V4 Work-in-Progress Update
I’ve spent some time working through the todo list for V4 in the past few days. One change, that may only be important to me, is to have the units dialog show the size of the geometry to be loaded. I thought this would be important because I regularly get files in both mm and in and I usually do not know what units were used until I open this file. By looking at the magnitude of the units, it’s pretty easy to tell which it is.
The bigger change is the new adaptive stepover code for parallel finishing. This was something I came up with a while ago that would give some of the benefits of a constant-scallop mode but without the brutal development that a constant-scallop mode would take. Basically, the code will analyze the model as the toolpath is being laid out and insert more parallel passes in steep areas. Before and after photos of both the x and y versions are shown below:
In the sample above I made sure to machine the whole stock so you could see the spacing change in the surrounding areas but this will also work if you constrain the machining area.
I have several questions for everyone here and I need some feedback. Just keep in mind that I am trying very hard to add features without complicating the UI. Also, I know that the ability to run this at arbitrary angles would be more useful but I do not think I’m ready for that yet- maybe in V5 or 6… or 7. On to the questions:
1) Is this useful?
2) How should I specify the parameters? Currently I have built-in parameters to let MeshCAM shrink the stepover by a factor of 5. I could let users specify a minimum and maximum stepover but this might require too much knowledge to understand the implications of the values and it complicates the UI. I am more inclined to leave a hidden factor and just adjust the stepover if the “adaptive” mode is chosen. If I go with this approach, would you expect the defined stepover to be the minimum or the maximum?
3) This seems like it might be a good “Newbie Mode” where you just pick the quality level, high, medium, or low, and MeshCAM would pick the minimum and maximum as a percentage of the tool diameter. Does this sound like it would have helped you when you were new to CNC/MeshCAM?
I am also looking at taking this code and porting it to the waterline algorithm which should be more widely applicable (I think).
Is it useful? Doesn’t seem like it to me, but I’m only cutting wood. Perhaps someone else may find it useful.
More important for me, is that I’d like to never see the Units dialog box again.
I know what my units are and if not, I’ll know soon enough. I realize you need to consider beginner’s needs, but even beginners aren’t beginners forever. How about a beginner mode and expert mode?
Hey Robert,
1) Yes, indeed! At the very least on the order of magnitude of 3D contour roughing.
2) That will take some thought. I never use a finishing stepover of greater than about 1/8 of the cutter diameter. I would expect to define the maximum stepover (because I know how it will behave on a flattish surface) and let MC go finer as necessary. In fact, I’d almost like a default stepover that I could define as a percentage of the finishing tool selected, which leads into…
3) That sounds pretty good. I’d want to know what “high, medium and low” (you might consider “fine, medium and coarse” instead) were, and I probably wouldn’t go farther than the checkboxes myself. Especially if the three divisors were in the ini file and I could set them per my own persnickety-ness, then I’d never go beyond the checkboxes. It would save me some head math each time I picked a finishing cutter.
4) Could you post a screenshot of what your new code looks like on the Cheez-Whiz please?
Great feature! Randy want! What’s MM?
1) O, HECK ya!
For the most part I am cutting out wing molds for RC airplanes. The center of the wing is almost flat, but the leading edge is very steep. This would be great!
2) Let the end user control the shrink. Just a simple box where they can put in a shrink value. Max/Min would just be a pain in the ass to code. Leverage the code you all ready have. Make the value 1 default/disabled. Any other value > 1 would enable to code. Real easy to code, and real easy for the end user to use.
1) This is definitely a good feature. I am always analyzing how to best (fastest) cut a model and then select from my ‘tools’ of roughing, parallel, waterline and pencil. Sometimes you run them all, sometimes you just run 2 pencil cutouts with different tool diameters. This feature would be great in this toolbox because it can eliminate a waterline pass in some instances.
2) How to specify the parameter: How about I could specify the step size in the Z direction (and you would calculate the X/Y step size based on the steepness of the part) ? Isn’t that what we are usually after ? We sort of want the part to accurate at certain minimum intervals to facilitate sanding …
3) Newbie mode: Yes, I could see this being on by default … Whatever you do, please use pictures in your dialogs !! Those pictures above say more than a thousand words and are tremendously helpful for anyone. If you are running out of space in your dialogs, use tabs. Meshcam is starting to have a lot of options and I’d rather see a lot of explanatory pictures than a crammed dialog of buttons with cryptic descriptions.
Robert,
Very nice, I want it. I posted a message a few days ago, I guess the electron eating demons got a free lunch.
Three check boxes with default values in the ini sound good and easy, yet still allow custom settings for persnickety abusers.
Looking at your screen shots again I realized that MC is analysing each raster cut before making up it mind about the best approach. Quite slick. A CAM program with look ahead.
jeffD
PS:Randy, mm are little chocolate oblate things with a coloured hard sugar coating, or a sane way to measure small stuff on most of the planet
Fantastic! I’m very excited about this feature!
Adding this algorithm to waterline toolpaths would be IMMENSELY useful! I often have parts that are have mostly vertical walls, with small fillets at the top and bottom edges. Sometimes they are chamfered edges.
Currently when using waterline, if I select a step down that is optimized to cut the vertical surfaces (as big a step down as the tool will take) then the toolpath misses all the small filleted edges. To use a step down that catches the small fillets would create a very long run time. Adaptive Z (or adaptive step down) would be a huge timesaver for these kind of parts.
Newbie mode is a great idea.. perhaps hiding the controls under an “advanced” button rather than in the .ini.
Keep up the great work!