CNC Mandalas

[ArtF]

Hi All:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sSxO-Vss9c

I posted a video of some code Im working on for making laser mandala's. I like the look of such art, but
they look very tough or time consuming to invent. I have no time for that , but somehow I have time to program code
to do it for me. :). This code shows a few random generations of the main (top) patterns the program is suggesting.
The end output would include the insides of polygons being morphed on each deeper layer showing reliefs of the various
layers as it goes deeper. Im hoping to make the search space for such patterns to be in the millions of possibilities.
Many are similar of course, but surprisingly different and aesthetically pleasing ones pop up frequently so far.

I thought you might like to see a quick run of mashing the generate button.

Has any one cut such things in the past on their lasers or tables?

Art

[Mooselake]

I've been v-carving a number of chip carving patterns lately. From the video they look like they're suitable for v-carving. VCarve really wants its closed vectors, by any chance are these shapes closed paths?

Kirk

[ArtF]

Kirk:

All are closed paths, as well as being their own closed paths, I mean if they share an dedge, that edge is included in each polygon.

Art

[BMeyers]

Has any one cut such things in the past on their lasers or tables?

Art

yes. but without having your coding talent, only the hardway (especially duplicating shared edges -- for v bit tool path) ... perhaps soon having the benefit of your coding talent maybe using gearotic...

[ArtF]

This code will be put in gearotic when its done.. :)

Art

[ArtF]

First trial cut of small autogen mandala.


Look better if my dirty fingers didnt cloud it up. :)

Art

[ArtF]

By Request, here are the first two tests on wood of the mandala output.
One is single level, the other multiple level, each took about 10- 20 seconds to burn.

Art

[BMeyers]

Kirk:

All are closed paths, as well as being their own closed paths, I mean if they share an dedge, that edge is included in each polygon.

Art

helpful that aspect.

[ArtF]

Kirk:

Yeah, that's usually the part people complain about when trying to find such drawings. CNC needs that edge not to be shared typically
so that all polygons are individuals by themselves. Im almost done to a point where I can put out a preliminary release, but for that the
output will be either G Code in multiple layers (one layer per file ), GCode of all layers to be cut as one layer ( for texturing ), and finally
a grey scale output photo for laser engraving in 3d. Ill do a video of all three items being cut as well.

Art

[BMeyers]

Look forward to that.
And, as usual thanks for your inventiveness and work.

[Mooselake]

I spent a lot of time offsetting and node editing while making chip carving designs from a beginner how-to book that was intended for pencils and actual chip carving knives. It would be nice if VCarve got the concept of enclosed spaces that aren't closed shapes. Estlcam kind of does but it's automatic shape finder still takes a lot of manual cleanup. For a simple example think a tic tac toe board, the center square is a fully enclosed shape, but not an SVG closed shape. I haven't gotten around to upgrading to V12 but haven't seen any indication that it's any different.

[Mooselake]

I spent a lot of time offsetting and node editing while making chip carving designs from a beginner how-to book that was intended for pencils and actual chip carving knives. It would be nice if VCarve got the concept of enclosed spaces that aren't closed shapes. Estlcam kind of does but it's automatic shape finder still takes a lot of manual cleanup. For a simple example think a tic tac toe board, the center square is a fully enclosed shape, but not an SVG closed shape. I haven't gotten around to upgrading to V12 but haven't seen any indication that it's any different.

/probably OT/ To add to the fun Vectric's offset command gets carried away with making unnecessary new nodes, and their node simplifier (forget the actual name) changes shapes just enough that close ones can overlap, as an advantage that teaches you more about node editing :) . You don't want to look too close at VCarve's generated gcode after offsetting, it's ugly. I've been running it through GCodeClean (md8n, github) for larger jobs. While it's an extra step it's worth checking out. Among other things GGodeClean converts line segments to G2/G3 arcs where possible, changes retracts to G0s, and does the same for plunges from safe height to almost the surface, and other fun stuff. The author is working on adding TSP travel move optimizations, they work but the interface to use them needs improvement. And of course test it first before doing anything important or on expensive stock

[ArtF]

Always been my problem with that too, enclosed shapes. It'd be nice to have a button to make a grid
divided in 4 as 4 closed shapes unto themselves.. Mandala maker does that with an algorithm that uses graph
theory to separate things into closed shapes as I had the same trouble. Of course, it could be just me
not knowing how to do that...

Art

[BMeyers]

... I've been running it through GCodeClean (md8n, github) for larger jobs. While it's an extra step it's worth checking out. Among other things GGodeClean converts line segments to G2/G3 arcs where possible, changes retracts to G0s, and does the same for plunges from safe height to almost the surface, and other fun stuff. The author is working on adding TSP travel move optimizations, they work but the interface to use them needs improvement. And of course test it first before doing anything important or on expensive stock

hat tip re gCodeClean