tool path trace

[Jerrywi]

Hi Art,
just viewed the video tutorial on the new cad addition and updated my program software. I think the new cad/cam additional is fantastic.
I have a small problem. I designed the same gear as you did in the tutorial but used inches instead of metric. when I clicked on Auto path I received the red rapids lines but not the tool path around the teeth or center hole. nor the depth of the cut. I checked to make sure the tool was the right diameter as you pointed out in the video with  no results. I'm sure I may have missed a step in the tutorial when setting up the tool library or something.
Thanks for your help Art

Jerry

[ArtF]

Hi Jerry:

  Many of the settings done have much for safeties as yet... So it may be something like Depth being negative ( All numbes you enter must be positive..)
Or, i may be the color of your feedrate moves is white.. check the options tab to see. Play with numbers are see if you can make one show up ... let me
know if you cannot ( or if you can.... ).

  I know probably many bugs exist, its very early on this code, Ill probabaly have to make several versions this week to correct for trouble.. ( as you know I use
only metric myself.. though I did test imperial as well this time..).  If you cant get any paths, save th eproject file and post it here and Ill check why..

Art

[John T]

Hi Art
I'm having the same problem I can't see the tool paths other that the rapids which are all there.  I also have another memory problem (mine not the computers) and that is how do I rotate the perspective - I'm using windows XP on a mac and I can't remember the correct key combination.

John

[ArtF]

Hi guys:

Interesting.. Can you post a saved project. Make the toolpath, then save the project and post the gth file here. I can then figure out why I get toolpaths and you dont..
Weird first problem, but Im the only one that has run this code, so its probably just something stupid on my end.

Thx
Art

[ArtF]

John:

Sorry, the middle mouse wheel is the only way to move perspective on the workbench screen, Ill fix that to the shift and ctrl keys as my first fix..

Art

[ArtF]

Hi Guys:

Key combo for screen rotation in workbench fixed for a release tomorrow. Thx for the report, since I use the middle mouse, I totally missed it..
Please post a simple project with the missing toolpaths and rapids showing, I'll attempt to kill that as well for tomorrow.

Thx

Art

[ArtF]

Hi Guys:

Ive found a computer that my paths woudlnt show up on, if yu go to options, select a darker colour then redo the toolpath it shows upp, then you can go back to green. I'll see about fixing this up..

Thx
Art

[John T]

Hi Art,
I changed the colours on the tool paths and you're right they appeared on the workbench.  I'll await the "rotation" key combination.  However I've posted the gcode and loaded it into mach3 and it looks good at least in simulation.

The ability to position the pieces will save me a bunch of plywood!  Thanks.

John

[John T]

Hi Art,
Here's the file I've been playing with.  It might be nice to duplicate certain parts as is necessary in a grasshopper escapement - not a biggie.

PS The biggest button on the "gCode post control" is the "post" button but somehow I managed to miss it for awhile!!

John

[ArtF]

John:

You can duplicate as many as you like. You can send the same gear or collection of gear any number of times, the workbench will hold
an unlimited number of gears even if they are copies of gears already there.

  I just uploaded a correction for the rotation issue. ( Ctrl and Shift are the modifier keys for rotation. ).

Thx
Art

[Jerrywi]

Good morning Art, John
Been away from the computer awhile and have not had time to post my file, so thank you John for letting Art know our issues. I will adjust my color field also.
Thanks Art, John

Jerry

[Jerrywi]

Hay Art,

Just changed the color field as you suggested and all is working fine, thank you for that.
I'm just playing around with the new cad and tried  nesting of gears.
I created a large gear and small pinon. I placed the pinon inside of what will be the spoke cavity.
I changed the order of cutting to the pinon first and the large gear second and ran the post command. all the rapids and tool paths appeared correct, however I have not put the file to mach3 test yet. This nesting feature looks great and will save me a lot of waste wood.

Have a great day

Jerry

[John T]

Hi Art,
I've been playing with the workbench and its great!  The control - shift doesn't do rotation for me but I have been able to do a workaround with a magic mouse and setting of preferences. Would be nice if a key combination would work.

With some rotation applied I can see the tabs and I can see that tabs are left on the surface of the teeth - would it be possible to put the tabs in the gullet where you don't need as much precision?

Loving' it!

John

[John T]

Hi Art,
With enough button pushing I found it!!  function-shift-control works to rotate in my machine.  Happy Camper!

John

[ArtF]

John:

  I will add the tab issue to the wish list, its complex as to why I cant easily do that. Im trying also to stay pretty general
in the new CNC operations as in future there may be much more than gears to be concerned about .. but Ill consider
the issue, in the meantime Id test with very few tabs..say 3 .. and make them thin. I suspect they wont be much of an issue
to clean up ..

Thx
Art