Version 3.01

[Richard Cullin]

is the gcode import to auggie vector processor  meant to function ?
when I try it auggie just crashes  ,  message window  Auggie has stopped working pops up

[ArtF]

Richard:

It should work from Auggie, but not from Gearotic. But if run from Gearotic it should just give a message to that
effect. Ill schedule a check of that. It imports from a valid Gcode file the vectors that make up that file if Gcode is
loaded in Auggie. I have been doing massive upgrades to Auggie though so I may have broken that function...

  Sorry for the low activity lately, ( while Im here.. :) ).The next module is coming along well and Im deep into it,
a larger job than I had planned for the next upgrade, so it will take me a few more weeks till release. I do hope
to add something fun to play with as well as functional to help with designing widgets and whirlygigs. Ill
post examples of its function as I start to put everything back together..

Thx
Art

[chicoxiba]

>"massive upgrades to Auggie"

I like the sound of that.

[ArtF]

>>>"massive upgrades to Auggie"
>I like the sound of that.

:), Good.

For those bored, or who wonder where Gearotic may go, heres a bit of a white paper
on my current development thoughts and directions. Optional reading at best..Skip this
unless your wondering where my head it at on gearotic as of now.

  Auggie is a strange program. I needed it for my laser, but its used by probably
less than 10 of us for actual machine control. That number is quite a bit larger for people
that use it for flourishes and such, but it was really written as a machine controller.
  Gearotic itself is at the stage Gearotic 1.0 was at, too large for its own good internally,
and perhaps one year I will take my summer code to replace it all into a better architecture
I could more easily change around. To that end Im trying to circle its code back to the start
so that all of it can all be considered to be tied to gearing and kinetics.

So to Auggies vector processor I will be trying to add a 2d simulator that encompasses
4bar linkages removed in Gearotic 1.0, spinning vanes with center of gravity control spun
on any axis or even on attached axis.(Picture scimitars vanes spinning ),
Cams and linkages we either havent had before or havent animated before, even strings
and ropes to hang on kinetic artwork and magnets to add to strategic parts of a sculture
to see their effects on other magnets passing on vanes.
.
By going to 2d simulation in Auggie, I think I may have more power by not having
to consider the 3rd dimension in anything other than a  pure Z motion..
so a 2.5D world view. At the very end, combining the 2d or converting it to true 3d
is the ultimate goal to finally integrate all of Gearotic to one large hobby/kinetics
workshop for cnc or woodworkers, with scripting, drawing, and 2.5D cutting for
making a creation after creating a vision of it. Having it make a proposed video
representation using proper gravity and material mass may give a better idea
as to how it will look on a wall when running.

    There are many other simulators out there,  Algadoo for example is a fantastic
simulator, but from it I cannot get DXF's , or simulate based on visual properties
of kinetics as opposed to the mechanical alone. Ive only found algodoo recently after
starting down the simulation path, but found it was fantastic, so Im aiming at a
cnc persons Algadoo kind of thing at first. For anyone that hasnt heard of or used
the program, its free and I highly encourage you to try it out. I admire its
implementation.

  As Auggie has a very good C-Scripting engine in it already, scripted use of a
the physics engine may be possible as well. All this , tied together, allows for
a more creative approach to designing things like ratchets , geneva's and such
into a whirlygig, or clock type of mechanical artwork.

  As a programmer, I always try to do things Im not sure Im capable of. As such I keep
long term goals in back of mind that are way out of my league, and tend to work on things
just above my grade. This would be a horrible methodology for commercial success, but
as Gearotic has never been a commerical program, more of a hobby club, Ive been free
to experiment in various areas and everyone has been very accepting of the sometimes
eclectic things I toss in. ( Like a machine controller, 3d webcam processors or stl slicers).
  For some time, my long term goal was a subset of a simulator that uses AI to seek out escapement
types based on genetics and evolution over long periods of time running in the
background. I find the work of several groups to be facinating in areas where objects are
given rules of engagement and attack and find a solution on their own. ( Which is why
flourishes have a photo mode, it was an experiment on self controlled objects finding
their own solution to a problem.). 
  Kinetic Artistry interests me highly, the aesthetics of non-intuitive
motion is I think the key to its artistic form. The true masters of it seem to have the ability
to see in their mind an effect most of us mortals cannot see until its actually implemented.
Id site Roys creations as examples of that. Their spiralling arms and repeating patterns
mesmerize and I find as I work on such things, visualization is my enemy. I see
the math of it, I understand the frequency components of the arms curve formulas
and their interferances, but there always seems to be a mist over how they interact
visually in space when overlaid with their varous gravitic inspired motion. 
  I lose sleep over such things, if you cant understand that, never retire.  :-)

So my ultimate goal is to have a module where I can tell it to run for months,
give me lists of images or videos of all the possible shapes and interactions it can find
based on certain rules of frequency and human sight capability and show me how they
look so I can pick from the best the physical realities that kinetic motion can offer.
  Then add those to libraries that grow over time as the AI finds more types of shapes
that interact appropriately. From my perspective and skillsets that was once impossible,
but Im seeing a tiny light way down the tunnel that may just be a firefly
or some damn thing, but if Im lucky its an idea of how Id do such an operation.
Id love to dedicate a computer to just running forever finding solutions of visually
pleasing patterns, and with spinning vanes, bars , magnets and strings, I think there
is a vast array of untapped visual delights out there in the mathematical ether.
 
  Anyway, thats my thought and thats where Im going, users will have the ability
soon to simply animate anything they draw or import. I'll ratchet up the ways
you can animate and add toys, add the capability to save animated objects to
libraries of connectable physics objects with a focus on machinable, kinetic
clock type objects with the tools necessary for making such things. And of course,
Ill make gearotic put out connected gears and such for use in Auggies simulator.
We'll also need a good video utility to make time realisticavi simulations to see
how things will really look. All a large ask but when broken down into pieces I think
it may be doable. 
But we'll start with "simple" physics, gravity and motors and add as we go.

  Im hoping its fun and educational, and allows for some creative tickers and
artwork. Im very impressed with the whirlygigs, wall art and kinetic stuff users
have posted and sent me photos of, its the most satifying part of doing this type of
work. I hope to add to the ways people have of visualizing ideas and getting the
satisfaction of looking at the wall and thinking "I did that.!"..

Thx
Art

 

[Mooselake]

The whitepaper link seems to be missing.

Amazing things are coming!

Kirk

[John T]

Hi Art,
You make my head spin just thinking of some of the things I might be able to do.

John

[ArtF]

Kirk:

The post was the white paper.. I use the term loosly when I get verbose on a topic.. :)

Art

[Mooselake]

I like that better than one of those 200 page buzzword filled official whitepapers anyway.  Don't think you can read those on a screen instead of paper, and not sure what happens if you only have blue paper in your printer :)

Kirk

[Ya-Nvr-No]

Thought I'd show a couple of videos of what Art is working on.
I made a Pachinko machine to see how it might look/work

Happy Thanksgiving



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmFHh_1qw7k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex0BnD7kA8o

[Ya-Nvr-No]

here is a couple that shows a fun action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FC5eyW9aTk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xvS0bvou7o

[Ya-Nvr-No]

Couple of videos showing motors in action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2A7Xvtudus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dfKaY-a1yM

[Ya-Nvr-No]

And to show how a couple of settings, can change the effected movements.
Note:The rack & pinion were Gearotic DXF generated, but the rack was altered in Autocad to add the slots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkVk1j8cWpY

Good to see there is several views of these videos, shows there is a lot of interest in this adventure/feature.

Thanks Art, keep up the fun.

[DanL]

They are very cleaver

[BillM]

Looks like I'll have to start exploring the newer versions of Gearotics when I get back home  from FL. Looking at the videos has given me a few ideas of what mechanisms I'd like to stimulate.

BillM

[ArtF]

Hi Bill:

Probably 2-3 weeks till first release of the kinematics module. SO you have lots of time before
its out and we can begin to see just how usefull such a thing is. :) , Im trying to make it as accurate
as I can given the type of thing we'll need it to do.

Art