V3 Build 15
I just uploaded build 15 to fix a problem that Jeff and Martin found. I put a debug assertion in the code to check for a condition that “can never happen.” Jeff and Martin both found a way to make the impossible possible. I’ve removed the assertion and tried to handle the case properly so give it another shot and see if you can make it fail. Check the toolpaths carefully to make sure I haven’t done anything dumb.
Getting vertical spikes when selecting “3D Roughing”; Mill Direction: Conventional when Program Zero “XY Offset” is set to any of the following: NW, N, W, E, S, SE.
- Dell Latitude D610 laptop, Windows XP, 2GB Mem.
Jose
“…I put a debug assertion in the code to check for a condition that “can never happen.” Jeff and Martin both found a way to make the impossible possible…”
Martin takes a bow
15 is looking like a good build to me. No crashes, no error messages, it’s just working very well. The ONLY thing I’ve seen (once) so far, is a few small areas of spikey toolpath in a roughing operation, but I haven’t managed to repeat that as yet.
I would say MeshCAM 3 seems to be under control!
Martin.
I’ve seen spikes one time that appeared to go very very high above the retract plane. Is this what you’re seeing? If so, let me know if the about dialog shows “No SSE” so that I know which executable you’re running.
If you can repeat the problem then please send me the stl and the toolpath settings that you used.
-Robert
Hi Robert,
I’m not Martin, but what I call the “castellations” continue in build 15–vertical perturbations in the roughing toolpath in areas that don’t seem to warrant the motion. Here are a few screenshots:
http://www.prototrains.com/temp/glitches1.gif
http://www.prototrains.com/temp/glitches2.gif
http://www.prototrains.com/temp/glitches3.gif
Those toopaths are with a .250″ ball-end mill, geometry + .18″ (though the glitches are in the inner roughing pass) and a tolerance of .0001″.
Other than that, the path generation of 15 looks pretty good. Of course, I can’t verify with actual machining since my mill is out of service for the time being…
Randy
Robert,
I usually use rough raster. It bounces up and down. Looking at 3D roughing and it seems almost the same amount. Not a big problem in either case, those retracts don’t take much time. What is a pain is that for metric folks the clear height is stuck on 2.54mm. I can and do change it to .5mm but it is an extra step.
Another day and another bug jeffD
Are you getting the bouncing at the perimeter of the area to be roughed?
When I start V4, I’ll add a lua variable to change the retract height. I don’t want to expose it to the UI since most people have no need to change it but I’ll give more advanced users a way to set their own value.
-Robert