Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => Feature Requests => Topic started by: iceblu3710 on April 25, 2009, 11:13:08 PM

Title: Easy G-Code Scaling
Post by: iceblu3710 on April 25, 2009, 11:13:08 PM

Hello all,

I am a new user but am loving every day learning new things, so If this feature exists please let me know so I can do it right!

My idea is not so useful to those out there that manufacture parts but for all of the engravers out there I know I'm not the only one who would like to see this feature added. So my idea is an easy way to scale your code. eg:

I make up some code to engrave an image and text on a brass plate and make a test piece but it just doesn't look as good as it could if it was 10% larger, so I open up my motor tuning screen and write down how many steps/rev say 2000 and I want it 10% larger so I put in 2200 and now what was 1" is now 1.1"!

I know I could have just loaded my cam program and scaled it there but this way its 100x quicker and easy to do, I imagine it shouldn't be hard to make a scaling wizard that stores original steps/rev, scales it to your new dimensions and then inputs the original again when the program is complete.

Does Mach3 already have this feature and I look like an idiot or am I onto something here?

Title: Re: Easy G-Code Scaling
Post by: RICH on April 25, 2009, 11:34:21 PM

iceblue3710,
You can just scale it up or down using a factor other than 1. Just put the value into the scale box which is located right next to the associated axis DRO. Take a look in the manual page 6-3, 10-19?.
RICH

Title: Re: Easy G-Code Scaling
Post by: RICH on April 25, 2009, 11:38:33 PM

iceblue3710,
BTW, i always had a problem when hand engraving something, as the pattern i drew just never reflected what the final piece would look like.
RICH

Title: Re: Easy G-Code Scaling
Post by: iceblu3710 on April 26, 2009, 12:43:51 AM

Well no wonder I missed it, a little 3 sentence blurb in 6-3 that doesn't really make me think ""scale"

Thanks for telling me, only way to learn is ask those stupid questions, Thanks!

Title: Re: Easy G-Code Scaling
Post by: RICH on April 26, 2009, 08:43:57 AM

There are a lot of "boxes" in all the screens / pulldowns. You get used to seeing or using only what
is needed. Been using MACH for a year now and still find myself asking what is that "box" about!
By the time i find out what most of them are,  they will probably change the program!  ;)
 
RICH

Title: Re: Easy G-Code Scaling
Post by: rhtuttle on April 26, 2009, 08:47:54 AM

entering a negative number in the scale reverses the image.  Except for arcs.

Title: Re: Easy G-Code Scaling
Post by: ksangus on June 30, 2010, 11:50:43 AM

Or use G51, but note that arcs specified in Radius format do not scale correctly, and you can"t scale the X & Y axes differently to produce an ellipse (I haven't tried that one to see what it does do!)