hi guys
this is my first post and i have only had my taig cnc mill for a few months so i am very new to this type of machining, I am running Supercam on it at the moment through a mircoproto stepper drive unit but Supercam is a bit limiting so I was wondering if any one has tried Tahlcam on theirs or what are you guys using to run yours any help would be appreciated and here are a few pics of what we have done so far

thanx john huxham

just the trigger frame has been done on the mill

Wow very nice work! You did all that on the taig?

yes the paintball marker was just a rectangular block with a feed neck on the side you see

thanx

from the top

from the top

John,
I am not very familiar with Supercam. I believe Supercam is a program that uses G-code programs to control the axis movement on your cnc machine using step and direction signals.

Supercam would be compared to programs like Turbocnc, Master5 and Mach1.

Tahlcam is a CAM program that will generate the G-code that those programs use. Tahlcam works inside Autocad and is a great tool for converting your drawing to G-code.

Bill.

TahlCAM has posted an update at www.tahlcam.com that adds tool list import, export, and print commands to the pull down menu.

If you want to try TahlCAM please call us at 520-883-1536
We will be happy to email an evaluation version to you.
Thanks,
Jim

Hi cncer's

What version of Autocad does Tahlcam work with

Thanks Ray

TahlCAM works in AutoCAD2000 and soon in 2004.

Reading the TahlCAM site, I get the impression that tool paths can be generated from a solid drawn in ACAD. Is that true?

Also, can a tool path be generated from a 3D Mesh in ACAD2000?

Thanks.

From the downloadable manual

"When working with a 3-D solid, TahlCAM does not recognize the faces and
edges. In order to use Pathfinder to create a tool path, the edges of the cut
need to be defined with lines and arcs. One relatively easy way to do this is to
draw the lines and arcs using the edges to define the locations. Another is to
copy the edges to another layer. Elevations can be adjusted to the raw stock
levels after the edges of the cuts have been defined by using the previously
defined techniques."

It seems like TahlCAM is basically a 2-1/2D package only.
If you need 3D toolpaths from both AutoCAD meshes and solids, check out MeshCAM at http://www.grzsoftware.com

From the downloadable manual

"When working with a 3-D solid, TahlCAM does not recognize the faces and
edges. In order to use Pathfinder to create a tool path, the edges of the cut
need to be defined with lines and arcs. One relatively easy way to do this is to
draw the lines and arcs using the edges to define the locations. Another is to
copy the edges to another layer. Elevations can be adjusted to the raw stock
levels after the edges of the cuts have been defined by using the previously
defined techniques."

It seems like TahlCAM is basically a 2-1/2D package only.
If you need 3D toolpaths from both AutoCAD meshes and solids, check out MeshCAM at http://www.grzsoftware.com

Thanks for the help. I downloaded the MeshCAM trial and it works great. I had it working and cutting parts on my machine within 1/2 hour. I can't believe how inexpensive it is.

Hello Gerry, Edmund here, seems like Im following you around :-),
Gerry or any other member, I have autocad 2000, and I have just downloaded TahlCam software into my autocad program, but I find when activated I have no flyouts visible, only the drop down window, can anyone explain how to get the flyouts?, the only flyouts I get at start are the group with layers and run fast and hide program,

.................Edmund..............

Edmund,
Do you mean that the drop down Tahlcam menu is "greyed out" except for the Start and Group selections?

You need to name and save your drawing, then select Start from the Tahlcam menu.
Bill

Edmund,
Do you mean that the drop down Tahlcam menu is "greyed out" except for the Start and Group selections?

You need to name and save your drawing, then select Start from the Tahlcam menu.
Bill



Hello Bill, to your first answer, its yes

Your second answer is, I do that and a window opens (tahlcam startup) I fill in the details and click OK, it returns to the drawing screen and there are two parts, on the left 2/3rds of screen is run clipboard, and on the right of screen 1/3rd, is the drawing, the only flyout group on the screen is hide, layer toggle, layer toggle2, isolate finder, and run fast, I even manage to enter my licence code, but there are only one group of flyouts,

At this time I have the program working, I have a circle in a SW isometric screen and I have the tool cutting a circle on screen, so its working, but no flyouts, I have it downloaded on another computer and all of the flyouts are visible, so it has to be something Im doing wrong,

Edmund,
Sounds like your main TAHLCAM toolbar is not turned on.

-Right click any toolbar
-Select Customize
-In the dialogue box, under Menu Group, select Tahlcam.
-Check the toolbars you want to display. (you have the CamUtility displayed)

I usually check the TAHLCAM, CamUtility and Run toolbars.

Take a look at the others - you may find useful.

Also, your "run clipboard" (at the left side of the screen) is detachable. you can move and resize it. Click on the bar at the top and drag.
Bill

Bill, you are a lifesaver, thank you so much,

Bill, is there a way I can join up the lines of a drawing in autocad into polylines, when I run selection, the tool path in TahlCam cutviewer only travels around half way and stops because there is a gap in the path,

Also, when I click TahlCam, and run selection, a autocad message appears informing, the dialog requested by an autolisp call was not found in the list of active dialog boxes,it was working last night, this has only started since I loaded the flyouts,

Thanks again for your time Bill,

Bill, is there a way I can join up the lines of a drawing in autocad into polylines, when I run selection, the tool path in TahlCam cutviewer only travels around half way and stops because there is a gap in the path,


Use the PEDIT command.

The main Tahlcam toolbar has a PATHFINDER button. Use that to create your tool paths. When you click it, notice the command line options:
Select near path startpoint or [finderTmp/Fuzz/Setup]

Typeing a F here allows you the enter a value for the maximum gap between endpoints. Pathfinder will continue the path as long as the gap is less the this value.

Once pathfinder creates a path (or paths), and you are happy with it, use the create group button to name and save. The group can then be placed on the clipboard.

Hello Bill and Gerry, its me again, Edmund,
I have reached the stage,......... of drawing a part in autocad and changing it to a DXF file, now I have a image of cutter in cutviewer that travels to a point on the part and travels around the outside returning to the start,trouble now is I have a lot of squigly lines at the start and end of run and when cutter reaches the end of cut, the cutter does a lot of loops and circles and winds up cutting into the part, I have tried to trim the squigly lines but am unable to, so I try a erase but that erases all the drawing, can you give me some suggestions?,
Oh yes, I loaded a .250 cutter and got a window informing me the radius was 3 times smaller than the cutter radius so I entered a smaller cutter and still get the message but its only 1 rad now, I believe the squigly lines evolved from that problem,

.............Edmund...............

Repeat messageHello Bill and Gerry, its me again, Edmund,
I have reached the stage,......... of drawing a part in autocad and changing it to a DXF file, now I have a image of cutter in cutviewer that travels to a point on the part and travels around the outside returning to the start,trouble now is I have a lot of squigly lines at the start and end of run and when cutter reaches the end of cut, the cutter does a lot of loops and circles and winds up cutting into the part, I have tried to trim the squigly lines but am unable to, so I try a erase but that erases all the drawing, can you give me some suggestions?,
Oh yes, I loaded a .250 cutter and got a window informing me the radius was 3 times smaller than the cutter radius so I entered a smaller cutter and still get the message but its only 1 rad now, I believe the squigly lines evolved from that problem,

.............Edmund...............

Repeat message
Can someone inform me if I have posted this question in the correct forum?

Yes, it's the right forum, but in the future, it's always better to satart a new thread with your questions.

As for TahlCAM, I've never used it, so I can't help you. It looks like Bill is the only one around here with experience with it, so you'll have to wait until he answers.

Sorry, was not aware how this thing works, little bit like learning a new prog,