V21 surface creation

[banjopup]

OK. All I am attempting to do is engrave some simple phenolic labels. I just installed V21 on my computer which is windows 7. Whenever I go to the solids menu and select extrude surface, the extrude surface menu will not come up. Has anyone else had this problem? I am sure there is something silly that I am missing. However, I have gone thru the training manual step by step for this function and it does not work.

Thanks!

[The Engine Guy]

OK. All I am attempting to do is engrave some simple phenolic labels. I just installed V21 on my computer which is windows 7. Whenever I go to the solids menu and select extrude surface, the extrude surface menu will not come up. Has anyone else had this problem? I am sure there is something silly that I am missing. However, I have gone thru the training manual step by step for this function and it does not work.

Thanks!

Did you create the surface first ? ? Need to do that before you can extrude it.

First select your geometry so it is highlighted, then go to Solids > Surface Creation > Planar Surface and select "Next" button and that will create the surface.

Now go to Solids > Surface Creation > Extrude surface and select the "Next" button and your "Extrude surface" dialog box will appear where you can enter the info for your extrusion.
If you set it with "Caps" it will look like a solid when you use the "Render".

Hope that is of some help to you.

Regards
Rob



.

[banjopup]

I have not even so much as looked at this program (or any other for that matter) since 2005. Apparently I have completely lost my mind. It still does not work. If you have the time and dont mind, could you walk me thru this? I need to run a 2"x8" plastic label with 4 simple lines of text. (times 500 of course).

Thanks for the response!

[The Engine Guy]

I have not even so much as looked at this program (or any other for that matter) since 2005. Apparently I have completely lost my mind. It still does not work. If you have the time and dont mind, could you walk me thru this? I need to run a 2"x8" plastic label with 4 simple lines of text. (times 500 of course).

Thanks for the response!

I don`t have the V21 software on this PC, it is on my PC at home and on my Laptop which is out at another location today so it will be a couple of hours or so before I am home so don`t think I am ignoring you



.

[The Engine Guy]

It should have worked, works OK here.

As I`m not 100% on exactly what you are trying to do I`ve done a small test program for you, it is Zipped so just download and unzip the file and then open the .cad file with your V21 software. I`ve no idea what size of text you need so I just did one line fairly big so it can be easily seen.




If you just want to create some text and machine it into some plastic then you don`t need to be working with surfaces/solids at all, have a look at the attached file and let us know if that`s what you are looking to achieve.

Regards
Rob



.

[banjopup]

Sorry it took me so long to acknowledge this!

Thanks to you I am on the right track. Still trying to figure out how to get the tool ramp and not destroy the workpiece between letters and between labels. I can now draw the labels I want, but I cant seem to get the code generated correctly to actually cut them - jeez I feel like a total beginner!

[The Engine Guy]

Sorry it took me so long to acknowledge this!

Thanks to you I am on the right track. Still trying to figure out how to get the tool ramp and not destroy the workpiece between letters and between labels. I can now draw the labels I want, but I cant seem to get the code generated correctly to actually cut them - jeez I feel like a total beginner!

To start with you will need the correct Post Processor for your machine control, what is the control ? ? Is it Mach3 or a proper commercial built control system ? ?

Once I know that I can download the correct Post and then show you how to get the code right for your control.

Meantime here is the code for the line of text in my last file as generated by a Mach3 Post Processor, if you are running Mach3 then this code should run in the machine:-

N1G40
N2G80
N3G90
N4G54
N5 G00 Z0.5
N6 X2.1173 Y1.3325
N7 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N8 Y1.6825F2
N9 G00 Z0.5
N10 X2.0123
N11 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N12 X2.2223F2
N13 G00 Z0.5
N14 X2.2923
N15 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N16 Y1.3325F2
N17 X2.4673
N18 G00 Z0.5
N19 X2.2923 Y1.5425
N20 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N21 X2.4323F2
N22 G00 Z0.5
N23 X2.4673 Y1.6825
N24 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N25 X2.2923F2
N26 G00 Z0.5
N27 X2.5373
N28 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N29 X2.7823 Y1.3325F2
N30 G00 Z0.5
N31 X2.9573
N32 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N33 Y1.6825F2
N34 G00 Z0.5
N35 X2.8523
N36 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N37 X3.0623F2
N38 G00 Z0.5
N39 X3.2723 Y1.6125
N40 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N41 Y1.4095F2
N42 G00 Z0.5
N43 Y1.413
N44 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N45 Y1.4025F2
N46 X3.2898 Y1.35
N47 X3.3423 Y1.3325
N48 X3.4123
N49 X3.4648 Y1.35
N50 X3.4823 Y1.4025
N51 Y1.6125
N52 X3.4648 Y1.665
N53 X3.4123 Y1.6825
N54 X3.3423
N55 X3.2898 Y1.665
N56 X3.2723 Y1.6125
N57 G00 Z0.5
N58 X3.5523 Y1.3325
N59 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N60 Y1.6825F2
N61 X3.7623 Y1.3325
N62 Y1.6825
N63 G00 Z0.5
N64 X3.9723
N65 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N66 Y1.3325F2
N67 X4.1473
N68 G00 Z0.5
N69 X4.2173
N70 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N71 Y1.6825F2
N72 G00 Z0.5
N73 X4.3223
N74 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N75 Y1.3325F2
N76 G00 Z0.5
N77 X4.5323
N78 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N79 X4.3223 Y1.6825F2
N80 G00 Z0.5
N81 X4.5323
N82 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N83 Y1.3325F2
N84 G00 Z0.5
N85 X4.6023
N86 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N87 X4.7773F2
N88 G00 Z0.5
N89 X4.6023
N90 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N91 Y1.6825F2
N92 X4.7773
N93 G00 Z0.5
N94 X4.6023 Y1.5425
N95 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N96 X4.7423F2
N97 G00 Z0.5
N98 X4.9873 Y1.6125
N99 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N100 Y1.4095F2
N101 G00 Z0.5
N102 Y1.413
N103 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N104 Y1.4025F2
N105 X5.0048 Y1.35
N106 X5.0573 Y1.3325
N107 X5.1273
N108 X5.1798 Y1.35
N109 X5.1973 Y1.4025
N110 Y1.6125
N111 X5.1798 Y1.665
N112 X5.1273 Y1.6825
N113 X5.0573
N114 X5.0048 Y1.665
N115 X4.9873 Y1.6125
N116 G00 Z0.5
N117 X5.2673 Y1.3325
N118 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N119 Y1.6825F2
N120 X5.4773 Y1.3325
N121 Y1.6825
N122 G00 Z0.5
N123 X5.5473
N124 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N125 Y1.3325F2
N126 X5.7223
N127 G00 Z0.5
N128 X5.5473 Y1.5425
N129 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N130 X5.6873F2
N131 G00 Z0.5
N132 X5.7223 Y1.6825
N133 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N134 X5.5473F2
N135 G00 Z0.5
N136 X2.7823
N137 G01 Z-0.01F0.05
N138 X2.5373 Y1.3325F2
N139 G00 Z0.5
N140M30
%

The plunge feeds (F0.05) and cutting feeds (F2) you can easily change by opening the file in Notepad and selecting "Replace" and changing them to whatever is comfortable for your machine

Regards
Rob

[banjopup]

here's a quick easy one for you - what is that font called? every font i try to use has a double line to it. i need a single line text

[The Engine Guy]

here's a quick easy one for you - what is that font called? every font i try to use has a double line to it. i need a single line text

The Font is "BobCAD21.5.3" see attached image



Regards
Rob



.