Digitizing with PathPilot

[Tbkahuna]

I wanted to do some 3D surface digitizing using my Tormach 1100 and PathPilot. I used the "gridprobe.ngc" program posted elsewhere as the starting point. There is also a "smartprobe.ngc" program as well. In the comments its states that the results of the digitizing is stored in the same directory as the .ini file. Within PathPilot I could not figure out how to even find the resulting file. I didn't want or need to do anything outside of PathPilot for accessing the files, and since my controller is wirelessly networked, I can directly access the data for processing on my laptop on that network. I poked around for a while and found where I thought the main file screen in PathPilot is pointing. I inserted the path in the gridprobe program and the data showed up right where I wanted it, in the PathPilot file screens. It worked with great success.

The path that points to the main PathPilot files screen is:

//home/operator/gcode/

I wanted the data stored in a folder named "Probe" so the PROBEOPEN command in the gridprobe file is:

(PROBEOPEN //home/operator/gcode/Probe/probe-results.txt)

I edit the program to change the file name "probe-results.txt" that stores the digitizing results as I run it so the data doesn't overwrite anything that was already done. This is a key thing to remember.

I did some very minor processing of the data by importing into Microsoft Excel. I had a minor problem with the parsing of the data on import to Excel. It was due to a very small part of the data from the probing which resulted in positive Z values while all of the rest were negative. There are different ways to parse the data, but something to keep in mind to make it an automatic process and not need corrections or adjustments.

I then exported the file as a .CSV file. I opened Alibre/Geomagic/?? and simply imported the x,y,z data in the .CSV file and had it automatically connect the points as splines. It worked great, and very quickly. The data went from the text file to a 3D sketch I could work with in Alibre.

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[brianbonedoc]

Thats amazing - can you post some pics?

[FuriousGeorge]

AWESOME!!!!!!! Thank you so much for figuring this out! Time to give it a try!

[Concepts_Design]

I wanted to do some 3D surface digitizing using my Tormach 1100 and PathPilot. I used the "gridprobe.ngc" program posted elsewhere as the starting point. There is also a "smartprobe.ngc" program as well. In the comments its states that the results of the digitizing is stored in the same directory as the .ini file. Within PathPilot I could not figure out how to even find the resulting file. I didn't want or need to do anything outside of PathPilot for accessing the files, and since my controller is wirelessly networked, I can directly access the data for processing on my laptop on that network. I poked around for a while and found where I thought the main file screen in PathPilot is pointing. I inserted the path in the gridprobe program and the data showed up right where I wanted it, in the PathPilot file screens. It worked with great success.

The path that points to the main PathPilot files screen is:

//home/operator/gcode/

I wanted the data stored in a folder named "Probe" so the PROBEOPEN command in the gridprobe file is:

(PROBEOPEN //home/operator/gcode/Probe/probe-results.txt)

I edit the program to change the file name "probe-results.txt" that stores the digitizing results as I run it so the data doesn't overwrite anything that was already done. This is a key thing to remember.

I did some very minor processing of the data by importing into Microsoft Excel. I had a minor problem with the parsing of the data on import to Excel. It was due to a very small part of the data from the probing which resulted in positive Z values while all of the rest were negative. There are different ways to parse the data, but something to keep in mind to make it an automatic process and not need corrections or adjustments.

I then exported the file as a .CSV file. I opened Alibre/Geomagic/?? and simply imported the x,y,z data in the .CSV file and had it automatically connect the points as splines. It worked great, and very quickly. The data went from the text file to a 3D sketch I could work with in Alibre.

How does one go about actually loading and running the program for gridprobe.ngc ? I can't find any documentation on it at all.

Thanks
Kyle

[Tbkahuna]

It is a gcode program that works with the probe. You just load the program and run it with the probe installed and hooked up. I don't remember seeing too much else about it. Just enough to get me pointed in the right direction.

[Concepts_Design]

It is a gcode program that works with the probe. You just load the program and run it with the probe installed and hooked up. I don't remember seeing too much else about it. Just enough to get me pointed in the right direction.

is there a certain way or position to set the work off set? do you have to enter the overall size like had to be done in the Mach3 wizard?

[Tbkahuna]

The wizard would create the gcode file based on input parameters. The probe program is already written so you just enter the parameter values directly in the program (see lines 11 to 21 below). It runs in the work offset the machine is currently using.

The program just loops through using the start point, step size, and number of steps you want for each axis and stores the values for the probe location when the probe is triggered during the motion. See line 42 - it moves in the Z direction towards the value stored in #8, until the probe is triggered. It stores the value, the probe moves back up and to the next x,y location, and does it again until you have covered your grid setup in the parameters. I just made sure the Z height cleared the object I was digitizing so it didn't trigger during an x or y move. (that is for gathering Z data in a grid pattern at known X,Y locations)

You can change the program to loop in a different sequence to get values from movement in other directions. I do Z movement the most, and have done X movement for digitizing a profile.


( Rectangular Probing )
2 ( )
3 ( This program repeatedly probes in a regular XY grid and writes the )
4 ( probed location to the file 'probe-results.ngc' in the same directory )
5 ( as the .ini file )
6

7 (Configuration section)
8 G20 (Inches)
9 F20 (probe speed)
10

11 #1=-1 (X start)
12 #2=.04 (X increment)
13 #3=51 (X count)
14

15 #4=-1
16 #5=.04
17 #6=51 (Y count)
18

19 #7=1.1 (Z safety)
20 #8=-.1 (Z probe)
21 (End configuration section)
22

23 (LOGOPEN,probe-results.ngc)
24 #9=0 #10=0
25 G0Z#7
26 O1 while [#9 lt #6]
27 #10=0
28 G0 Y[#4+#5*#9]
29 O2 while [#10 lt #3]
30 O3 if [[#9/2] - fix[#9/2] eq 0]
31 #11=[#1+#2*#10]
32 O3 else
33 #11=[#1+#2*[#3-#10-1]]
34 O3 endif
35 (#11 is X target)
36 #5070=1
37 O4 while [#5070 NE 0]
38 G38.5 z#7
39 G38.3 x#11
40 O4 endwhile
41

42 G38.2Z#8
43 (LOG,G1 X#5061 Y#5062 Z#5063)
44 #10=[#10+1]
45 O2 endwhile
46 G0Z#7
47 #9=[#9+1]
48 O1 endwhile
49

50 (LOGCLOSE)
51 G0Z#7
52 G0X#1Y#4
53 M2

[Concepts_Design]

thanks for your help! cant wait to try this out

[alan_3301]

If you have a lot of digitizing to do, give smartprobe a try, it is many times quicker than gridprobe.
You can change the formatting to whatever you want by editing the LOG line in the gcode. line 43 in gridprobe.ngc
The recorded Z will depend on where you touched off, so if you only want negative Z numbers, just touch off 0 above where the probe will trip.

[samco]

This site also has a smartprobe on steriods.. (I have not used it..)

RETROFIT NORTE VS-2000

http://www.vdwalle.com/Norte/Probe-on-Steroids.txt

sam

[choppero]

I have tried the smartprobe file in pathpilot with the line (PROBEOPEN/home/operator/gcode/PROBE DATA/proberesults.txt). I get a zero byte file in PROBE DATA. And an error message that home/operator/gcode/PROBE DATA/proberesults.txt) is not a valid G code text file format.

Woops I fixed it. Had to include PROBECLOSE at the end of the file. I works. Now to do something with this data

[choppero]

I have tried the smartprobe file in pathpilot with the line (PROBEOPEN/home/operator/gcode/PROBE DATA/proberesults.txt). I get a zero byte file in PROBE DATA. And an error message that home/operator/gcode/PROBE DATA/proberesults.txt) is not a valid G code text file format

- - - Updated - - -

I have discovered that I had to include a PROBECLOSE at the end of the file. Works now

[kstrauss]

Where did you download smartprobe? The version at https://github.com/araisrobo/linuxcn...smartprobe.ngc includes a LOGCLOSE line