Who would like to try out this program for me? I just finished with it, and would be grateful if some of you could try it out before I put up a page for it on NCPlot.com. :cheers:

This program creates G-Code from text using a single-stroke font. There are options for size, location, angle plus the G-Code settings. There is only one font file, but more can be added later. The font file is in ASCII format that's easy to understand, so if you want to, you can create your own fonts.

The link to the download is:
www.ncplot.com/stickfont/Setup_StickFont_v1.exe

By the way, this will be freeware. :cool:

Thanks,
Scott

I used NCPlot Bata 22 and BobCadCam V20.7 to verify text height, Angle, and Position. Every thing looks great. It works as far as I can see. Three different text Hieghts 1/32, 1/4, and 1". Angles 1, 5 ,45 degrees. Capital and Lower Case.

Is there anything specific you would like me to try? :banana:

I just wanted to know that everything worked in general. Starting from the installation on through to saving the G-Code. I did find one thing - the "Exit" menu doesn't work, but that's easily fixed. Let me know if you find anything else.

Thanks,
Scott

Scott,

Nice program! :)

You might want to add a G90 at the the start of the g-code, and maybe a return path "X0.0 Y0.0" Home, and a M30 to finish it out.

Everything else worked good.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry,

It outputs the program in absolute, so the G90 is a good idea. Everything else is kinda dependant on what you are using for a machine controller, so I left the G-Code program "unfinished" on purpose. I could add a header and footer to the program that you could edit to work with any particular machine. Would that work?

Thanks,
Scott

Scott,

I could add a header and footer to the program that you could edit to work with any particular machine

I agree, I think that would work.

Just curious, what do you program with, C++? :cheers:

Jerry

Jerry,
This program was written in Visual Basic 6.

Scott

you may want to add a % sign in for first and last line most controler need this

you may want to add a % sign in for first and last line most controler need this

Yep, this would also be covered by adding customizable header and footer text (see above post).

Thanks,
Scott

Well, StickFont has been updated and moved to it's new home. There is also a new page for it that can be accessed from the NCPlot main page. The new link is:

www.ncplot.com/stickfont/Setup_StickFont_v1.exe

There are a few changes from the version I posted yesterday:

I added settings for header and footer text. The header text is output before the G-Code and the footer is output after.

The mouse wheel now works for zooming in and out.

I fixed the Exit menu.

Let me know if you have any problems with it.

Thanks,
Scott

Nice utility, worked well, just a couple of points.....
When I enter text for header.eg 'TEST1' the G code adds the first block to this.
eg. TEST1G00Z0.0
Also my preference for code is to have a space between the G,X,Y etc., I find easier to read.

Nice utility, worked well, just a couple of points.....
When I enter text for header.eg 'TEST1' the G code adds the first block to this.
eg. TEST1G00Z0.0
Also my preference for code is to have a space between the G,X,Y etc., I find easier to read.

Hi Kiwi,
For the header, the G-Code will start wherever the header text ends, so in this case just hit the <enter> key at the end of the line to bring the cursor down to the beginning of the next line.

If you need to change the formatting of the resulting G-Code, just download NCPlot :banana: it will add spaces to the program, along with lot's of other formatting tools.

Thanks,
Scott

Who would like to try out this program for me? I just finished with it, and would be grateful if some of you could try it out before I put up a page for it on NCPlot.com. :cheers:

This program creates G-Code from text using a single-stroke font. There are options for size, location, angle plus the G-Code settings. There is only one font file, but more can be added later. The font file is in ASCII format that's easy to understand, so if you want to, you can create your own fonts.

The link to the download is:
www.ncplot.com/stickfont/Setup_StickFont_v1.exe

By the way, this will be freeware. :cool:

Thanks,
Scott

Scott,

Any chance that you could work with Bobcad to improve their back plot functions. I have been pushing them to impliment sub program functions to reduce program lengths for some time now. If you can do this for them they might compinsate you very well. Just a thought. Ok maybe a dream, but a good one :D

Scott,

Any chance that you could work with Bobcad to improve their back plot functions. I have been pushing them to impliment sub program functions to reduce program lengths for some time now. If you can do this for them they might compinsate you very well. Just a thought. Ok maybe a dream, but a good one :D

Hmmm.... I'm sure it's a lot harder to write software that can create programs that use subs than it is to just backplot them. But who knows? I've seen this link:

http://management.cadalyst.com/cadman/product/productDetail.jsp?id=357719

Maybe they took your advice and already added it for V22 :D

Scott

Hmmm.... I'm sure it's a lot harder to write software that can create programs that use subs than it is to just backplot them. But who knows? I've seen this link:

http://management.cadalyst.com/cadman/product/productDetail.jsp?id=357719

Maybe they took your advice and already added it for V22 :D

Scott

YES, Someone else posted it in the BCC area, LOL, and I posted it everywhere :D
I guess the excitement was overwhelming for me. BCC gets a lot of B.S. but it's my main Software for doing everything. If you get used to it you can do just about anything. After a while it gets annoying and as Human Nature we all want more.

So what is your NCPlot, a Script Based Program? I thought it was software.
You could also make it an Add-On Plug In or something. BCC users would Love your NCPlot intergraded into BCC. Not to mention you might be able to retire on the royalties :)

YES, Someone else posted it in the BCC area, LOL, and I posted it everywhere :D
I guess the excitement was overwhelming for me. BCC gets a lot of B.S. but it's my main Software for doing everything. If you get used to it you can do just about anything. After a while it gets annoying and as Human Nature we all want more.

So what is your NCPlot, a Script Based Program? I thought it was software.
You could also make it an Add-On Plug In or something. BCC users would Love your NCPlot intergraded into BCC. Not to mention you might be able to retire on the royalties :)

NCPlot is written in VB6. As for making it a plug-in to BobCAD, that's an interesting thought. I know that Tim Markoski makes a BobCAD plug-in version of Machinist Toolbox, perhaps I could do the same. I guess it would depend on how many BobCAD users would be interested in seeing this. Of course, by the sounds of it, V22 is going to have better simulation so it may not matter. Anyway, retiring on the royalties sounds like a good plan to me ;)

Scott

NCPlot is written in VB6. As for making it a plug-in to BobCAD, that's an interesting thought. I know that Tim Markoski makes a BobCAD plug-in version of Machinist Toolbox, perhaps I could do the same. I guess it would depend on how many BobCAD users would be interested in seeing this. Of course, by the sounds of it, V22 is going to have better simulation so it may not matter. Anyway, retiring on the royalties sounds like a good plan to me ;)

Scott

Believe me it won't have sub programming or User Macro B type ability. As for users that would want NCPlot Plug In. Most of the heavy hitters would. I have sent them to your site and the first thing they say is, "the backplot in NCPlot is better than BCC's, wish there was a Plug-In".

Believe me it won't have sub programming or User Macro B type ability. As for users that would want NCPlot Plug In. Most of the heavy hitters would. I have sent them to your site and the first thing they say is, "the backplot in NCPlot is better than BCC's, wish there was a Plug-In".

Well, I can look into it, but I'm not too hopeful that BobCAD would be eager to allow a plug-in that works better than their own stuff :p

Scott

Well, I can look into it, but I'm not too hopeful that BobCAD would be eager to allow a plug-in that works better than their own stuff :p

Scott

True, but worth a shot. CNCdude is Chris Corbell at BobCad. Who knows he might like the idea.