Messages

5091

General Mach Discussion / Re: importing coordinate list

« on: September 25, 2011, 12:26:29 AM »

the Jcode plugin has to be turned on in Config/Pluginconfig then restart mach3 and you should see in the top bar the plugin tab.  I will have to look for copycat for you. Be right back

5092

General Mach Discussion / Re: importing coordinate list

« on: September 24, 2011, 11:31:59 PM »

NOW you got your thinking cap on.(;-)

How about instead of using a standard grinder wheel you could use a rigid carburumdiumdumbdumb (;-) wheel that never wears down(to a point) it is a solid wheel that is COATED with that funny sounding stuff. It works well on certain grinding as the wheel never looses dimension over its useful life.
Or use a belt grinder system, just replace the belt when needed.

Never have to worry about wheel diameter as it will always be the same AND the Zero point will ALWAYS be the same.

AT least I will know WHERE to send my ICE skates when Florida freezes over and I need to get around.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

5093

General Mach Discussion / Re: importing coordinate list

« on: September 24, 2011, 01:41:38 PM »

NOW you are talking CNC(;-)  It can replicate the exact shape over and over again.

There is also a free plugin called Jcode on the plugins page that may be of interest.

ALSO I had an idea standing here loading the pen plotter and watchin it FIND the paper.

Useing the encoder approach you could move back and forth across the blade to locate the key points ,staight lines(inside a deadband value say +/- .005 )
Then locate the startpoint  and end point of the arc. Then calculate the MIDPOINT of the arc (startpoint - endpoint /2) then use the startpoint ,endpoint, midpoint offset to create the arc.  

You then can then use these values for the program to write a Gcode GRINDING program based on those values. IF you used the contact tip of the encoder that was the radius of the wheel then NO further comp needed. You would then have a very GOOD (corrected for bad grinding ) grind profile. that represents what the PROFILE should have been. AND you can replicate it exactly over and over again (save the Gcode file(;-) ).

AND this should be doable inside of MACH3 and CB

What do you think, (;-) TP

5094

General Mach Discussion / Re: importing coordinate list

« on: September 24, 2011, 12:56:07 PM »

Keith your encoder will work fine BUT you need to create a contactpoint that touches the blade that is the same radius as the wheel. You really don't want to get into the math to do a wheel comp on a curve with a linear infeed axis it will make your brain hurt. That is a CAM grinding problem as well.

I'll round up the info on the copycat for you.

SO would you not want to restore the factory contours or grind in a CUSTOM contour  OR are you just trying to collect contour data??

(;-) TP

5095

VB and the development of wizards / Re: DRO color help?

« on: September 24, 2011, 12:38:23 PM »

Steve I am not sure what you are trying to do. The redDRO is just an image that you overlay the dro on.  You set the colors of the actual DRO to white with black letters.

What were you expecting it to do?  DID the image that the DRO sits on NOT show up in mach? That would be a path problem. Were you starting from scratch or modifing another screen to make it work. The only way I can get things to work rightwith a WIZARD is to start from stratch AND make sure verything you need is IN THE RIGHT PLACE BEFORE YOU START otherwise the pathing gets screwed up EVEN THOUGH Machscreen SAYS it is right it will not work in MACH as a wizard.

ON the NUMBERS you need to check IN windows as to the DPI that the fonts use.  I think the correct settings is 96dpi.

Just a some thoughts, (;-) TP

5096

General Mach Discussion / Re: importing coordinate list

« on: September 24, 2011, 11:57:25 AM »

What your asking is a little beyond the basic CNC (;-) .  What points you are gathereing will create lines not arcs on curves.  You would better off using the COPYCAT function and use a probe tip profile the same as your wheel diameter. This will auto comp the profile back to the wheel diameter . You would use the COPYCAT to create arcs and lines in G CODE  not just a series of points.

I thought that skates were just ground on specifc contours (;-)

(;-) TP

5097

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Settings in Mach

« on: September 24, 2011, 11:24:58 AM »

You can set the MAX feedrate of the thc control via MACH  but that move does not follow the accel curve. It is just a slap in that direction up/down.

SO you have some control over the Zfeedrate.  IF you used a linear encoder then all the data is inside mach and you could use brains to run the simple loop.BRAINS are very fast. OR you could do a plugin and run at kernel speed.

You would also have direct access to the AXIS's positional data to do the set control point of the follower as an auto function.

The real question is "IS IT Practical"  Using normal cutters moves it would gouge the surface if it made a DOWN move and leave an edge mark on UP.  

We had tested something similar in the past and the finish QUALITY was NOT pretty.

WITH plasma the Z is only a means to hold up the torch and maintain the arc height. It has no effect on a surface finish such as a ROUTER would have.

RULE of Clever Inventors #1, IF it is a great idea then you will PROBALY see remnants of the idea scattered about OR will see commercial use of the idea. There is very little or next to no UNINVENTED ideas left.  AND IF it is not commercial then there is PROBABLY a good reason that it is NOT.(;-)

About the same with music. There are only so many possible QUALITY combinations mathematically possible.  

NOT SAYING don't do it, GO FOR THE GOLD


I really can't see much practical value to the process (;-) BUT I could be wrong.
(;-) TP

5098

General Mach Discussion / Re: importing coordinate list

« on: September 24, 2011, 01:09:13 AM »

Keith do yo have another Test points file I can convert so you can check it in Bobcad. DXFs can be tricky at times, I hope I have created a universal dxf format that everyone can read.

How are you collecting points ??  Probing?

I have 2 versions of the convertor running. One is in MachCB and the other is in VB. I am testing both as to the best overall approach as to a MACH only solution OR a stand alone VB version anyone can use.

The convertor at this point ONLY brings in the points as POINTS no line work is done.  You would have to open it in CAD and do the needed cleanup then repost as a new DXF.

(;-) TP

5099

General Mach Discussion / Re: Torchmate/Mach3

« on: September 23, 2011, 10:18:46 PM »

No it does not.

(;-) TP

5100

General Mach Discussion / Re: hopefully getting this worked out

« on: September 23, 2011, 08:36:08 PM »

yOu are going to find out the hard way that everyone on here helping has their speciality areas. That is what makes it so great. But I can tell from your sad oh poor me story that you are going to need all the help you can get. But I can garrantee that WHEN and I did not say IF you move into my area and need help. It ain't gonna happen skippy.

I hear your kinds sad song day after day. As if the world OWES you something.  DO like the rest of us did get off your duff, DO the research needed and learn what you need to learn to make your machine work.  There is a whole world of infomation out there just for the effort to go retreave it.



But that is just my story, Others can make their own choice in the matter.

(;-) TP