Problem doing the tutorial

[titchener]

I'm trying to evaluate Sheetcam by working through the tutorials, but somehow I must be totally missing what this program is supposed to do.

In Tutorial 1 I'm fine through the point where you've set up dimensions, defined the machine, the workpiece size and defined a tool, that all makes sense.

Defining a Contour makes sense to me, although the Layer selection is a little confusing. Sometimes when I've tried the tutorial no layers were available to select, but sometimes TEXT was available. I don't get that and where the Label names are supposed to come from and how they are supposed to be used.

The next step "Generate the Tool Paths" I really don't get. The Help file at that point says you will be generating the tool paths, but I don't understand how you are supposed to do that at this point. The Help file shows the letters CAM having appeared in the display, where were those supposed to come from?

And once they are there, how do you edit them?

Same deal for creating pockets, I don't get how you actually create them.

What am I missing here?

Thanks,

Paul T.

[The Wizard]

Originally Posted by titchener I'm trying to evaluate Sheetcam by working through the tutorials, but somehow I must be totally missing what this program is supposed to do. In Tutorial 1 I'm fine through the point where you've set up dimensions, defined the machine, the workpiece size and defined a tool, that all makes sense.

Hi Paul,

First off are you working from a downloaded version of the tutorials from the SheetCam website or are you starting the tutorials from the 'Help/Tutorials' menu item within the SheetCam program? If the latter is the case then the required drawing and job files should load and you should be able to follow along quite easily.

Defining a Contour makes sense to me, although the Layer selection is a little confusing. Sometimes when I've tried the tutorial no layers were available to select, but sometimes TEXT was available. I don't get that and where the Label names are supposed to come from and how they are supposed to be used.

The layer names 'default' to the layer names in the original DXF file but new layers can be added within SheetCam (if required) and all layers can be renamed within SheetCam (again if required).

The next step "Generate the Tool Paths" I really don't get. The Help file at that point says you will be generating the tool paths, but I don't understand how you are supposed to do that at this point. The Help file shows the letters CAM having appeared in the display, where were those supposed to come from?

Have you been pressing any of the 'View' buttons (the buttons in the top left corner of the screen below the menu items) prior to starting the tutorials? You could have turned 'off' the 'Show input paths' button inadvertently which will stop you seeing the word 'CAM'. If you 'hover' the mouse over the buttons a 'pop up' text box will show each button's function. The buttons are 'active' when they appear as if they are 'depressed'.

To generate the tool path you need to press the 'P' button (for post process) after you have set up your tools and processes.

And once they are there, how do you edit them?

There are several ways to edit them but it depends on just what you are trying to do.

Same deal for creating pockets, I don't get how you actually create them. What am I missing here?

I think that if you make sure the 'View' buttons are turned on initially and you start the tutorials from the 'Help/Tutorials' menu item things should be a whole lot easier to follow.

If you still have problems shout up and don't forget there is a very active and helpful support group on Yahoo Groups (details on how to join are on the SheetCam website).

Larry Green

[titchener]

I think maybe I don't understand the overall flow of using this program-

With SheetCam are you always starting with a drawing read in to the program or can you originate any cutting moves from directly inside Sheetcam?

If I always start with a drawing read in, what low cost package would you recommend to do that drawing with?

If you can specify cutting moves or bolt hole circles inside SheetCam, how do you do it, I don't see any documentation on how to do that?

For new users of CAD/CAM like me, an overall design flow outline in the beginning of the tutorial would be helpful (if its there and I missed it, my bad).

Thanks

Paul T.

[The Wizard]

Originally Posted by titchener I think maybe I don't understand the overall flow of using this program- With SheetCam are you always starting with a drawing read in to the program or can you originate any cutting moves from directly inside Sheetcam?

SheetCam will open DXF, HPGL or Excillon files. Most CAM packages are an intermediate step between an existing drawing and the CNC machine controller. They take the drawing data and convert it to G-code commands to save the long winded and sometimes error prone task of manually writing the program by hand.

You can generate 'snippets' of G-code within SheetCam but it was never intended to be a 'full blown' G-code editor.

If I always start with a drawing read in, what low cost package would you recommend to do that drawing with?

That depends on what type of work you intend to produce. If you are intending to make mechanical type parts there are several free CAD drawing packages available on the net that are more than capable of producing drawings SheetCam can use. If you are looking at more art related parts then an early version of something like Corel Draw (available on the net or Ebay ..you don't need the lastest and most expensive version) will be more than adequate.

If you can specify cutting moves or bolt hole circles inside SheetCam, how do you do it, I don't see any documentation on how to do that?

It is far easier to produce things like this in a drawing package and open the drawing in SheetCam.

For new users of CAD/CAM like me, an overall design flow outline in the beginning of the tutorial would be helpful (if its there and I missed it, my bad).

You have raised a good point and it is something that could be useful. Les Newell is the creator of SheetCam and he asked me if I could write the 'help' file for him (I didn't write the tutorials) as he was very involved with the programming side (plus I was a technical writer/illustrator before becoming medically disabled). I am currently writing the 'new' help file for the next release and I will make sure I include the relevant info in the introduction section.

Basically the flow for 'most' CAD/CAM situations is as follows:

1) Create your part/design in either a CAD package or an 'art' application like Corel Draw.

2) Open/import the drawing as a DXF, HPGL or Excillon file into the CAM program and set up your tooling sizes and cutting processes. Once these are set run the 'post processor' to generate the required G-code.

3) (Optional but very worthwhile) Run the generated G-code in a CNC simulator (lots of free versions available on the net) to check for any errors (like the tool trying to bury itself 2 feet below the level of the table!)

4) Once the code has been verified open the G-code file in your CNC control package and run the program to create the part.

I hope the above information helps you to get a clearer picture of the process and that you can get to work with SheetCam in a more productive way now. SheetCam is very powerful at what it does but it does need to be 'fed' the correct information in order to perform correctly.

Larry

[titchener]

Okay, I've got a better understanding now. I use Autosketch now for my 2D drawings, and I was able to generate a .DFX file from that program for a simple part and then read it into SheetCam.

However, it seemed to read every component of the drawing (dimensions, text comments, etc.) into SheetCam, as far as I can tell as elements that SheetCam thinks I want to cut out of the workpiece.

I'm assuming this is a problem you would have reading in any documented drawing, how am I supposed to filter this stuff out so that SheetCam only gets the actual part outlines? I realize I could make a stripped down version of the drawing, but that would be a pain to have to do for every design.

Also sorry if I'm being a dumb ass, but now that I have this part read into SheetCam, I still don't under stand how I'm supposed to create a cutting path from the part outlines that have been read in. I guess I don't understand how I'm supposed to associate a particular contour with the line elements that were read in.

Thanks,

Paul T.

[The Wizard]

[QUOTE=titchener]Okay, I've got a better understanding now. I use Autosketch now for my 2D drawings, and I was able to generate a .DFX file from that program for a simple part and then read it into SheetCam.

However, it seemed to read every component of the drawing (dimensions, text comments, etc.) into SheetCam, as far as I can tell as elements that SheetCam thinks I want to cut out of the workpiece.

I'm assuming this is a problem you would have reading in any documented drawing, how am I supposed to filter this stuff out so that SheetCam only gets the actual part outlines? I realize I could make a stripped down version of the drawing, but that would be a pain to have to do for every design.

Also sorry if I'm being a dumb ass, but now that I have this part read into SheetCam, I still don't under stand how I'm supposed to create a cutting path from the part outlines that have been read in. I guess I don't understand how I'm supposed to associate a particular contour with the line elements that were read in. [/QOUTE]

No problem Paul, we all had to start somewhere and at least you are asking the right questions........the only dumb question is the one you didn't ask!

I did see you joined the Yahoo support group and you will get a lot of help on there. Just remember that layers are vital to working with CAM software. Getting into 'good draughting' habits will speed up the work flow considerably.

Larry