Messages

321

General Mach Discussion / Re: PCB Isolation Milling using LazyCam

« on: October 09, 2008, 02:57:35 PM »

Ok thanks.
I download the ULP zip file and put all the files in the C:\programs\eaglexx\ULP directory and it works fine.
What confused me was (and still is) that there are a lot of files in the pcb-gcode ULP zip that are not typical for the stuff I saw in the directory. eg. a lot of *********.h files and other stuff.
 Most of the existing stuff in the directory was just .ulp and .bmp files.
I backed up the directory just in case and I need to put it back.

To answer your question (maybe). If you run the other ULP named pcb-gcode-setup, Theres is what appears to be a setting for the tool size in one of the tabs. It appears to be defaulted at 10thou. and the overlap is set for 5thou.
My question is where do I get a 10thou mill? I suppose I can get away with a bit the same size as the biggest gap betwen copper traces and set the tool size appropriately.
What type of tool do you use in the Dremel. I'll have to come up with another solution to use my mill drill. Maybe an adapter to hold a dremel in an R8 collet.

Does this sound correct?

Sage

322

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Help with reversed order entities

« on: October 09, 2008, 02:43:48 PM »

Dragging only works to put CHAINS in the order you want them to be acted on. ENTITIES are the basic pieces inside the chains. It doesn't appear you can do much with them. Hence the question.

I stand corrected if you saw someting in the videos about dragging ENTITIES.
If so let me know. I'll apologize and take another look.


Sage

323

General Mach Discussion / Re: PCB Isolation Milling using LazyCam

« on: October 09, 2008, 01:24:24 PM »

My version 4.16r2 of Eagle does not appear to have the ULP named PCB-gcode. It that the name of the ULP I should be loooking for?
I checked out the links you provided and at the pcbgode site I was able to download (I GUESS) what was the ulp in zip format. I looked in the zip file and there is a whole bunch of what looks like C program files.
If I have this correct I guess I need to know how to get these files into Eagle to make the ULP.
Can someone enlighten me on this?

Sage

324

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Help with reversed order entities

« on: October 09, 2008, 12:25:34 PM »

Where is this "Direction Arrow" ?
If your talking about the dot at the end of the rapid line (or the lead-in line)  double clicking that opens up the lead-in line diag box. In there is a setting for auto as you mention but it does'nt do anything to re-order the entities.

A real basic manual simply outlining the basic functionality of LazyCam would be in order here. Yes I'm aware of the videos.


Sage

325

LazyCam (Beta) / Help with reversed order entities

« on: October 09, 2008, 08:57:54 AM »

LazyCam reverses the machining order of entities and I can't figure a way to put them back in the order I want them.

Attached is a simple dxf file of a cam lobe.
I Load the file into LazyCam - Mill.
Clean it, and optimize it works fine. You get a simple cam with minimum of 4 entities and the order of their machining in the chain is clockwise just how I want it.
 I need to apply an offset so it can be machined with a 1/4" in mill so I select the chain and apply an outside offset with clockwise order. LazyCam creates this properly and the entities in the new offset chain are in the correct clockwise order.
For some reason it adds some extra very short entities but I can ignore that for now.
I no longer need the original chain so I delete it. No problem.
The problem starts here.
 I don't like the way the start of the machining is right at the tip of the cam lobe. (this appears to move around depending on if you clean and optimize or even do the whole thing over but this is mostly where it starts machining for me).
So without any information I assumed I can drag the start point to somewhere else, maybe along the left side and I also drag the origin to the left a bit so the tool approaches from the left on more of a tangent to the flat rising side of the cam lobe. When I do that, the order of the entities making up the chain become reversed and I can't see a way to get them back in the correct clockwise machining order.
Does anyone know how to re-order entities.

Sage

326

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Need help with entity - Weird problem

« on: October 01, 2008, 09:34:18 PM »

Just what is moving this (arrow) around supposed to do. BTW I don't see an arrow just a dot at the end of a dashed line usually at the end of an entity. Lacking any information I assumed that I should move that dot and the start point (circle with an X) to positions such that the tool approaches the work on a tangent like a lead in.
 The problem I've had is if i move the dot around it reverses the order of the entities and I can't get them back in the proper machining order. (They were fine when I loaded the file)
VERY frustrating.

Also I've gotten it to create a leadin line but even the 45 deg option does not seem to produce a lead in that is adjustable to be tangent to the part as it's supposed to be. A straight in lead in line leaves a mark on the part.

I don't suppose anyone can suggest solutions to these problems??

Thanks

Sage

327

General Mach Discussion / Re: No output from parallel port

« on: September 29, 2008, 08:09:49 AM »

It is a printer port after all. Shut down Mach and try printing through it. That should test almost all of the signals.

Sage

328

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Getting wizard to append to existing code

« on: September 28, 2008, 02:31:31 PM »

 Ok. I see how it works now. I guess it makes more sense now that (with the new 2.79 version) you can see the G-code in the Wizard preview window. I was exiting back to Mach to see if the code made sense to what I was asking for. In fact I open a separate notepad file, do an "edit code" in Mach and cut and paste each individual code segment into my new file - editing the new bits, the comments and the inbetween stuff along the way. I may continue doing it that anyway as I thnk I end up with a cleaner final result quicker.

Thanks

Sage

329

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Getting wizard to append to existing code

« on: September 27, 2008, 03:14:47 PM »

It was my understanding that when running the NFS wizards several times it was supposed to add the new code to the end of existing code in MACH. Each time I run a wizard it wipes out the previous code already in MACH. What am I doing wrong?

Sage

330

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Cut circle wizard acting strange - need help

« on: September 27, 2008, 02:56:41 PM »

Thanks I'll give it a try.

Sage