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Author Topic: Nube: LazyCam -> Mach3 workflow/installation questions  (Read 2551 times)

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Nube: LazyCam -> Mach3 workflow/installation questions
« on: January 12, 2010, 07:18:35 PM »
Hi folks,

Background: I'm taking some 2D artwork and looking to cut some steel using LazyCam and Mach3. I'm working at the Menlo Park TechShop which has a license for Mach3 on a PC at the plasma torch.

LazyCam is installed on one of the common machines (only one) in the TechShop lab. LazyCam and Mach3 are installed together in the hot shop on a machine attached to the plasma torch.

When I finally wrestle my diagram from Illustrator to CorelDraw to DXF and get a sensible view in LazyCam I do some last stage tweaking to remove spurious chains and then generate Gcode.

The GCode is only about 50 lines long. ok, it is exactly 50 lines long.

I figure this is some kind of licensing restriction in the lab, so I wait for a turn at the torch and repeat the process, taking the CorelDraw exported DXF and loading it into the copy of LazyCam on the licensed machine. At this point when I export GCode I again get 50 lines.

Am I missing some magical step? I am now assuming that an install of LazyCam and Mach3 use a common licensing mechanism. I have confirmed that the hot shop install of Mach3 is not a demo.

Because of scheduling contention on the torch I would like to do as much preparation work as possible on other computers.

Is LazyCam available as a separate, non-degraded version? I note that is can be downloaded separately from the site. Or is it bound closely with a given Mach3's installation?

Finally, where are "target machine profiles" stored? I am pretty sure that the hacked up torch in the lab has a custom profile somewhere, as the GCode generated in the lab is missing a couple of statements ( velocity ) which are inserted during generation at the torch machine  itself.

Offline RICH

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Re: Nube: LazyCam -> Mach3 workflow/installation questions
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2010, 11:20:32 PM »
LC has  a 50 line limit if you are using LC without a MACH3 license.
There is a Pro version of LC which can be purchased which allows for advanced features and I don't know if Plasma is an advanced feature.

You can install LC by itself via download or when doing a Mach3 installation.

I never used MACH or LC for controlling a torch  / plasma so i can't help you with that in any way.

There is a manual for LC in the Members Docs. It does not cover the Plasma module.

Not all DXF's are created equaly and Corel seems to provide some that have problems. The DXF should be a  
VER 12 DXF.

Don't hack your way though LC, read the manual.  ;)

RICH