GearHeads Corner

Hi All:

 Normally, I do a video before a release. In this case the video will be up to a few days before I complete it. This is because Im still
finalizing certain things so things may change a bit. However, I have fixed some things for folks, so I didnt feel it fair to keep this version
back.
  If I have mentioned on the forum that a fix will be in the next version, then this version has it. It also has several new features,
which I will explain in the video, but list here in case you wish to play in that area.


 In Gearotic:

             A tab height DRO has been added to the 3d bench screen, this means the tab height is no longer locked to the last pass.
             Code changes to the gear train calculator to see if it might fix a problem one user has reported.
             Spoke importer now imports almost any dxf saved by vectric or auggie. No special rules other than it should be
             taller than it is wide. No need to worry as to size or position. Still working on this one, doesnt always work.
            Note: Complex drawings will bog your cpu down as well.

Auggie/Vector Wizards.

    Project save/load in file menu so you can keep a running workbench of projects or flourishes.
    Undo/Redo ( Ctrl-Z / Shift CtrlZ or menu)
    Relevance database. : In order to be able to join a new line to previous lines and such, the mouse will change to a cross
                                  when it is on a snapoint.. an end/start/center etc.. of a previous line or entitiy in the screen.
    Export DXF changed to export vectors. Allows EPS and SVG output.
    Chain offset with multiple options.
    Chain Grouping, once grouped, all chains select as a group. In context menu.
    Stomp/Trim/FrenchCurves:

                      This one will require a video explanation really. When a single chain is selected, you may select Stomp. This sets a special
 cursor for trimming that chain. The cursor size may be changed with a sizing arrow beside the button. ( A bit buggy as yet..
click it down multiple times to get it zeroed, then it will work to set the size of the trimmer as a cursor. Select a cursor size you like,
most sizing is then done by zooming the drawing.

You may then zoom the drawing as you wish and the Stomp trimmer will stay at its current selected size.. use it to

  1) With a right click, add to the chain where the cursor intersects.
  2) With a left click trim from the chain.. Any orphaned chains will become their own chain on the same layer.
  3) With Ctrl held and mouse wheel rolled, the cursor will change to various chapes and curves.
  4) With ctrl held , any mouse move will rotate the Stomp to a new angle

   You may, by saving closed chains into the "French.dxf" file in the project folder, add more Stomp shapes to the
selections. I will add shortly a context menu item to add any current shape temporarily to the stomp list.

Hmm, I think thats most of it. This is all getting the vector processor ready for more wizards, but you may find
it much easier now to edit things like vines, trim them, copy the results and add them back in somewhere else
for example. Saving your projects will probably help with the annoyance of having to lose whatever your playing with..
and remmeber the undo/redo as you go, you may find selections of a chain a bit wonky after undo's, just reselect
and all should be ok.. fxies for these bugs will come out as I get them tied off..

Thx
Have fun,
Art
 

FWIW, cage gear pins are still funny in stl files.  The one I just tried had 4 pins that were part of the gear, another 13 that were floating on top.  Otherwise I couldn't find anything funny with a quick random test.

Kirk

Thx Kirk:

Ill check that one again, when I checked here, all pins where good for some reason, they started at the
back.. Ill see what may make that happen..

Art

Art, when you post your videos, would you please add the date and version to the title ? I find this is especially important with software videos because it makes it far easier to distinguish new vs old. My preferred format is "  yyyy mm dd Title  ". I use this because there is no confusion between month & day. And, when I store my videos, they automatically sort chronologically.

David:

Good suggestion, I will do so.

Art

Hi At,
I know we "imperial" users are a pain but I thought you might like to know that the extents in the vector wizards doesn't seem to like imperial measures.  My little table is only 7" by 7" and if I put that in the extents the grid goes down to postage stamp size
If I put in the metric equivalent of about 200 mm by 200 mm I get a workable screen.

Has the imperial been turned off??

John

ArtF wrote:Ill check that one again, when I checked here, all pins where good for some reason, they started at the back.. Ill see what may make that happen..

I selected the gear and all the pins, and told it to output them as one stl; perhaps it's an issue with the fingers on top of the keyboard.

I used the settings that were left over from last time, 17t wheel, 8t pinion, 8mm pins, 8mm shaft, mod 5, 5mm thick, a couple percent backlash, 5 circle 2 spokes.  Last time one pin was part of the gear, this time there were 3 or 4, so it's improving. This time I left it as a cage gear without selecting rhythmic geneva, don't know if that changes the number of pins that stay attached.  I also couldn't get collars to work (tried 10% both as 10 and 0,1, just says oops), but didn't try very hard.

Not a big deal; while I'll print one it's just for fun and not anything useful.

Kirk

Hi:

There is a checkbox labeled Metric, make sure thats unchecked.. Ill run an imperial check now and issue a correction if I screwed that up. Sorry about that, I tend to test in metric. :)

Art

John:

Sorry about that, I found the error, please redownload, then reset your table size, it should be good now.

Thx for the bug
Art

Hi Art
Inches working Thanks
John

Is 3.01 now available for download?

Hi Rocket:

  Yes, its online now, just download the Development version, it will update itself, no need to uninstall or anything to do the update.

Art

Excellent, Art!  Thanks for the tab heights and SVG output.  The additional wizard features are very cool.  I'm off now to download the new version.

Dan

Art,

I have tried to download the new version, but each
time i try and run it ....i get an unspecified error?

RR

Art,

Thanks to Gearotic, Adobe Illustrator, Cut2D Desktop and my laser cutter,
I was able to build this ocean reef on the feature wall of my living room.

Richard