Windows
Unpack and copy all the files to the following directory Program Files\Inkscape\share\extensions\ and restart inkscape Linux
Unpack and copy all the files to the following directory /usr/share/inkscape/extensions/ and restart inkscape
You can try the newest development version by getting it from github repository https://github.com/cnc-club/gcodetools via web interface or using git clone git@github.com:cnc-club/gcodetools.git .
You'll need to run python create_inx.py to create inx files. After that install procedure is the same with the stable version.
Translations
Gcodetools is included into Inkscape v 0.49 so it will have native translations as other Inkscape's extensions. Until it is released you can use some self made translation packs:
Linux
Ubuntu 9.10 14.04 + inkscape 0.48 (older Gcodetools versions also work with 0.46, 0.47) Windows
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 + inkscape 0.46, inkscape 0.47 MacOS
There are some reports on successful work on MacOs.
Dimitrios писал(а):The bug fix is on the developer version or you modified the stable version? I never downloaded a dev version, so I am a bit scared to do it now , not being a Linux guy, but trying to be...
Do not be shy. Everybody has to start some time .
Dimitrios писал(а):Only that it generates the A axis in radians, and LinuxCNC works in degrees.
Just adjust 4th axis scale in the tool's definition. You need to define it equal 180/pi.
Getting dev version is easy. I used to be scary of .tar.gz files to, but it's easier than it mentioned.
So all you have to do is to get the files from bazaar repository. You can do it either by downloading them from here: http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~gcodetools ... lope/files
Or using bazaar ( sudo apt-get bzr )
bzr branch lp:gcodetools
Then generate all inx files by executing "python create_inx.py" and copy all the files the same way with the stable version.
Easy .
The 4th axis scale worked very well. I am busy this weekend adjusting the 4th axis and trying many cuts in various materials, since during weekdays I have to work in other things.
Broke one blade, already
You have interest in pictures of my equipment and the cuts we did?
I will try to download the dev versions and to practice using Linux.
Thanks again, and my offer to test codes is standing, is the least I can do for now.
With a friend, last year we built a big gantry machine for signage and decoration cutting. I have a eletric engineer friend, who represents Yaskawa in my state, he sold me some equipment. in very good terms and we built a servo system in our machine. The 4th axis is made with a 400 W servodrive and servomotor, overkill, I know, but that is what we had laying around here.
My dream is using Linux for all our tasks, in business and home. I discarded all comercial solutions to CNC controlling in favor of LinuxCNC, it is a awesome project.The quality of software is extraordinary, and the support is friendly and excellent.
My friend has a licence of ArtCAM, which is expensive, and only with the basic 3 axis cutting. We learned fast that soft materials are not well cut with rotating tools, and recently, we got some clients asking to cut textiles and leather. Soon I was trying to figure how to make the tool follow the cutting direction, there are some topics on the LinuxCNC developer talk (I follow with some difficulty) and a post of Andy Pugh on the LinuxCNC forum that makes a modification on the source code, which still is beyond my comprehension of programming. I tryed Gcodetools before, and when it showed supporting tangential knife I jumped in.
Commercial solutions are very expensive and Gcodetools, after you explainig some of it to me, is working very well.
If you allow me to make another request, here is a issue that showed up yesterday, when cutting varous materials with the circular blade: when making a tight turn or a corner, there is a limit on the turning radius inside the material. Turning a circular blade inside the material leaves a "scar" . I will post a picture to explain. What I sugest is to have a way to make the blade get up before the sharp conner, turn in the air and plunge again to cut. A pseudo code could be:
If the diference between next and current A axis value is bigger then XXX,
get to safe Z
turn to next A axis value
plunge and continue
else
continue
The XXX value could be set in the preference, allowing to choose it regarding the material and blade used.
Dimitrios писал(а):If you allow me to make another request, here is a issue that showed up yesterday, when cutting varous materials with the circular blade: when making a tight turn or a corner, there is a limit on the turning radius inside the material. Turning a circular blade inside the material leaves a "scar" . I will post a picture to explain. What I sugest is to have a way to make the blade get up before the sharp conner, turn in the air and plunge again to cut. A pseudo code could be:
It's already done in dev-version .
Use "lift knife at corner" parameter to define Zoffset at the corner.
I succeded in downloading and bulding the dev version. I inspected some small codes I made for trying it and tomorrow i will cut some large sheets of EVA and fabric. I will make the movie from those cuts.
Thanks for you all developers, and specially you Nick.
I started to use regularly the codes generated by GcodeTools, and now I have a new "problem" to solve: my tool is sligthly off center, and I want to know how to compensate for it. The cutting edge is 0,5 mm of the center line. Mosto cuts can live with this eror, but I'd like to know how to correct this. In the interface I tryed the 4th axis offset, but it changes the angle, not the distance.
Regards,
Offset of a Bezier path is a kind of difficult functions! And most of software does not calculate it correct for complex paths. As I remember even Rhino (very powerful commercial cad had problems with complex paths offsets).
So there are some ways to solve your problem:
1. use Inkscape's offset, there are two different offsets in Inkscape:
a. Dynamic offset (Ctrl+J) - path becomes dynamic offset object and you can change offset's radius either moving control point, or defining it in XML-editior (Ctrl+Shift+X - r parameter (in px!))
b. use fixed ratio offset (ctrl+")" or Ctrl+"(" ) and define offset step in options-steps...
2. use Gcode to compensate cutter radius. So it will be G41 or G42 http://linuxcnc.org/docs/html/gcode/gco ... _g41_g42_a
3. use Path offset from gcodetools, it has a lot of bug and still is under develop .
Hello from USA. I am using Gcodetools for some new signs I'm making and hopefully will post pictures of my results within the next few weeks. I think it was Nick who showed me this utility back when Lumenlab was still an active forum.
The main person from Lumenlab became very ill and had to cease his activities for health reasons. He is supposedly recuperating but I do not know if Lumenlab will ever come back.
I'm working on my new stuff right now and maybe I'll drop by a little later today and post some pictures of my test results.
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