Machsupport Forum
G-Code, CAD, and CAM => LazyCam (Beta) => Topic started by: stevehuck on February 10, 2010, 07:10:58 PM
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Could somebody help me out here. I am trying to cut this emblem and the pocket keeps cutting stuff i don't want to cut. I have tried to scale up to different sizes, leads off, rapids off, optimize, every trick in the book. Somebody care to take a shot? I need to pocket the inner oval so the logo and lettering will be raised.
.020 end mill with a .002 finish cut
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I'll take peek at it.
RICH
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stevehuck,
Ok here is my first try and almost got it. You will find attached a revised dxf file, a lcam file, and a screen shot.
1. I put all the different parts of the logo on different layers so i had control on what i could turn on and off in LC.
In the manual there is an explanation on why i recommend it.
2. Once imported into LC, I turn off the inside letter stuff, then i turn off the outside oval, then i do an offset of the insdie oval , then i turn off the inside oval. By turn off i mean unenable the layer
3.Then Autoclean
4. then a pocket
5. then i delete all the pockets of the letters
6. Then your left with what is shown in the picture
Now the Letter A has a problem but it may just be the inside of the letter. So you can fool with it.
Put the letter a into a circle or oval by itself and see what makes a pocket work on it.
Another thing that i didn't try is to create clamps or shapes and then pocket. All advanced stuff, not sure
how well it covered in the manual.
Have fun,
RICH
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BTW, Do as you wish but to shorten the machining you may consider cutting the bulk out with a different size cutter.
Then use that outline to do the small cuts around the letters. Just a thought that come to mind.
RICH
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Here is another approach.
Open your original DXF
CLEAN
Select the inner oval ONLY
Select the .020" tool and set the LAYER depth
Check "Create Islands"
Then click on Create Pockets and it comes out good here.
Rich, looks like your tool is .020mm by the amount of paths you have.
Russ
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.....then of course you have to select and delete the original vectors so no code will be generated to cut them.
Russ
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Well....close, but no cigar.
I see the G is a bit goofy and after generating the code there are two little crop circles....not sure why.
Had fun trying though, thanks,
Russ
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Well....close, but no cigar.
I see the G is a bit goofy and after generating the code there are two little crop circles....not sure why.
Had fun trying though, thanks,
Russ
Well I really thank you for trying. The crop circles i can weed out. Fixing the g is another story.
Is there a way to export the tool pating back to dxf? If i could get the pathing back to cad i could fix the problems in seconds.
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Russ,
Glad you looked at it as there a different ways to do things.
Raised text can be a real PITA, but Frank did a good job on the text in CAD which realy helps.
BTW, that "Autoclean" is important as it's different than "clean" when your pocketing and unless
the user reads the verbage he will miss it. The Autoclean is part of the tools in the top tab though.
I don't know what is wrong in part of the G which is not cutting, but, what you can do is just select the
pathing and do an offset to add additional cuts. For the crop circle just go in and join the two elements that
are creating the problem as that is a simple fix "sometimes".
BTW, if for some reason, and it does happen, that you can't get a piece to pocket just go back into cad and draw then out.
Just a fall back if you find your spending too much time on trying to get a minor part to work.
RICH
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Is there a way to export the tool pating back to dxf?
You need a program like NCPLOT which will backplot the gcode and create a dxf file.
RICH
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NCPlot is free and back plots well.
Or, just open the edit code window in Mach, scroll through the file till you see the circles, then edit the code.
The B circle is around 4455 (lines by 5) and the other was around 38** or so.
Fixed it here in a jiffy.
That G is really goofy though.
I cant get it to offset either....many cutter sizes....no luck.
I'm just a glutton for punishment I guess Rich...addicted.
Russ
edit: I dont think there is a prob with the dxf, checked it closely here and saw nothing wrong at all in the problem areas. Expected to though.
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Is there a way to export the tool pating back to dxf?
You need a program like NCPLOT which will backplot the gcode and create a dxf file.
RICH
The free version wont create a DXF.
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I see that now too Steve.....thanks.
The free version doesn't even highlight the path as you scroll along. Mach is as good or better imo.
Good luck to ya Steve.
Let us know if you figure it out.
Thanks,
Russ
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There is a program called G-CODE to DXF written by Wayne Hill. I converted a couple files to see how it worked. There are a few artifacts in the Wile E Coyote file, but nothing at all serious. Most likely they are errors I made when I developed the original file, from where the g-code actually came from. I couldn't see any artifacts in the 130,000 line cylon robot file I had testing lithophanes with. The program is free, and weighs in at a hefty 50 KB.
http://www.cnczone.com/modules/Downloads/userfile.php?id=22
and a forum post on the zone I dug up.....
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-8814.html
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Ahhh....those aren't artifacts, but rather the rapids in the code.
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My attempt. Not sure how this would cut. Looks like it would take hours. I have been playing with this for hours and things to do so I haven't attempted to try to cut the program.
My solution to getting the text to pocket - After took DXF into LCAM, I deleted the text (it just would not pocket right for me) and then used the TEXT function in LCAM to drag new BUGATTI text into the oval. The Arial Black font is pretty close to what was originally posted and for whatever reason, I was able to use pocketing.
The LCAM file has been zipped. It was huge.
Bob@BobsShop
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Thanks everybody for trying. I will have to figure out a way to do this. Cant have a bugatti engine without the emblem on it.
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I GOT IT!!
Don't ask me why but i went into cad and pasted one emblem in each of the 4 corners, one +x and +y, then one +x and -Y and so on. The 2 that were -X of the origin pocketed and went right over the G as like yesterday. The 2 that were +X pocketed perfectly only 3 spots were omited like the area in the middle of the B. The 3 spots were just pocketed on there own and everything is cool. Bonus also because now i can cut 2 at a time. Just needed to change all my J0.0000's to J.0.0001 and mach loaded it right up. I can see 4 crop circles that will be deleted and a cuttin i will go.
If i think about it, the parts that gave me trouble were parts of the emblem that were in the -X region. Maybe LazyCam just doesen't like doing things in the negitive region.
Anywho, when i get these things cut, I'll send a picture in the show-n-tell section.
Thanks again!!
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Glad you got it to work. Hope it machines well for you.
RICH