Reducing Lines/Curves/Splines

[tmorrison]

Hi,

I'm trying to send a file to a company to waterjet cut and they've said that there are too many lines and splines for their software to process. I've never had this problem before so I'm hoping to hear some guidance on what my options are to simplify this.

BTW I'm currently using X8 and had exported as a DWG file to send to this company.

Thanks,
TMorrison,

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[bostosh]

If you have mastercam just send them the gcode 2D xy

[tmorrison]

If you have mastercam just send them the gcode 2D xy

Thanks for the reply,

I'm not sure they are overly comfortable with running that, I will try to push that last resort. However is there not any other way to simplify geometry? Holding the shape perfectly isn't crucial as it is an organic shape.

[WOTDesigns]

Thanks for the reply,

I'm not sure they are overly comfortable with running that, I will try to push that last resort. However is there not any other way to simplify geometry? Holding the shape perfectly isn't crucial as it is an organic shape.

Create spline from curve. Select geometry. Then break and select the resolution you would like be it 0.001 lines or 0.005 (5x less).

I use this to break high resolution tiny pasts down to offset a curve. If I do an internal offset on a 0.1" tall design/letter is destroys the design unless I break to 0.0005 first. Using engrave at that resolution MC freaks out and does tons of pointless retract so I have to convert back to spline and break at 0.002" and all is well.

Obviously do it on a new layer as breaking to larger lines isn't reversible the same way.

Standard waterjet kerf marts are bigger than 0.01 so resolution much below that re fairly pointless. They can do better if you want to pay a lot more obviously.

[seijack]

Hi,

I'm trying to send a file to a company to waterjet cut and they've said that there are too many lines and splines for their software to process. I've never had this problem before so I'm hoping to hear some guidance on what my options are to simplify this.

BTW I'm currently using X8 and had exported as a DWG file to send to this company.

Thanks,
TMorrison,

How did you create the geometry? Did you use a raster to vector conversion c-hook to create your cut lines?

[Superman]

I have found success using this method
>>Trim (pulldown)<<
select "Break into Many Pieces"
select ALL splines ( change geometry colour, so you can see what is changed )
set upper toolbar options to "use tolerance" (not the number of segments)....create arcs ( 2 up-side-down curves) ......and Accept

( if you wanted to see any differences........ set the items to "Keep" instead of "Delete"........ set it back to "Delete" before accepting)
- increasing the "tolerance" value allows for greater variance from the original, but also creates less entities

check for open chains using "Analyse Chains".....chaining arrow should be on the closest endpoint of the selected entity of the chain

[spackermen]

its really quite simple. If you go to the edit pull down. Then simplify. Any geometry you select if possible will be converted to arcs. If you have multiple segments, select the chain with "shift" then trim/join entities and that will join any segments of lines that can be joined.

I use it several times daily. Really cleans up your code and makes the machine run much more smoothly through long arcs that are split, or a fairly straightforward line that has been broken into segments. If you have created an edge curve though sometimes you must xform/project/move to a 2d plane before it can recognize that it is one entity.

Let me know if this helps!

[AMG Guitars]

Too many lines huh? I'm guessing the water jet runs a contour path (2d or 3d) with cutter compensation off. There's several ways to simplify.

One method I've used is to filter the toolpath and play around with the tolerance. Then backplot and save it to geometry on another layer. Then you'll have to delete all your rapid z moves by viewing from front or side and hold both mouse buttons while you do that. If you set your clearance high it'll make it easy to delete all those z rapids.

If you wanna turn a whole chain of lines,arcs, and splines into just one spline, you can create spline from curves. Just draw a window around all your geometry and at the end of the conversion you'll just have spline. You can also designate a tolerance when you convert as well.
Simplifying a spline will remove control points, and you'll find that your original geometry has changed somewhat. If it's within your tolerance than it's all good. Just make sure that it is before you simplify.

Another way to do it is by joining lines, arcs, and splines. It will be kinda tedious, but footpath filtering essentially does the same thing.

But all of this is academic because ultimately the water jet company wants a DWG file right? I don't know about DWG but if I export to DXF splines don't get converted and the only way to to get them out as a DXF is the aforementioned toolpath method. Not sure, but DWG may behave similarly.

I wonder how MC converts to DWG. I wouldn't know. I can't open a DWG or save a DWG with my version.
Good luck with that.
Alex

[cadcam]

are you by chance starting with a solid modle or a surface model and you are trying to get a simple profile?

The simplafy can work in a lot of cases. but if you per say a ellipse profile it will not convert to arcs. As the single spline has many arcs in the profile edge. Mastercam will not look at the spline and break it up. so at stime you need to do that your self first on a spline then use the Simplify and you get better results.

As for output of splines in DXF and DWG these are supported under those file format's so you know. but the software they are using to program the water jet my not know how to use them.
I used to us Mastercam many years ago on a waterjet I used to program. I tweaked the post to remove a lot of basics like tools and so on and replace coolant with the code to turn on the garnet for example.

(BTW don't use MC to open your DWG. Use some other program. Better still, use the same program that the water jet company uses.) this statement is bull. Mastercam does a great job opening DWG for almost 30 years I have used it. At time there are issues based on setting from the other software that output it. Just like Step or Iges or Parasolid and others.