Version 3.01

[Mooselake]

The eccentric gear example works!

Kirk

[John T]

Hi Art
One of the downloads allowed for imperial measure and the latest 3.011 doesn't again, its metric only.

John

[ArtF]

John:

Sorry about that, too many small fixes lately and some bugs have crept in. Ill check it.
:)

Art

[John T]

Hi Art,
Love those Vines!

John

[ArtF]

Hi John:

  That looks really good..

    Im really happy with the receptions vines appear to get, it wasnt something
I was sure people would think worthwhile to be honest..just something I got hooked
on this summer, luckily for me, others seem to like the things that attract my eye. :)

Art

[Dan Mauch]

Did you cut and paste the vine to achieve that really nice design? If not how did you do it?
Dan

[John T]

Hi Dan,

The design was made in Gearotic of course.  I then highlighted the whole thing and exported it as a dxf.  In the program Aspire (or Vectric works just as well)  I imported the dxf of the vine, boxes and letter.

I sized the whole thing down to 3.75 by 3.75 inches and then using the trim function in Aspire removed "stuff" that was outside or inside where I wanted the vine.

The gCode was then produced by Aspire and the actual cut didn't take 15 minutes.

John

[Dan Mauch]

Thanks
Dan

[ArtF]

Hi All:

  For those that dont subscribe to the youtube channel, I posted a very short display of the
Kinetic simulator.. This module is designed to aid in designing the kinetic objects needed for
whirlygigs or ticker vanes and such.. or is the start of that anyway..

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

Art

[marklazarz]

I saw the YouTube "Kinetictest" video.  Pretty hard to tell exactly what it is supposed to do from the short introduction without narration.  I do know that whatever it is, it will be another spectacular addition to an already excellent piece of software.  You continue to amaze me!

[ArtF]

Hi Mark:

  Its the beginning of an addition of a physics engine to the 2d vector module. Im working on a new ticker, and decided its very
hard to tell exactly what spinnign vanes and such woudl look like in reality. So, the kinetics module will allow one to test shapes
you draw as ratchets, vanes, etc..to see how things will move..

  So whatever you draw, you can add bearings, pins, slots etc to, and watch to see how they react when given push by motors
or gravity.

Art

[drezal]

Awesome stuff, Art.  I saw the vid and appreciate your tinkerings. 

Dan

[ArtF]

Thx Dan:

The idea is to bring the program kinda full circle. The 3d simulator has turned out to be great for getting a gear train up and running,
the weakness has always been to use various user shapes to trigger various things in whirlygigs, tickers and such. The 3d simulator is
very much based on rules according to gears.. which is fine, but in 2d I think I can give more free-form expression, a better way perhaps
to play with ratchets, triggers, bells and whistles, gravity and reaction.. approximate how they would work, so one can design tickers with a better idea as to their final look.  Id like to add magnets , slides and 4bar linkages this way as well. We'll see how it goes.. Ill post example runs as I get closer to
release.. its more a concept for freeform creation of mechanisms, with dxf output and such..

Thx
Art

[BillM]

Art

I am already thinking about how I will rebuild my tower clock simulation once levers etc are added to Gearotics.

Any chance something like spings -- linear and circular (eg clock main springs , balance wheel springs) will get added to the program in future updates?  Such a capability would be needed to create a watch or chronometer simulation.

Bill

[ArtF]

Hi Bill:

Well, this module wont get you quite there. It is being designed to simulate levers, and it will accept springs,
both circular and longitudinal. But they are more physics responces than 3d object, its all in 2d when running.

( I will likely then add 3d extrusion for such objects.. ), but it woudl be quite awhile if ever that the 3d simulator gets
updated to use them. That woudl take a complete recode of Gearotic to take avantage of everything the 2d sim will be able
to use.

  It is my hope for example, that one coudl simulate a chrono, but in 2d only, with all the parts actually moving the other parts,
rather than following ratio rules. But we'll see just how accurate that may be.. This is a start, it will be awhile before we hiot that
level of complexxity..

Art