GearHeads Corner

Hi All:

  This is just a status report, Ill release one from time to time so you know things are still rolling along. :)
GT can now simulate most types of gears, including escapements and centrodes now. It has been decided to drop
ellipticals as a gear type, they were bad mesh object imo due to their use of osculating circles for tooth formation.
They are replaced with the centrode class which are better meshing objects and exactly duplicate the actual pitch
of the old ellipticals. So in GT, the centrode class will be the way to do non-circular gear types.
Ratchets will be recoded to have better pawling and operation. Similarly 4-bar types of linkages will be expanded
for better control.

Im now cleaning up the GUI and adding options such as screen colors and such. Once this is done the primary work of allowing
the GM projects to load and simulate will be complete. I will re-release it at that point as I move to Phase 2 which is allowing
GT to create the gear types and save project files. GM will remain in operation and in support until GT can replace all of its functions
at which time GM will be dropped for GT. GT will start to allow CAD type drawing operation then, such as BMP and DXF imports for shapes
to be used in such things as spoking and gear generation of various shapes. Drawing functions will be added to allow for building 3d models
and extrusions that one would commonly want to do in hobby or small shop work. We wont be aiming to replace full cad/cam packages, but will instead try to focus on getting common complex items to be easily made and manipulated. I see the new program as an adjunct to a users CAD  experience and whatever software they prefer to use. DXF import and export will become more powerfull to aid in that side of things.

Anyway..just an update, this will all take till fall or so till its fully released and fucntional, but intermittant releases will occur as
I feel an option or feature adds to what can now be done.

Thx,
Art
 

Any chance of .obj export?
Width of gear button with arrrows to adjust would be nice. It's probably there but under a different name. Similar to number of teeth already present. Somehow I feel as though the parameters of my gear can't be easily changed once created.? Need to use it more I guess.

Douglas:

    The width of the gear is the "FaceWidth " box on the creation dialog once you press "Add to Project".

I am looking at adding .obj as output in future.

Art

Doug;

You can only modify a gear property while your on any of the gear tabs in GM, once you create a gear, it now belongs to the project screen where the gear properties become no longer adjustable, however if you require a change, simply select and delete that gear train from the project screen with a right click and add your new modified gear.

Cheers
Bob
:)

I guess I've been in 3D land too long. I own what is in my scene or project. Scale is off NP, adjust and keep on modeling. Seems as though you should be able to adjust parameters after the fact(on the fly). The real world is cruel.

Printed a couple of gears out tonight(ink is low). Something helpful would be a center punch dot or X in the center of our shaft to make drilling said hole first to use as a pivot for cutting the teeth.

Douglas:

  Good idea, I will add that for printed gears.

Art

Maybe option for both as well as to mark for centers between teeth for bulk removal via drilling before cutting out on the saw. It would be awesome.