Version 2.05 updated.

Information about latest Revision level of the software
and current Download Links.
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ArtF
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Version 2.05 updated.

Post by ArtF »

Hi All:

Version 2.05B was updated with minor bug fixes yesterday. The only visible change is the Simulation screen in Ticker now zooms to the
mouse position while zooming just as the CAD screen does.

Art
.
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ArtF
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Re: Just a progress report.

Post by ArtF »

Hi All:

Just an update on my last many months in the code dungeon. I'm always reading one paper or another and I came across
a thing called SDF (Signed Distance Field) 3d object representation. This is an alternative way of defining a 3d object. It basically is a formula(s) that represents an entire 3d object in space. They can be simple or complex but as a simple collection of formulas they have certain
properties I found fascinating for possible use in CNC.
For example they have near infinite resolution. They use vastly less memory. A 3d sphere for example can have hundreds of thousands of bytes as vertices and normals as a mesh or stl, but the SDF for a sphere is the simple formula D = |P| - r. ( distance is equal to the distance to the object minus the radius at the directional vector from which you observe it. These formulas can be added or subtracted easily. The end results I found amazing as to ability.

This link shows a snail sitting on a bush , its antenna's moving and raindrops on the leaves. It is nothing more than a collection
of formula's ( SDF functions).
https://www.shadertoy.com/view/ld3Gz2 . If you haven't seen an SDF, you may want to take a glance, its an impressive use of
math formulas.

In any event I wondered if SDF's could be used to make an efficient toolpath simulation. Toolpath Sims are hard to do well, they usually quantize results and are very intense things to write as most use a boolean mesh topology to create a moving tool in material. I was curious if SDF's could be used for this purpose but could find only one paper where it was implemented, but I'm unaware of cnc programs using one. So , of course I decided to try to write one. To do so I had to add CNC operations to Ticker, ( Pocketing shapes and V-Carving letters), to produce output I could attempt to simulate.
The simulation is mostly in the GPU as several shaders are used to build various databases and BVH trees to accommodate tool shapes and positional sweeps though a stock object defined as an SDF as well. Its coming along well and its pretty easy to pocket something though I haven't gotten as far as putting out GCode. Should the project work out I will package it into Ticker as a free addon, though it may never be released or take some time
to get there as its an amazingly large piece of work considering all its elements.

I write this simply to point out SDF functions those with an interest in 3d objects in the case, like myself, where I had never encountered them,
and to let you know I live on in the dungeon experimenting as always.

Art
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tweakie
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Re: Version 2.05 updated.

Post by tweakie »

Art, you never cease to amaze. Keep up the good work my friend.

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BMeyers
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Re: Version 2.05 updated.

Post by BMeyers »

hat tip for pointing out SDF
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Re: Version 2.05 updated.

Post by ArtF »

:)

That snail simply captivated me.

Art
j_godina
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Re: Version 2.05 updated.

Post by j_godina »

Really amazing, it is becoming hard to be updates of all new improvements
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Re: Version 2.05 updated.

Post by BillM »

Art
I've been away from Ticker for a while so I decided to download the programs again. It surprised me when the splash screen for Ticker.exe displayed v 03B instead of v05B.

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Re: Version 2.05 updated.

Post by ArtF »

Bill:

Your right, I think I redacted a bit as a separated my working version that has toolpaths and such, to one without.
Ill update the version on next release.

Art
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