I've forgotten exactly what I wrote in my post that was deleted, but basically it was explaining how time consuming it was to create pockets using the centerline tool beacuse of the Weld.rb plugin. The Weld plugin is the only one i've found that will create sequential paths from an intersected selection of lines. Unfortunately it only joins 2 lines everytime you use it, which means it can sometimes take 100 clicks to create a path. If someone could edit the Weld.rb script to loop a set number of times instead of just once, then pockets and outlines could be created very quickly. Using this method would also create optimized gcode which makes cutting time much quicker. The Weld.rb script is available here for anyone that can help : http://www.smustard.com/script/Weld Attached are the SU7 and Gcode files I used to produce the 'firetrappe' pocket cuts. The Sketchup file has some of my welded line tests outside the 'safe cutting area'. Cheers, Si. Attached files centerline tests.zip (135.4 KB)Â
With both my computers, when I click on the download link it takes me to an empty page. Is there a problem with the link or am I just retarded?
Have you tried scaling the hole (I mean the scripted hole) after the script is applied? This might do the trick for you...
Thanks Mark, I thought I was taking crazy pills or something! Works perfectly. Awesome update! I think that we should bid on upgrades to the PhlatScript along with the poll. Whichever gets up the highest gets worked on! LOL!! that would be hillarious! I bid $5 for the ability for autotab... and another $5 for the pocket function! I guess putting money on stuff like that is a bad thing? Then people start EXPECTING things, right? Anyways, thanks a lot Pete! You do awesome work!
We want to keep this a free open source script/project to help this project grow into a great 'starting place' for people just getting into CNC. When I started learning about CNC I was thrown back by all the over priced Soft wares/Machines out there. I really wanted to take CNC down from the inflated cloud it was riding on, and put it into the hands of people who truly are creative. There is an old saying that "necessity is the mother of invention." I believe that, and I feel that it is the people who can't afford to go out and buy a $10,000 CNC machine are the ones who have the most creativity. In my opinion and from my observations so far in life. The people who can afford 50K lasers and other high-end machines are the ones who lack the most in creativity. The reason for this I believe is that if you never had to struggle and work your way to achieving a particular goal because you could afford to simply buy it, you lose the creativity it takes to make it there on your own and it's in that creativity great ideas are born. I truly feel that, great ideas start from a need or want and are accomplish from a desire and hard work strongly backed by a 'refuse to fail' sprit. The PP is a small start, but a small start is exactly what it takes to make a big difference. So we are trying to do our best to keep this entire project as affordable and easy to obtain as we can. To create a first chance start for people like ourselves, who would have otherwise possibly never had the chance.
I followed the instructional video for installing PhlatScripT, but I don't have a Phlayboys toolbar available. I'm using Sketchup 7.
Sorry about that. We forgot to include this information in the video. Here are the instructions: You will need to activate the PhlatScript under window/preferences/Extensions. Just put a check mark there next to the Phlatboyz and exit out of Sketchup then restart it.
That fixed it thanks. I use a CNC water jet at work sometimes, and I've cut a few foamies with it. A couple friends and I are interested in the Phlatprinter. I use AutoCAD and BobCAD-CAM at work. Is there a list of G codes available for the Phlatprinter?
Water jet for foamies! that has to be cool... :mrgreen: The Phlatprinter does not have a post processor written for it, mainly because it uses standard FANUC G-codes for milling saved under .cnc files. So these codes should work on a lot of cnc machines.(mayhave to reverse the z) If you are looking for codes to cut out look under the Free plans section of the Phlatform here, every zip file contains all the g-codes and the SketchUp model. Is that what you are asking ? Mark
Hmmm, i want it to make me a hammy sammich and chill a beer.. If I can't have that then I would like to see the ability to change your cut depths. I think the default is -.35 but I find my machine cuts better at -.40 Having it to cut at what you want would be great. You could add that to the same place as your set your tab depth and foam size.
I think that's where the centerline tool comes in? Or if you want to adjust every cut, just change the material thickness?
I just did some testing with the v tab setting. I like it alot! I've found if I leave the default settings in the parameter box for the tab depth at 50 it almost wipes the tab completely out. It seems best to just set it at 0 instead. At 0 it still gives a small tab but it has enough material to hold the part in place. Also something else I found is if you try to link the vtabs together in tight areas like where the line segment is smaller the the tab width it didn't quite work right. I found it worked sometimes and sometimes it didn't. I'm gonna have to play with that a bit more, but I'd suggest using a standard tab in those kind of ploblem areas. Big thanks again to the programmers for making this happen! Shaun
I retabbed one of my planes and ran it thru. Hard to tell what if any speed advantage I got because I introduces other variables at the same time, however, I did notice that at the 50% tab depth, it was so much easier to cut the parts loose!!! I saved a lot of time just in the parts separation step. I reduced my cut time from 10 minutes to 8 min 7 sec but again, other factors were introduced such as feed rate going from 200 to 250 so I don't know what the net gain from the vtab would be as yet. With my puney 16ipm Z gantry, it still appeared to be slow as molasses when tabbing. I gotta do something about that soon. 1200ipm on X and Y and 16 on Z.... not even funny ya know.
So Flash at 50% depth your tabs didn't get wiped out...huh. On mine it just left a tiny piece there which didn't really hold the part at all.
Yes, all the tabs held save for maybe two. It was a pretty small piece granted, but the parts held and it made it a snap to get them out.
Maybe i missed it, but is there a way to change between normal tabs and the V-tabs? I do not see where that is specified on my toolbar. Thanks Ray
I think I remember Mark wrote to press V or shift-v or Ctrl-V to switch. I'm looking for it now. d'Oh! It's right there on the "Board Index" page - "At anytime during the tabbing process you can toggle between the normal tabbing and the V-tabbing using the V key on your key board. Normal tabs show up in Green Vtabs are in Dark Blue You will notice that once you toggle between the normal tabbing and the Vtab the tabbing mouse icon will also toggle between V and T"
Thanks Dorsal. I was looking for it in the PDF help file and didn't see it. Never thought to look on the Board index page. Ray
Hi Guys: Just installed the latest PhlatScripT into Sketchup 7 and have a problem... Not sure this is the location to ask, but point me in the right direction if not. I am using a Mac, and placed the Phlatboyztools.rb and the 'Phlatboyz folder' files into the folder "/Library/Application Support/Google Sketch Up 7/Sketch Up/Tools" I then placed the 'Phlatboyz.Strings' file into the "/Library/Application Support/Google Sketch Up 7/Sketch Up/Resources/en-US/" folder. After I placed the files into the folders (replacing the existing folders which were working), I started Sketch Up 7 and selected the 'Phlatboyz Tools' extensions in the Preferences extensions area. So far so good. All looks OK except.... Problem: The Parameters set up menu is just a white box. No text or dialog input settings at all! The other buttons appear to be OK, but the dialog to set up the program's offsets and such is just a white box with a purdy lookin' set of open, minimize and close buttons. Any suggestions? Thanks Ya'll Mark