5790
« on: September 06, 2009, 10:33:34 AM »
Steve,
DXF IMPORTING - I was able to import your dxf files into CAD, but, there can be problems with DXF
files. Here is the problem, kind of, the way i understand it. As programs have matured, say 3d was added and thus, the dxf file content also changed to suite to contain that additional info.Version 12
DXF dosn't contain all or a lot of info and represents data differently. ( i have a write up on dxf files in
the LazyTurn manual as an appendix. SO the info from the providing program can't be read correctly
by the recieving program during the import. You will find that if you try to import your dxf files by an
old program that it may or will bomb. Newer programs will import it but you'll get error messages.
So LC's importer is lacking and the newer creating program has some undesirable things in it also.
But what is a person to do if his dxf don't import, well............i don't have a simple answer!
As a suggestion you may want to try some free CAD programs and see if they will import and
export your files appropriately for use. You may want to ask Alibre what they recomend. Changing
the dxf file exporting is a book in itself and frankly even advanced folks can have trouble, if there are
even ways to change the exporting.
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"Are you saying I can define my own tool path somehow without using the pocket and offset tabs?"
Exactly. You can just draw lines, arcs, or whatever in your CAD drawing and then define the cut
parameters for them, your basicaly doing the pathing and LC is just writing the Gode for them.
I think the only place i talked about this in the manual was in the lathe tutorial "EXTRA LINES".
This can come in handy since sometimes, for what ever reason ( including some high end
programs) you just can't get an area to pocket. It's 99% and what do you do for that 1%, easier to
draw a few lines then spend hours fooling with the program! The higher end programs provide you
CAD, and if something bombs on inport, well they send you over to the cad sections so you pick
and choose what you want to do. That is what i did in my drawings for the air cleaner. It is easier to
just draw the paths and have LC generate the code for them. LC generates code for only the stuff
that is "enabled" allowing you to pick and choose machining operations.
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"How would i go about doing that. Would i click on those entities and create a tool path next to
those?" YES
Think in terms of machining steps. How will this piece be machined? In what order? And then
create your drawing appropriately by having those entities / chains / pathing on their own layers.
You will know each via the project information at a glance.
For example:
1.Using a .016" cutter you would have a chain for the inside boarder on it's owne layer, select only that layer, turn off / unenable all the other layers, define the cut paramters for that layer ( would be based on the tool you will use for that machining operation ( say machine down to a .016"
depth). Post code and machine it.
The air cleaner has a inside boader. So if you use a .016" dia ball mill the offset would be .008".
Well you can create an offset for it in LC...or ....heck in cad do the pathing for it and it's already on
its onwe layer. You don't want to do this in general, but, for some stuff it may be easier, at times.
2. Now you would machine all the paths that make up the "ribs"/ scalloped areas, Each of those
cuts, start and end in the inside boarder. That will leave little dots from the ball mill and you may
not want to see them from an asthetic point of view.
3. After seeing how 1 & 2 actualy machined, you may want to remachine the inside boarder but this
time increase the cut depth by a smalll amount. say .018 which wil remove the marks and look
clean.
So you have a layer which represents a machining step, you simple tell LC the cut paramters for
that step, post and machine.
RICH
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