Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: alpineboard on June 02, 2012, 09:43:32 PM
-
I have searched a lot, here is my results. I am trying to machine a 3D object, drawn in Viacad. STL import into CamBam, toolpathed and g code are done. This is where I get lost. It seems Lazycam only imports/exports 2 and 2.5 dxf drawing into Mach3. Lazycam is the only way to get a drawing into Mach3. However, Can I export/import my 3d drawings g-code from CamBam into Mach3? Am I limited in Mach3 usage in doing so? I am going through everything (tutorials) and the manual again, as I am still new, but am asking this as a course of direction so as not to waste time and energy. Thank you, Robert
-
I have searched a lot, here is my results. I am trying to machine a 3D object, drawn in Viacad. STL import into CamBam, toolpathed and g code are done. This is where I get lost.
You export the g-code from CamBam, and open it in Mach3. You don't need to use LazyCAM if you're using CamBam.
-
Right click in the Cambam graphics area>Machining >Generate Toolpaths and then the same but select Produce Gcode to save the file.
Open the saved file in Mach.
RICH
-
Hi guys--
does this mean that i can use cambam for the drawing of the original part and convert into
gcode in one operation?? or do i still need another program ( like utocad) to do the drawing
If so does cambam do the drawing in 3d ( sort of like solidworks)
regards fred
-
CamBam does have limited CAD capabilities. For simple 2D projects I just use Cambam, for more complex things I use another CAD package save it as DXF (or STL) and import that into CamBam. For 3D work you will want to use another program for the design.
-
thnaks chapes
fred
-
Select and learn a CAD or CAM to do 3d work and become proficient at it. If you save as a stl file Cambam can be used to genreate the pathing and code but be aware that Cambam dose not have some of the capabilities of other programs when it comes to generating the pathing for the gcode. It may satisfy your needs though.
RICH
-
Guys
I use autocad for the designing, then importing into Cambam, do all the required thingy's there but for a reason yet to strike me like a lightning bolt on a cloudless day, i cannot seem to get the g-code loaded into mach. I can however only export the processed file as a dxf file that I then get to load in lazycam, but it throws away all the parameters that was set in cambam.
Cambam saves the processed G-code file as a .nc, but Mach doesn't see the file in the sub when it is to be imported.
Is there any way that one can import the .nc file into mach for the G-code to load?
PS, I have mach set up as the post processor in Cambam.
-
The file extension, i.e. .tap, .nc, is not important. Mcah will load in any text file. When you click on the load GCode button in Mach and the Open file dialog pops up look at the bottom of that dialog and you will see a place where you can change the file type (extension) it looks for.
-
Thanx Jeff
Got that sorted this eve, I swear it did not allow for the id (showing other formats) when I tried load g-code files on Wednesday, but like I said I got that right tonight. The thing is that with the g-code in cambam (since I am able to load the .nc files) (previously exported the file in cambam to dxf, then opened in lazycam, then posted to mach) it seems to omit some parts of the cut, if I do manage to get all the lines of the cut as part of the g-code then it only allows for a certain depth to be cut, it is either or, either I can cut some part of the drawing full depth or the full drawing only part of the target depth, this is the main reason why I went nuts when I used lazycam, it does exactly the same? Make me think I am stuffing-up somewhere! Just don't know where.
-
You would probably be better off asking this question on the CamBam forum. http://www.cambam.co.uk/forum/
It sounds like you just need to learn the basics of the work flow.
-
Thanx for the reply, will ask on the cambam forum, however, I still think that there might be another issue, as I experience the same in Lazycam and even before i started using Cambam.
-
LGF,
Just some thoughts on the basics for you to understand:
1. The drawing represents the part you wish to machine in CAD. It can be 2d or 3d. The 3d has all the information about the part.
Width, length, height for every feature.The 2d does not, ie; a plan view has no height info.
Machining considerations are taken into account even at the drawing stages.
2. The CAD output will be used by CAM and the output must be appropriate for the CAM software that will be used.
All CAM software is similar but vary in capability, but, in general no software is "smart" enough to know how you want to machine
the piece, which includes but is not limited to, where the piece is located, what tooling will be used,the machining steps that
will be done, etc.
3. Matters not what CAM you use you will need to define the machining in some way to the software. Once that is done,
the software will produce the code to machine it to a controlling software, ie MACH. The code must be of the proper format
that the controller understands, so a specific proccesor is used.
The above understood, you need to create a correct drawing to represent the part in CAD, save / export that info for use by CAM adding additional info as required to machine it and have the CAM generate the code in the proper format to MACH.
So simplisticaly it requires an understanding of CAD, CAM, and machining practices.
One must read / study the manuals.
There is a manual for LazyCam in members Doc's, there is a manual and videos for Cambam on their site.
Have fun,
RICH
-
Rich
Thanx for the reply, appreciate it alot.
I understand all that you've said, no doubt about that. I draw the 3d part with the exact specs in autocad, then save it as the only format that seems to work which is the last of the dxf's something like Autocad 12RT/LT.dxf (not sure now, but it is the last format in AC 2012) anyhow, I also experimented with exporting the file as dwf etc etc.
I used to open the mentioned dxf files in Lazycam, did the cleaning, optimisation, reseting of origins, setting the depth, setting the tool info, sending all to all the layers, posted th G-code to Mach etc etc. The manual on Lazycam (perhaps I got hte wrong one, did not give me much info, the two vids on Newfangled, stopped 3/4 of the way so the info there, well wasn't complete) having said that, lazycam seemed to (still does) throw away portions of the part, sometimes its an arc and sometimes its straight lines, if the entire pic does get cut, well then it does one (1) run at the start cut depth, depth and then the G-code is done.
As for Cambam, wathced their vids, followed those instructions, got one (1) part to cut the way it was supposed to, did the rest of the parts exactly the same from beginning to end, meaning design in cad, generating toolpaths, producing G-code and loading into Mach (with Mach set as post processor and other times just default post processor selected) and had similar issues, exactly the same to be honest in mach's machining phase).
I read somewhere here, thath mach stuffs around when there are more than two installations on one HD, thus I was contemplating wiping the disk, reinstall windows xp, then mach and lazycam and cambam and see if that would resolve the matter. WHY? Well not each of the issues, portions of the parts ommitted and incorrect depth (ammount of passes/g-code lines) are constant, even if and when I do exactly the same with each of the phases from design, to coding to machining. no consistency in the occurance of the issues.
atcually, i am considering taking a break from trying to resolve these isuues, to just focus on someting else, like mowing the lawn ;D
-
LGF,
The manual for LazyCam in members Doc's has everything that I know about LC and in the back you will find a known problems list. Note that devlopment of it was never finished thus it can do some quirky things. It does not do 3D.
Have a look at the Lazyturn Manual if you want to know more about DXF files.
Cambam has a Tutorial for doing a 3D profile.
Remember that Mach is just a Controller and will implement the Gcode as provided.
RICH
-
Rich
Thanx again for your patience with me. Please be assured that I understand the functions of the different parts of soft and hardware very comprehensively, what I am struggling with is the troubleshooting of missing info (G-code) after I have gone through the required software.
i.e. I have sorted the issue where some parts of the drawings have been ommited in Mach after a CamBam process, now however even thou I am getting the full part, the G-code stops at a certain part and thus only cuts a portion of the depth. No the Mach I have is licensed, so nolimitations on the number of lines (g-code), what happens is this:
I get the feedrate,
The X, Y and Z positioning,
Tool change request,
Z depth setting, say start depth is 0.25mm,
X and Y then goes through their movement (code)
Z then plunges to the incremental depth, say another 0.25mm
and continues with the X and Y code,
At 4.5mm depth I get an 1/8 of the part (lines) cut and then the movement stops, HOWEVER,
the X and Y code still continues for pages and pages of lines down on the g-code screen, the Z code is just missing......
Again, it seems my issues are software orientated and it is not with Mach, it is with the CAM software. I thought of issues with the CAD part as well, but I cannot seem to find any info that would require me to set offsets in Autocad when I design something (that in any case doesn't make sense to me as the design is as far as I am concerned, just the exact measurements of something i want to produce) the cam software (or Mach could) is supposed to handle the offsets. I have however sorted this using CamBam, no need to draw something subtracting the diameter of the mill-bit, I draw it as is and get it cut as is, issues is the missing code.
PS I have not yet installed a fresh copy of Mach, or Cambam or XP for that matter. Will do that first as I am sure that I understand the required software and in specific the inputs that I have to make, the end product however remains faulty with ommitted lines of code.
Thanx again for all the help.