Help needed identifying Control Software for engraver

[Dan Craig]

I'm gathering the parts to build a CNC engraver. I'm going with a moving gantry style, and will be engraving fairly shallow on acrylic and some aluminum.

I machine flow gauges out of acrylic and then (manually) engrave a scale onto one face of the acrylic. The catch is that because we individually calibrate each gauge - the location and spacing of the scale and it's divisions is different for every gauge.

What I want to be able to do is use a specific location as home, probably one corner and then jog to the location of the first division notate / index it somehow, then jog to the next division and notate / index it and so forth, then I want to apply a particular scale range to those positions and have the machine do the rest (which would include milling the main division line, the sub-divisions based on the scale range, and the corresponding values).

Does that make sense? I've tried searching this and other control software forums, but wasn't successful because I wasn't sure what to search for, so then I read a lot of posts, but haven't been successful in finding info about what I'm trying to do.

I'm (of course) looking for lower cost solutions, because I'm building this to demonstrate that CNC will not only save us time and money in the long run, but that it will have many uses that may not even have been thought up yet.

TIA

[lakeside]

You basically want to take an arc divide it equally with a know start point most any software should be able to do this

[Dan Craig]

that does sound logical...however, the gauge is in a straight line, and the major divisions are neither equal, nor the same from one gauge to another.

Also, maybe I was being overly simplistic with the home location, that's likely little more than the location of an edge or two.

Does this still describe most any software?

[lakeside]

allt cad/cam software have point locations from there you you can program and at first I was thinking you where doing a round gauge

[Kiwi]

Dan..Can you give us example of your requirements eg:
X0 Y0; Line Start
X1 Y0; Line End
first division notate (text "0")
X0 Y.5; Line Start
X1 Y.5; Line End
second division notate (text "10")
X0 Y.75; Line Start
X1 Y.75; Line End
second division notate (text "20")
X0 Y1; Line Start
X1 Y1; Line End
third division notate (text "30")
Then repeat 10 times with the lines spaced at a scale relative to the first three with appropiate text.
If this is the sort of thing you want a macro or VB program should be able to generate code to do this.

[Dan Craig]

I will try to give an example.

Gauge #1 - 200-600 gpm
X0 Y3; Line Start
X5 Y3; Line End
first division notate (text "200")
X0 Y6; Line Start
X5 Y6; Line End
second division notate (text "300")
X0 Y8.5; Line Start
X5 Y8.5; Line End
third division notate (text "400")
X0 Y12; Line Start
X5 Y12; Line End
fourth division notate (text "500")
X0 Y13; Line Start
X5 Y13; Line End
fifth division notate (text "600")

(The sub-divisions between the major divisions are typically limited to 4, but should be even quarters.)

Gauge #2 - 200-600 gpm
X0 Y2.75; Line Start
X5 Y2.75; Line End
first division notate (text "200")
X0 Y4.5; Line Start
X5 Y4.5; Line End
second division notate (text "300")
X0 Y8; Line Start
X5 Y8; Line End
third division notate (text "400")
X0 Y11.5; Line Start
X5 Y11.5; Line End
fourth division notate (text "500")
X0 Y13.5; Line Start
X5 Y13.5; Line End
fifth division notate (text "600")

Once again with the sub-divisions in quarters.

Note that gauge #1 and #2 are both 200-600gpm gauges but their major divisions are in different locations. That is a result of individual calibration of each gauge - so no two gauges are likely to ever be exactly the same - which is why I want to be able to jog to a location - notate it somehow (preferably not on paper) then jog to the next location, etc., then apply a scale to those locations and split the major divisions into quarters. I don't want to have to manually change my gcode each time I go to engrave. The idea is to save time, not increase the learning curve exponentially.

I realize that I can spit out gcode with vb or a macro, but those methods require *some* input - whether it's via jogging to a location, or manually inputting data. The jogging method is preferable to me.

Thanks again.

[lakeside]

I would agree with Kiwi. You should be looking at macro progamming. What type of controller do you have

[Dan Craig]

Ah, that's the thing. I don't have a controller or driver or motors yet. I'm open to suggestions of controllers and software which will make this process the easiest and fastest.

[Kiwi]

Dan..
My thoughts are that you have a VB program that you enter in the known Y figures and this program generates the GCode which you then send via your PC to the controller.
Is your engraver also to do the text?

[Kiwi]

Dan
On reading your post #6 again you said <notate it somehow (preferably not on paper)> but in the last paragraph you say <with vb or a macro, but those methods require *some* input >. Sounds like you need a controller that is purpose built/programed.
I believe the FAGOR controllers can be programed to special needs. Suggest you contact the nearest agent.
I may be able to help with a VB program but unable to advise about getting your figures directly into a macro or a PC program.

[lakeside]

if your looking for an all in one plug and play type retrofit you have a lot of options myself I've always liked prototrak http://www.southwesternindustries.com/swi/
even with a stander contoller you can run macro on the pc and then send code to controller

[Dan Craig]

Yeah, I can see how this could be a bit problematic.

Maybe what I'm looking for is a DRO setup interfaced to the PC which can take the Y figures and put them into an output file of some type - which I can then run the VB script against to generate the gcode.

Yes the engraver should also do the text. However, that shouldn't be much of a problem if you already have the X and Y coords available to the script.

Is anyone familiar with this? http://groups. yahoo.com/group/CheapAss/ (Edit: I don't know what happened to the URL? It won't parse correctly? You'll have to copy and paste and remove the [space] between "groups." and "yahoo".)

It's a computer based DRO and more. Maybe that's part of my solution.

The question still remains though, since I'm building fresh - moving gantry style, I can choose drivers, controllers, motors, etc. as desired. Of course I'm trying to stay cheap since it's on my budget until I can get it working. If I were to try to use the CheapAss DRO - it looks like I'd be on windows. Is there a reason not to use Mach?