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Openbuilds Gcode generator

Discussion in 'CAM' started by anfibio, Oct 14, 2018.

  1. anfibio

    anfibio New
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    Hi.Do you have a tutorial on how use the Gcode generator?
    I wiil appreciate your help.
    Thanks
     
  2. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Hi, no tutorial just yet, there will be some videos soon(ish)

    Basic workflow:
    1) Use the Open button to get your file in (DXF PolyLine, SVG, Bitmaps (JPG, PNG, BMP), Gerber 274, Excellon Drill files all supported)
    2) Select the entities you want to use, and add them to a new operation
    3) Set the parameters for the operation
    (Repeat 2 and 3 as needed. Most jobs have a couple inside cuts, some outside cuts, maybe a pocket etc)
    4) Generate GCODE

    My advice, dig in and play around. Start with the Hello World example

    helloworld.PNG

     
    #2 Peter Van Der Walt, Oct 17, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2018
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  3. anfibio

    anfibio New
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    Thanks Peter I appreciate
     
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  4. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Shout if you get stuck at any point :)
     
  5. ADW_01

    ADW_01 New
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    Hi,
    I made a logo on Illustrator/vector image and saved it as an .svg file. It opens fine in OpenBuilds CAM but im having issues with the letters/pocket operation. For example, the Letter "A" The toolpath wants to hog out the center section. Its the same for all the letters that have center sections.
     

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  6. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Make sure to select the outside and inside vectors of the A together and create an operation:
    On the operation: click Advanced, under Merge Geometry, set to Yes. This will then tell the software, hey that outside part, and the other thing i selected, go together. The maths then figures out which is inside which, and accordingly tries to keep the pocket in between them, etc. What you select, and whether to merge or not, depends on so many factors it may take a test or two.

    Also watchout for duplicate vectors (double paths of same vector overlayed on each other) - merging a duplicate results in a nothing as the same points cancel out. Good CAD software wont generate doubles, but some artsy applications do. Easy to spot, if you click on a double, the lines won't turn red
     
    #6 Peter Van Der Walt, Dec 16, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2018
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  7. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    If you are still stuck after, post the Workspace Export (obc file, from File menu) or the SVG.
     
  8. ADW_01

    ADW_01 New
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    Awesome! Thank you so much!
     
  9. Kevin Bruner

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    is there a surfacing option in this software, like to level the waste board.
     
  10. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Draw a rectangle, setup a pocket operation
     
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  11. Kevin Bruner

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    is there any way to change the tool path so that it does not lift after each path with this? also i think my z-axis is a little tilted. i am using a 3/4" bit to try and surface until i can get an actual surfacing bit. but on the x-axis it is not cutting flat, it is cutting with a dip in the middle.
     
  12. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Yeah its worth spending the time tramming your spindle first (Mini Speedsquare on the bed, against the bit, check from all sided that you are square to the bed) and also making all facets of the machine as precise as possible first (fixing sag, make sure all is square and true etc) before doing all the effort of a spoilerboard skim.

    You can set Z-Safe Height to be the same as cut-depth, for example:

    (this is a operation that cuts 3mm off the spoiler board, in one pass (3mm per pass, 3mm total = 1 pass), and Z-Safe is at -3 (So it doesnt pull out) (slight risk of crash though, depending on moves)


    op settings.PNG
     
  13. Kevin Bruner

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    I figured out the tilt in the dewalt, the screw ring to set the depth in normal use was hitting a bracket and tilting it. Removed that ring and it wasn’t lopsided anymore. After that I just used the jog function to level the bed. Not as cool but it worked. I just saw the negative number to keep it from rising. I will try that next time. I played around a little cutting out some things. My z-axis is slipping. I will start making cuts then I would have to stop it and re-zero the z-axis because it was cutting too deep. I feel like the pullies are slipping. Tightened them up but don’t want to go crazy because I have already had to buy a new one after the threads stripped out while trying to tighten them last time. You can see in the picture how the cut would get deeper and I would have to either re-home it or just rest the zero to fix it.
     

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  14. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    Is the endmill a 6.35mm shaft. I once accidentally bought 6mm shaft ones, they pull out of the collet slowly making it look like the axis slips. As the collet is 6.35mm and doesn't cinche down on a 6mm shaft
     
  15. Kevin Bruner

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    The bit isn’t slipping, its either the pulley is slipping on the threaded shaft or it’s slipping on the stepper side.
     
  16. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    or your Z acceleration is too fast and it is missing steps when it retracts.
    reduce the acceleration on Z by 25% and see what happens.
     
  17. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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  18. Kevin Bruner

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    So I can see where it is slipping now. I had tightened this bolt up last time and it ended up stripping and I had to buy a new pulley. Am I missing something here? Right now it just seems really loose.
     

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  19. Kevin Bruner

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  20. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    you must put the grub screw up against the flat spot in the motor shaft. if it does not have a flat spot, make one with a Dremel.
     
  21. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    Another option is to carefully drill into the shaft and tap it - using the hole in the pulley as a guide. I did this on all my lead screws then put longer 3mm screws into them with loctite. I have never had one come loose.
     
  22. Kevin Bruner

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    The pulled that was loose did not have a screw that went into the pulley and against the threaded shaft. Just a clamp style. I adjusted the lead screw so that there was a little more poking up the top that the pulley would attach to. Then I lightly scuffed and cleaned the lead screw and the inside of the pulley and re-installed it. So far so good.
     
  23. Sebquismoke

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    Hi
    I made a .svg file in illustrator with a certain dimension, but when I import it into OpenBuilds Cam GCode generator, the dimensions are not the same. I tried several things and I still have the problem.
    Is it a mishandling on my part or just a bug to display the rule in OpenBuilds Cam?
    Here is my .SVG file.
    Thanks in advance
    Seb

    For information, I have an Ooznest 1000 x 1500mm Belt & Screw Drive
     

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  24. Peter Van Der Walt

    Peter Van Der Walt OpenBuilds Team
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    SVG by nature is more of an "artwork" format, where DXF is more the "engineering" format. So SVGs use Pixels/DPI/etc as units which can easily get lost between different applications. DXF supports actual inch/mm units, so much more reliable.

    As such, make sure when you save in illustrator, that you export it as 72 DPI, that is what CAM expects if the file header says it was drawn in illustrator.
    One caveat is if its a file someone drew in say Corel, then someone edited in Inkscape, before you downloaded it and worked on it in Illustrator... then the file header might be confusing and it may not know is the supposed to be 72dpi (Illustrator standard), or 96 dpi (Inkscape older than v0.91), or 90 dpi (Inkscape > 0.91) or 57dpi (OpenType's weird standard) or if all else fails, it assumed 96 DPI.

    (; Or just consider using DXF (NB as DXF-R14 with Polylines for maximum compatibility - although DXF is great it sadly has the one drawback that there are different versions of the DXF standard. R14 is most widely understood as its also an older version)
     
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  25. Sebquismoke

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    Thank you very much for answering me quickly and for bringing me the solution, it works fine.
    Best regards
    Seb
     
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