistakes that would unavoidably become part of the entire process chain, it is necessary to develop the appropriate control mechanisms. Correspondingly, in connection with the construction of the formwork tables, the calculations determing the form of the shells should be inserted in a separate three - dimensional model in order to compare the resultant surface with that of the original model. 
A further aspect is the automated evaluation of the three -dimensional model, which ensured by means of scripting - a simple form of programming. The scripts make it possible to efficiently process and evaluate repetitive rule-based tasks. In addition to saving time and increasing the level of precision, another advantage of the automation is the reduction of monotonous - and consequently mistake-ridden - work steps.