Machsupport Forum

G-Code, CAD, and CAM => G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions => Topic started by: Keith on October 18, 2009, 11:32:26 AM

Title: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: Keith on October 18, 2009, 11:32:26 AM

I'm loving ,finally getting my digitizing probe working for me. Can any tell me if there's a way to take the G-Code file it generates and make it readable in my CAD package (I have Rhino) so that I can dimension the angle and surface results? Or even an alternative to doing it this way. I've just been using the Digitizing Wizard resident in Mach3. Thanks,Keith

Title: Re: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: Chaoticone on October 18, 2009, 12:00:32 PM

Keith, I'm not sure but there may also be some information in the video probeing board that may help.

Brett

Title: Re: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: gadget47 on October 22, 2009, 01:42:20 PM

Greetings all,
 I too am looking for the solution to taking the digitized file from mach3 and editing it in a cad/cam program. So far anyone who has info isn't saying anything. Some help would be a good thing!

Gadget

Title: Re: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: psutex on June 04, 2010, 07:12:26 AM

Accutrans 3D at
http://www.cadcamcadcam.com/software-accutrans.aspx is supposed to take the point cloud and make I guess a surface out of it.
After you get a surface then you can use a program like BobCad to create your G-Code.
My question is since you both are asking what to do with the scan data you must have a working probe plugin.
May I ask what plugin you are using?
Thanks.
Rick

Title: Re: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: Keith on June 04, 2010, 10:26:49 AM

Thanks for the info Rick. I'll look into that today. I'm using the digitizing 'wizard', that is provided with Mach3 (Art wrote it).

Title: Re: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: Keith on June 04, 2010, 11:34:24 PM

Huh, turns out I bought Accutrans a while ago when I first started getting into this. So I asked them about all this and this was the reply I got:

Change the file extension on your g-code file to ".txt" and in AccuTrans use the
'File -> Open As -> MaxNC Probe" menu command.

AccuTrans is expecting the scan passes to occur at constant Y and the file to start with the G90 code as in this example

G90
M01
G00 Z.2
M03
G00X0.0Y0.0
G01X0.0Y0.0F10.0
Y0.0000Z0.0000
X0.0000Z-0.1599
X0.0146Z-0.1599
X0.0293Z-0.1599

The scan is expected to be for just one side of the object and not a 360 degree scan to do all sides of the object.

Triangles will be created from the point cloud data.

He also added (I use Rhino as my CAD): "If you only want to import the point cloud into Rhino, what file format would you want to use?"

Not really sure what to say to that and if I really want the point cloud per se in Rhino.
I'll give it all a try tomorrow and post the results.-Keith

Title: Re: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: ger21 on June 05, 2010, 08:16:47 AM

I've heard that Rhino can load point clouds natively. You also can use MachCloud, which will convert it to an .stl file.

Title: Re: Dimensioning Probe Digitization
Post by: Keith on June 05, 2010, 11:59:21 AM

I guess that depends on which Rhino release. I have one of the first releases and it doesn't have that on mine. If Rhino would finally release a Mac version, I would probably upgrade, since I'm an avid Mac user now. Still the first releaase is amazingly good for some things believe it or not. Will check into MachCloud.-Keith