Messages

61

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Mach3 Plugin Tutorial Document and Prototype File Set

« on: December 09, 2008, 01:21:01 AM »

Hello James,

I downloaded and used your three files. Great job. A few problems but they had already been solved for others on this forum so I applied those solutions. That document must have been a lot of work for you to do.

So now it is time to start working on my own plugin. Research has pointed me in the direction of the MSDN SDK for sample files that will show me how to get snapshots from a webcam. I have Visual Studio 2003 Pro. Which SDK should I be looking for download and for CDROM and can you provide a links?

I considered that Visual Studio 2003 might include the SDK but I have not found what I need on my hard drive. Maybe it is on the install disks and I just did not install it.

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

62

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Mach3 Plugin Tutorial Document and Prototype File Set

« on: November 15, 2008, 05:43:57 AM »

Hello,

I am shopping for Visual Studio 2003 and have found the following variations:

•   Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional Edition
•   Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Enterprise Architect
•   Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Enterprise Developer
•   Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Academic Edition

I am planning to work on the 3d Video Plugin. Which of these VS2003 are suitable for compiling Mach3 plugins and which are not suitable?

Is there any other special  software that I will need to access USB cameras?

Is there any documentation on accessing USB cameras?

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

63

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Workshop at Cabin Fever Expo

« on: November 12, 2008, 05:20:40 PM »

Hello Ron,

I don't see any mention of 3d Video Probes in the Cabin Fever Mach3 schedule. Can you add that item so that the thought enters the collective conscious of the potential attendees?

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

64

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: Accuracy

« on: October 08, 2008, 02:17:08 AM »

Hello Andrea,

>> Please, could anyone say me the accuracy of Video WebCam Point Cloud Scanner?

Using inexpensive CCD cameras with 640 x 480 pixels you can expect accuracy of about 1% of the field of view. The field of view depends on the camera lens and the size of the CCD array. A higher resolution CCD array might produce more accuracy with the same optics but not necessarily. You would also need to optimize the laser spot size and use high quality optics.

High accuracy is usually achieved by using a longer focal length camera lens to view a smaller field. The laser spot is also as small as possible according to diffraction limits. To scan a large object with a video probe that has a small field of view, you need to collect and process many stripes of data over the 3d volume of interest.

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

65

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: More Lasers = A Better Scan

« on: September 20, 2008, 03:44:34 PM »

Hello Andy,

No criticism here. The word stunning comes to mind.

I saw your post when it first appeared. I have dialup internet and I guess I got impatient because I don't recall seeing the giant boot at that time. The whole project, from scan to sculpture, is very impressive.

Did you write your own data capture and animation software? If so, please tell more about that. If not, please tell what software.

Were you able to scan the boot with the same setup that you scanned the shoe?

How did you build the giant boot?

How did you embed images in your posting? I would like to get past the 4 attachment limit.

Please post more.

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

66

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: Calibration

« on: September 07, 2008, 11:17:41 PM »

I derived some equations to work with a calibration method using a single fixed point. This could be a common pin with the point up and clear of other surfaces.

I did the derivation using MathCad 2000. MathCad's native MCD files cannot be uploaded to the Mach Forum so I tried converting the file to HTM and to RTF. These also are not acceptable to Mach Forum but can be read into MS Word then saved as a DOC file. However, MS Word 97 and 2000 show the RTF and HTM files as garbled and saves the DOC file that way. So no luck there.

I tried copying to the clipbard, pasting into MS Paint, then saving as a GIF file. This seems to work ok. I am not sure how it will look on the Mach Forum or how it will print. Here goes.

Tom  Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

67

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: Calibration

« on: September 02, 2008, 10:24:45 PM »

Ignore this post and attachments. I am just testing for a way to post MathCad equations.

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

**********************

68

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: Post your Point Clouds Here!

« on: August 21, 2008, 12:38:57 AM »

Here is a two pass scan of a dead cricket done with a 12mm focal length lens on a 3Com Watchport/V2 webcam.

Maybe I can find a Praying Mantis for a live scan.

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

69

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: Post your Point Clouds Here!

« on: August 12, 2008, 02:24:50 AM »

Hello,

Here is a scan of a Quarter. Done in two overlapping passes since a quarter is a little wider than the video probe FOV.

Video probe camera is a 3Com Watchport/V2 set for 640x480 resolution and using a 12mm focal length lens.

Video probe laser module by Aixiz is 5vdc, 5mw, 635nm, 39 degree line lens, unknown collimating lens focal length. Arrangement of camera and laser shown in several threads over the last few months.

Scaling is close but not quite right.

I deleted the base points in Rhino so as to make the details of Washington's head more apparent. However, the data set in the text file does include the base points. That is one of the reasons that the text file is so large.

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net

70

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: Just purchased a laser line pointer

« on: August 11, 2008, 09:49:12 PM »

Hello,

Here are four photos of, or using, the laser module portion of my video probe.

The first photo  shows the modified 5vdc, 5mw, 635nm laser module. I added a short USB cable with a USB A Male connector on the other end so that I can plug it into any USB port for power. Current draw is in the range of 20ma to 40ma so this presents no significant load on the USB power source. I got the module from Aixiz for about $20. They do not list this one on ebay. I wanted 5vdc. I had to settle for a module with TTL control because that is what they had. I wired the TTL control to 5vdc when I did the internal modifications.

The second photo is a closeup showing shrink tube around the module itself. I used half inch diameter clear shrink tubing. Clear so I can read the manufacturer's safety label on the module. The tubing isolates the electrically hot module case. The tubing also keeps the adjustable focus and line lenses from moving.

The third photo shows the laser module and laser light superimposed on the video probe drawing. This is how I focus the "collimating" lens and align the line generator lens. I slip the shrink tubing on first with just enough clearance that I can adjust the lenses. Once I am happy with the laser focus and line I then gently push the shrink tube over the lenses too. Then heat gun to shrink the tubing.

The fourth photo shows the assembled video probe with a common USB cable for the Watchport/V2 camera and a USB extension for the laser. This arrangement uses two USB ports at the computer. A USB hub can be used if there are not enough USB ports on the computer. The shrink tube covered laser module fits snugly in a half inch diameter hole. The line generator lens needs a little larger diameter hole but I chose to have that end of the laser module outside the hole, thereby avoiding the need to bore a more complicated hole.

A USB A male connector will not fit through a half inch diameter hole. So along the side nearest the laser module I have a 3/16 inch wide slit parallel to the laser module length. This allows me to insert the USB cable before I plug the hole with the laser module itself. I intend to use that slit as a clamping mechanism but on this prototype the module is held in place by two nylon 6-32, 3/8 inch long setscrews.

Several of the 1/8 inch diameter holes on the aluminum bar are alignment holes for fixtures to facilitate machining the aluminum bar.

Tom Hubin
thubin@earthlink.net