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Author Topic: Pictures to GCode?  (Read 8710 times)

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Offline Davek0974

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Pictures to GCode?
« on: March 04, 2016, 07:37:00 AM »
Looking for the best way  to get a picture into code for engraving?

I have no idea but is that what LazyCam does?

I did try it last night but not very intuitive I think?

:)
Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2016, 07:49:29 AM »
What kind of machine?

Offline ger21

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2016, 07:53:20 AM »
It really depends on what you want to do.
Do you want to convert the picture to vectors (lines) and engrave along the vectors?

You'd need a raster to vector converter to do this.

Or, do you want to use the picture to create a 3D like relief?
MeshCAM and others can do this. Results woth this method are usually not very good, but the contents of the picture can make a big diffrence.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2016, 08:02:32 AM »
LazyCam is probably not the best tool to use (but it is possible to create the Gcode for an image with this).

As said, it depends on the type of image you require to engrave and how you wish to engrave it (rotary, impact, laser, etc.).

Just sticking with Arsoft products...
Excellent 3D (2.5D) reliefs and lithophanes can be produced with Mach1Filter.exe ( a long forgotten tool - even Art forgot he wrote it  :) )
Excellent Line Art, Shades of Grey and impact engraving can be produced with the Impact engraving / Laser plugin (my favorite).

A forum search should provide more details and reproduced images etc. from both of the above processes ( and, of course, they are both free  ;) ).

Tweakie.
PEACE

Offline bfgstew

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2016, 08:22:18 AM »
I am thinking of doing something similar, basically have a picture, convert to Gcode and make a 3D relief using router/mill and small ball nose end mill.
I did read that having the subject in black and white gives better results? But what to use, I did have a mess around with CamBam, but couldn't fathom how to get it right.

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2016, 08:40:14 AM »
I am thinking of doing something similar, basically have a picture, convert to Gcode and make a 3D relief using router/mill and small ball nose end mill.
I did read that having the subject in black and white gives better results? But what to use, I did have a mess around with CamBam, but couldn't fathom how to get it right.

If it's any help http://openbuilds.com/threads/producing-3d-reliefs-for-free.380/

Tweakie.
PEACE

Offline bfgstew

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2016, 08:49:26 AM »
As always Tweakie, you come up trumps, that looks exactly what I am after, thank you very much.

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2016, 08:56:04 AM »
Good fortune my friend  :)

Tweakie.
PEACE

Offline ger21

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2016, 09:09:05 AM »
As always Tweakie, you come up trumps, that looks exactly what I am after, thank you very much.

You're not going to get those results by starting with a picture. Relief images like that are often created from 3D models.
Pictured don't contain any height information, so they'll never quite look like you'd expect them to.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Pictures to GCode?
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2016, 02:22:32 PM »
I am not totally sure exactly what i want to do yet ;)

i presumed i could take a picture, convert to B/W and somehow convert to code for engraving with a v tool or ball-end mill??

I guess the depth would be related to the scale from white (little depth) to black (max depth) but as i said, no idea really yet.

Just educatin' meself ;)