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Phlatscript Version 0.918 Chat

Discussion in 'SketchUcam DOWNLOAD' started by tvcasualty, Dec 8, 2008.

  1. tvcasualty

    tvcasualty New Member

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    how bout an auto tab feature?
     
  2. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Ok so far we have Pocket cuts and auto tab features for the poll. I will wait to put it up until we get more options. Maybe 10 or so?

    I was messing around when I came home tonight, and tried to make a pocket cut manualy using the offset tool in Sketchup and the Center Line tool from the PhlatscripT

    Here is what I came up with:

    [​IMG]




    Here is the problem: You were right about the center line tool. It does get broken up into a lot of little cuts when opened in Mach.
    It took forever to cut this one out. The processing of all of thoses breaks in the center line tool causes it to take so long. Attached files [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  3. Evil-Tunes

    Evil-Tunes Moderator Staff Member

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    I would Like to see auto hinge feature?

    I also tried the right click feature Outside line and it put the edge on the line not stepped out like from the toolbar. Will it cut on the line or still stepped out a 1/16. I left it to see but didn't get a chance to cut it out yet. Otherwise I love the new PhlatScripT :mrgreen:
     
  4. firetrappe

    firetrappe Member

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    Mark, that's really cool! Thanks for experimenting, you've shown everyone what can be achieved, it's just very time consuming at the moment. I've created similar gcode, but i've not actually cut any pockets yet. Your photos show just how accurate the pockets could be.

    I used the offset tool when I was doing my tests and found that it struggles with certain shapes (in SU6 anyway). The latest idea that i'm playing with is shown below. This path was created by drawing a shape, then drawing a horizontal line above the shape and duplicating it over the top of the shape multiple times. I then intersected the lines and the shape, then deleted lines to produce the zig-zag path.

    I figured that if pockets were created like this then there wouldn't be any 'travelling' involved like there is when using the offset method. The problem I have now is that the zig-zag path is made of segmented lines rather than a single continuous line. I've been looking for Ruby scripts which will convert the path to a continuous line, and I think 'closeopens.rb' from Smustard might work. The trouble is that there are several similar scripts available and they all cost $20 each. I tried Weld.rb but that didn't work.

    If anyone knows how to convert a series of broken lines into a continuous line (that the centerline tool will follow sequentially) then I think we will have a solution.

    Si. Attached files [​IMG]
     
  5. tvcasualty

    tvcasualty New Member

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    Another neat idea would be a direct draw feature, or convert line to cut.
    This would be handy in making line cuts for things like templates, or line type text.

    This should be easy, as I know you can modify the g-code after it's auto drawn, just make a way to manually put it down / direct covert w/ out offset.
     
  6. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    firetrappe, why didn't I think of doing it that way? :D Good thinking.
    One thing I see is that you are still going to have to do a line around the outside of the pocket to cover up that stepped look that I think you will get. BTW The step offset in my design was at 1/2 the bit size 1/16 just to make sure that it covered the entire area. Also as far as accurate, for all the jumping around it did to get a final cut. It is spot on. :D

    tvcasualty, I am not following you on the Direct draw feature, could you please explain a little more about how it would work. Sorry thanks

    ET
    , auto hinge feature nice idea, I like it. thanks for the update with the rightclick outside line error.

    Mark
     
  7. firetrappe

    firetrappe Member

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    I did have a line around the perimeter of the pocket like you suggest, but I removed it so you could see the zig-zag pattern. I was also spacing the lines at half the diameter of the bit. It's good to know we're both approching the idea the same way :) .
    If you have any of the 'Cad cleanup' scripts from smustard that you could test on a similar series of segmented lines then that would be great.

    A feature i'd like to see in the future is an option to change tools (bits) during a cutting operation. For example, use a 1/16th bit to cut detailed parts, a 1/8th bit for cutting larger parts and pockets, and maybe a swap to a standard drill bit for drilling operations. It's possible to do this at the moment, but it requires generating and loading different gcode files for each different bit size.
     
  8. tvcasualty

    tvcasualty New Member

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    The basic idea would be to make a single line cut, or the ability to draw the exact path you want the bit to take.

    This could kill two birds with one stone, because if you could also control the depth of cut you could also draw the pocket cut area as you want it cut, as shown above (but not using the centerline tool).
     
  9. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    tvcasualty, that sounds like it will be a whole new script design, but I see where you are going with this and it does sound like a cool idea. No one knows where the future will lead with all these new ideas.
    firetrappe,
    the cad cleanup script that I used from smustard is called repair broken lines and I think its free from him? The only thing is it does not seem to repair all of broken lines. He has a cad clean up tool like you say but its for sale and I can't push myself to buy anymore scripts for a while anyway(Christmas)
    Changing tools has always been a big issue for cnc. I am not shure haw we could tackel that one but I know that macros can be made for mach3 from the SDK that will allow you to program a set of instructions to the motors everytime a tool change is called for from the gcode. But having the tool changer setup is really the hard part. It can be done, but is it really going to be worth it int the long run?
     
  10. firetrappe

    firetrappe Member

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    tvcasualty, I think I follow what you mean. If for instance the centerline tool let you choose a depth as a measurement rather than a percentage of the material thickness, then you could choose a centerline depth of 8mm if you were using 6mm foam which would produce a cut. In effect a centerline with a depth of >100%.
     
  11. firetrappe

    firetrappe Member

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    Mark, I'll have a look at the 'repair broken lines' script, i'd forgotten about that one. I know what you mean about Christmas, i'm in exactly the same postion. I may take a gamble and try the closeopens script though.
    From the script description : 'The two closest open segments will be joined with a new line segment. Then, the next two closest lines will be joined with a line segment, and so on until no more open segments can be joined.'
    This sounds like it joins the lines sequentially, which might produce the toolpath that i'm trying to achieve.
    I think this is the kind of algorithm that the centerline tool needs to use to optimize the gcode it creates.

    The tool changing idea is not really important, It was just an idea I thought i'd throw out there. I think I can do it manually at the moment by pausing Mach, clicking the 'home printer' button, jogging the Dremel manually and then clicking the 'send printer home' button once i've changed the tool and then clicking 'print'. The only problem is stopping the gcode in the right place. Do you know if there is a 'stop' or 'pause' command that can be inserted manually into the gcode?
     
  12. 3DMON

    3DMON Moderator Staff Member

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    A feature to just drill a hole would be nice.
    For example: When I cut out ply with the 1/16" bit sometimes I'd like to make a 1/16" hole, but the script wouldn't take on a .001" dot. or for that matter it wouldn't take on a 2 or 3 thou line either.
    When I tried by using a circle I couldn't get it to work either because my bit was the same size as the circle I wanted to create, so I just drilled the holes by hand.
     
  13. firetrappe

    firetrappe Member

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    Ok, I think i've found a workaround for producing a decent 'pocket toolpath'.

    Using the same 'intersect' method I mentioned earlier to create a toolpath manually, If you select all the lines and keep applying the weld.rb script, eventually you get a sequential path. I tried a few different pocket shapes and they all varied in the number of times the script needed applying. I've made a custom hotkey now so that the script is appied when I press W on my keyboard. Once the line is sequential you can click on it with the centerline tool and the whole path turns green (rather than just a segment of it).

    Here's the toolpath for a random shape I drew to test the theory.

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  14. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    3DMON ,Ok Peck drilling is a good feature, I will add it to the poll. I think the way it would work is if you select any circle or right click after selecting a lot of them. You can select the drill option and it should drill the center of all the holes you picked with the size bit you are using. Just by a plunge/retract move once centered.
    firetrappe, That looks really clean I am going to give it a try. Good thinking using the weld script. have you tried it out yet?
     
  15. rayclark

    rayclark Member

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    The peck drilling option would be great.


    Being able to specify a cutting order would be a nice feature to add.
     
  16. firetrappe

    firetrappe Member

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    Mark, i've not tried cutting a pocket yet, it was about 2am when I finally figured out how to do it. I didn't think the family would appreciate me running the Phlatty at that time in the morning. I'll give it a shot later today and see what happens.

    Another process i've looked into is 'part nesting optimization'. This is where the computer analyzes the groups of parts within the safe cutting area and automatically rearranges them to fit within the area to produce as little waste as possible. There are complex dedicated programs such as 'ProNest' which is used in the sheet-metal cutting industry, and certain CAD software such as TouchCAD that is specifically designed for unfolding 3D models and producing nests. Again, this would be great see as an option in the future but i'm just posting my thoughts and throwing ideas out there at the moment.

    Si.
     
  17. 3DMON

    3DMON Moderator Staff Member

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    I got another idea...
    Being able to tell the code where to start cutting on the part. I wish I knew how it is determined now, because sometimes on big parts it cuts way on the other side of where you want it to.
     
  18. firetrappe

    firetrappe Member

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    I've been playing with the centerline tool tonight and got some results that i'm really happy with. I've used the methods I mentioned earlier in this thread to pocket and centerline some 6mm depron.

    My first test was great apart from the fact I didn't realise that text would need to be mirrored before generating the gcode :oops:

    Anyway, here are some photos of my results. I used the standard 1/8" bit and ran the phlatty at 40ipm on both the x and y axes. The first test (not mirrored) took just over 7mins to process. The 2nd test which was a file containing the 2 mirrored layouts took 11mins 19secs.





    If anyone's interested in seeing the Sketchup or Gcode files then let me know and i'll upload them.

    Cheers,
    Si.
     
  19. rayclark

    rayclark Member

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    I would like to see them
     
  20. WW8S

    WW8S Member

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    Me too, "milling" a depron airframe is something that I am very interested in doing, (after I get my phlatbonz kit and assemble it).
    Dave
     
  21. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Man! that came out super nice! (you know you love it :mrgreen: )
    Please post a manual pocketing tutorial im the tutorial section on how you did it.
    We could benefit from this until the PhlatScripT can do it on its own.
    Mark
     
  22. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    The PhlatScripT most wanted poll is here! We will be emailing the Phlat Club members the password to vote. We wanted to keep this a special place for Phlat Club members because we believe YOU guys deserve the only right to vote on features you would like to see in the PhlatScripT.

    Does that mean that all the features voted on will be added? Probably not, but if It keeps up we will just keep creating new polls and the script will grow into a even nicer user feedback based CAM solution for the Phlatprinter.
    Thank you all Phlatboyz

    We will send out the email password shortly
     
  23. 66tbird

    66tbird Moderator Staff Member

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    So far all the ideas are great. I was working on doing pockets today also and other that brute force I made no work around progress.

    The only thing I can add is for a way to 'right-click/select all connected/make group' in one quick fashion. My finger gets tired when doing the final cut sequence grouping :oops:

    The new version is nice btw, love the centerline tool :cool:
     
  24. kram242

    kram242 Administrator Staff Member

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    Please repost anything you can, I made a mistake last night and deleted some of the last info posted! I am sorry you guys I am learning as I go.
    Now I know what NOT to do! :roll:
    Mark
     
  25. 3DMON

    3DMON Moderator Staff Member

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    You might want to redo the poll, because I think it got messed up as well.
     

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