some very simple questions

[metalworkz]

Hi Teyber,
Does the image displayed on the Mach3 screen look correct? If it does not look correct and there are large circles where there should be arcs then it may have something to do with the IJ Mode in Mach3.
Regards,

[Teyber12]

ah, thanks for the reminder. it doesn't get far enough to show anything reconizable. Ill fool around with the i/j settings man thank you!

[John S.]

That error means either the drawing is bad and the arcs don't meet up or Mach is in Absolute arcs.

Most likely the second option, go into cofig on the top Mach toolbar, select General Config and in the middle left of the screen are two radio buttons marked ABS and INC, select INC, click Ok then exit.

The not showing enough is either because it can't read all the code [ solution above ] or it's still in demo mode.

Without a license it can only process 150 lines of code so if you have loaded say a engraved badge with 1,000's of lines it will only process 150 lines and you will only see part of the badge.

John S.

[jmerson]

I have a simple question which is, How or can a drawing be imported into the program and then converted into a DXF file? If so how?
Thanks,
Jim

[Teyber12]

I have a simple question which is, How or can a drawing be imported into the program and then converted into a DXF file? If so how?
Thanks,
Jim

not 100% sure what your asking but i find that the only way i can move from cad to cam is by exporting the drawing from dolphin cad ad a dxf then opening the dxf in cam software. I have not opened up a dxf in dolphin cad though sorry

and sorry about the PM i thought you were a confused old folk, didn't notice your post here and that you had dolphin lol.

good luck!

[harley4ever]

Once you create a drawing, you can export as a dxf. Its pointless though if you are using dolphin for both.

[jmerson]

Harley and Teyber,
Thanks for the replys but as usual I didn't explain myself clearly. I'm trying to draw a part, scan it and import to the computer or import directly into Dolphin Cad or Cam program. At that point I'd like to make the drawing into a DXF file so I can alter it and make into a useable file so I can make toolpaths and cut the part. I bought a nice Chevaluer Mill last fall and worked all winter and spring getting the program to work, finally buying a dongle after 58 emails between the UK and Rodney and Traci. Anyway I have done so many trial and error moves to make this thing work that I'm trying to find a short cut to importing and making a DXF file. My son has a Sign Shop with a lot of computers and powerfull programs but I hate to bother him to convert to DXF. So what I'd like to know is it possible to scan a drawing, import into Dolphin and just save it as a DXF file? It seems like when I try to save the drawing I get an error message, There aren't any contours or segments to save. Than may not be the exact wordage but the program won't save the file as it is. That was a lot of words and I still may not have explained it correctly. If it's possible please let me know?

Thanks for now,

Jim

[Teyber12]

Im really not sure here but i think you need to create contours for everything you want to machine. once again im in the same boat- just trial and erroring (lol funny tense) but theres a good video on the website about creating contours.

Hopefully someone who really knows the software can give you a work around.

cheers!

[Teyber12]

OK back for some quick questions. I am in japan and there is a LOT of time alone here without the internet (plane ride, et cetera) so i have been practicing dolphin and getting a lot better (in that i can finally go from from cad to cam and have it follow pretty much how i want lol).

When i tell it to facemill, it asks me how many passes i want to do the .1875" face mill in. However, i can't figure out in pocket, goround, or areaclear how to tell it that i can't cut 1.375" of plastic in 1 pass lol. How do i do this in more then one passes?

thanks so much! i have some more questions but i figure ill try to sort out the easiest ones first.

thanks!

[John S.]

Under tooling Definitions double click on the tool you want to use and you will get this menu.



Under tool dimensions you have the diameter of the tool, the lead only applies to drills and is to take into concideration the pointy bit.

The length is nor critical as it's only the visual represtation of the tool, this figure isn't used in the code.

Cut depth is the critical one, this tells the tool how much to remover per cut, it may cut less as it equals the cuts out over the total depth but it should never cut more. In the example above it limits the cutter to 3mm depth.

Tip radius is what it says and is needed when calculating merged paths.

John S.

[ImanCarrot]

When you click on the "Face Mill" option then click on it in the panel.It should bring up your face mill options. See the "Swathe" option down the right hand bottom- that's your tool overlap, usualy defaults to 70%- that means that after the first pass 70% of the tool will be cutting on the next pass- stick it to 50% for a half overlap on the tool or even 25% so that 75% of the tool overlaps. Fool about with the Swathe option and run the simulation till you get the amount of cuts you want.

Area Clear is the same- see the 4th Tab "Options"?- Swathe is up the top under that.

Pocket is the same (except it goes from 0- 1, not 0% - 100% so 0.7= 70%)

If you're pocketing you could go for large Z depths and a small overlap- you'd be side milling then so be sure to climb cut and use the uni- directional tab.

Or on face milling you could lie to it and tell it the diameter of the tool is half what it actualy is. Don't do this on pocketing or the pocket will end up bigger than you want.

Or on face milling you could lie again and tell it the limits of the face mill operation are (say) an inch over the edge of the part.

Lots of ways to do it.

I think that's what you meant?

[Teyber12]

You guys are awsome! thanks so much your great advice helped and i sorted that problem

One more problem lol.

click on the thumbnail for a bigger picture.

I want to create a contour of that entire outside shape, then have each of the slots/holes in the middle their own contour. However, i only know how to create contours of segments which would make the cam quite cumbersome. How do i select multiple segments at once (ie. you can see how i hovered over a "segment" which would be a contour in the picture, not the entire outer shape)?

second: is there a way to "pan" in the cad? i can't seem to figure it out

also third and final. I have been wanting to ask this for a while.

I want to make this type of thing

(click for bigger version)
with the tool on the right (slitting saw). I was reading in the manual i can create my own tooling (say the slitting saw) but would it be possible to create this sort of thing? the key is when its cutting the z cannot move, so would just "move to (x,y,z)" then goround a circle then move to (x,y,z)" be the only way i could do it?

does that make sense? lol sorry if it doesn't, im a bit tired.

Thanks so much gang