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Author Topic: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving  (Read 10123 times)

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Offline Dan13

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Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2016, 02:47:25 AM »
Figured it - had to click the "Load Image" button which I was missing. Having another problem - as I said, I am trying to to get Gcode for impact engraving, but the Gcode I am getting isn't suitable. I am using the "Rotary Engrave" option. Attached is a screenshot of my settings, can you tell me what should I change please. The image I am loading is dithered.

Thanks,
Dan
Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2016, 07:54:44 AM »
Hi Dan,

I assume the gcode your getting is not suitable because of my previous statement?

The PEP Z axis gcodes will not impact/retract for every X&Y incremental axis move if there are continuous black areas and that is why you need an oscillating engraver to constantly be impacting.   

Jeff
Extensivly Re-worked/Re-designed/Modified Servo K2CNC KG-3925 and the Mini Laser Engraver

Offline Dan13

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Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2016, 08:38:52 AM »
No exactly - I am getting the whole range of Z moves as if the image was not 1-bit, but rather grayscale.

Dan

Offline Dan13

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Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2016, 09:19:27 AM »
Attached is the image I am trying to generate Gcode for. And here is how the Gcode I am getting looks like with the above settings:

X3.48 Y0 Z-0.0027
X3.6 Y0 Z-0.0027
X3.72 Y0 Z-0.1071
X3.84 Y0 Z-0.6478
X3.96 Y0 Z-0.5243
X4.08 Y0 Z-0.2114
X4.2 Y0 Z-0.571
X4.32 Y0 Z-0.1839
X4.44 Y0 Z-0.4886
X4.56 Y0 Z-0.2086
X4.68 Y0 Z-0.5627

As you can see, it's not suitable for impact engraving where there should be only two modes for Z axis - impact/clearance.

Dan

Offline Dan13

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Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #14 on: September 14, 2016, 09:27:41 AM »
Jeff, I just re-read your previous posts above and I now understand. I were saying that the only way PEP can do impact engraving is by using one of those heads. While I kept trying to get out of it a Gcode similar to what DotG does, which doesn't require any special tools and its output Gcode looks like this:

G0 X5.1 Y0 Z1
G1 Z-0.7 F1200
G0 Z1
G0 X5.4 Y0 Z1
G1 Z-0.7 F1200
G0 Z1
G0 X5.7 Y0 Z1
G1 Z-0.7 F1200

Thanks,
Dan
Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #15 on: September 14, 2016, 09:56:06 AM »
I'm not sure why there are variable depths when using a 1bit Dithered image. I don't even have that old of a PicEngrave version on my PC to even test with. :-)
Extensivly Re-worked/Re-designed/Modified Servo K2CNC KG-3925 and the Mini Laser Engraver
Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #16 on: September 14, 2016, 09:59:28 AM »
Ok, after some thought, did you save the image after editing and resizing, reopen to dither afterwards, then save again?
Extensivly Re-worked/Re-designed/Modified Servo K2CNC KG-3925 and the Mini Laser Engraver

Offline Dan13

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Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #17 on: September 14, 2016, 11:26:26 AM »
You were right Jeff - the image I attached above was not good. I did it with PEP and saved it and then subsequently was opening it and trying to produce Gcode, but apparently it was not dithered properly. I did it again and now the Gcode looks better - still not perfect for impact engraving I think as it doesn't separate the Z moves from the X and Y, but I will try to engrave and see what a result I will get.

Do you know anyone who tried to use PEP with one of those engraving attachments? I understand that to use it this way, you have to use "variable feed rate" mode, but my question is what happens if you have a clear white colour on the picture - you can't have a high enough feedrate to not leave any marks on the workpiece...

Thanks,
Dan
Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #18 on: September 14, 2016, 11:53:11 AM »
No one has told us they used one of those tools with our software, but it makes sense considering the way the gcode is generated. If it does not retract the tool in common black areas, it would put too much side load on the tool if not constantly impacting with enough stroke to raise off the material slightly on each impact.

When using a dithered image and Feed Rate Change, the tool would retract and run at a higher feedrate in white areas. But looking at your settings screenshot, that version of PicEngrave does not have FRC.

We do offer a program called PicFRC that adds the Feed Rate Change to PicLaser gcode and it may work with that version of PicEngrave gcode also, but you would need to test that with the Demo.      
Extensivly Re-worked/Re-designed/Modified Servo K2CNC KG-3925 and the Mini Laser Engraver

Offline Dan13

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Re: PicEngrave & Impact Engraving
« Reply #19 on: September 14, 2016, 12:15:49 PM »
The version I have does have the variable feedrate option. I will play to see what I can get out of it without the head first...

Dan