Machsupport Forum

G-Code, CAD, and CAM => LazyCam (Beta) => Topic started by: NSchlee on March 18, 2006, 07:30:19 PM

Title: Lazy Cam?
Post by: NSchlee on March 18, 2006, 07:30:19 PM

How do you select a cutting tool in LC? 
Is it done thru Mach?

Neal

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on March 19, 2006, 08:40:34 AM

At this point there is not a was but it is on the list of things to be added soon...

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: NSchlee on March 19, 2006, 02:30:17 PM

Thanks for the reply, Brian, can't wait!
Lazy Cam with tool selection and cutter compensation will create an even larger demand and interest in Mach software.

Neal

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on March 19, 2006, 02:31:39 PM

Neal Comp is working now :) All you have to do is type in the Tool dia that you are going to run in mach3...

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: NSchlee on March 19, 2006, 02:37:43 PM

Thanks, Brian

Neal

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Popeye on April 28, 2006, 08:07:46 PM

Hello,

I'm a newby in CNC machines and I'm trying to get a bit familiar with Mach3 and Lazycam so forgive me if I'm asking silly questions  ;)
I was currently trying to specify the tool diameter in LC but I can't find find where to type it.
Compared to the tutorial video, my LC screen is also slightly different as the "execute" button does not appear.
Is the fact that I don't have the licence yet can explain that LC doesn't show the whole functions ? (I downloaded the Mach3 version 1.90.031 with LC included)

Thanks
Jean-Louis

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on April 29, 2006, 07:25:42 AM

The leading move must be the same size or larger than the tool that you would like to use. once you have done that you check Tool Comp in the Post options. This will Add G41,G42 and G40's to the program. In Mach3 you can just type in the Dia of the tool that you would like to cut with (that is less than the lead in move). I will make a video n the next few days (I think it is time for a NEW video).

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Popeye on April 30, 2006, 08:17:37 AM

Thanks Brian
It works fine !

Jean-Louis

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on May 01, 2006, 06:50:27 AM

Good owork getting that working! There are no Doc's telling how to  do it at this point so you are a Good test case!
Thanks
Brian

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Popeye on May 01, 2006, 09:24:12 AM

Brian,

Just to give you a feedback of my little experience, I made an other test yesterday with a very simple drawing of a circle and a rectangle inside a larger rectangle (see attached "test" file).
I set the leadings (10 units / circular / inside left / climb mill for inside cuts and 10 units / circular / outside right / climb mill for the larger rectangle) but when generating the GCode I noticed two problems :
1- LCam put G42 instead of G41 for the first inside chain (circle)
2- no G41 (or even G42) was generated for the second inside chain (small rectangle) and for the outside chain (larger rectangle). It however generates properly the G40 code at the end of each chain.
That's maybe a bug of the beta version ?
I tried to circumvent the problem by disabling the creation by LCam of the G41/G42 and by inserting manually a G41 at the beginning of the code. But as it also disables the G40 creation, when the cutter goes to the origin of the next rapid movement (without moving up the Z axis), depending on the position of the leadOut, the tool may then cut where it shouldn't do. (hope my explanations are clear enough  :-\)

Jean-Louis

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on May 01, 2006, 04:25:08 PM

Cool that will help me find the problem!
Thanks
Brian

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on May 06, 2006, 06:45:41 PM

I found the problem and I am fixing it now... it will be in the new release.

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Popeye on May 06, 2006, 07:00:02 PM

Thanks Brian  ;)

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Popeye on May 10, 2006, 04:51:57 PM

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the version 2.0 of LC. I'm very impressed by your reactivity !
So I've tested the new release of LC with the same dxf file.
Everything works fine for the inside chains but for the outside chain, it has generated a G42 code instead of G41.
Sorry to give you some more work  ;D

Jean-Louis

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on May 10, 2006, 05:09:42 PM

No problem I will have to look at the code again... I used another test file and I must have missed something! I will see if I can find it.

Thanks
Brian

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Popeye on May 14, 2006, 05:22:37 PM

Hi Brian,

I discovered something else regarding this problem that may help you to fix it.
If I set tool 1 (for instance) for both layers (inside and outside) in the layer control, a G42 is generated for the outside chain (as explained previously), but if I set tool 1 for inside layer and tool 2 for outside layer, then the code is properly generated, with G41 for both inside and outside chains.

Hope it helps.
Jean-Louis

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on May 14, 2006, 08:09:48 PM

That is a big help in finding the problem! Thank you!

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: catheic on May 18, 2006, 01:18:38 AM

ok i think i know now what to do  :-\ ::).. first is to download the latest version and test again. wow! we always have new updated version from time to time.. which is good.
we users just have to check if our versions are up to date. ;)

more power to you all!

Title: Re: Lazy Cam?
Post by: Brian Barker on May 18, 2006, 07:17:23 AM

I a sorry about that... Lcam is going to be a good program but you all  are helping us get the bugs out  :o So in time you will see it get better and better. I will be working on Lcam for the next few weeks after I get back from the workshop. Thank you and hang in there we will have something that you like in the end!