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    Default Digitizing

    G'day all,

    just wondering if anyone knows of any cad or cam software that i can use for digitizing parts to reverse engineer. The machine came with a probe and also a software disc but unfortunately the disc was corrupt and no longer available plus it was very old technology. Any ideas would be welcome.

    Thanks

    Cheers Bob

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    Regards Bob


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    Member deadlykitten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digitizing

    hy, is possible to use the cnc, in order to measure complex parts, by using a 3d taster, or a renishaw, so to 1st gather data

    such data can be analyzed, even if a random software disc is corrupt don't worry about the disc, but about how to get data out from machine; if this is not possible, then get a pen and a piece of paper

    please share a few parts, so to have a clue about needed shape complexity; also, for calibration process, i need to know desired accuracy, so to be sure that measuring process is accurate enough / kindly



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    Member Algirdas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digitizing

    as deadlykitten told already, it depends on the complexity of the parts. There are many kinds of 3D scanners on the market, designed for that very purpose. This for instance: human foot scanner
    The choice depends highly on the accuracy you need.



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    Default Re: Digitizing

    Quote Originally Posted by deadlykitten View Post
    hy, is possible to use the cnc, in order to measure complex parts, by using a 3d taster, or a renishaw, so to 1st gather data

    such data can be analyzed, even if a random software disc is corrupt don't worry about the disc, but about how to get data out from machine; if this is not possible, then get a pen and a piece of paper

    please share a few parts, so to have a clue about needed shape complexity; also, for calibration process, i need to know desired accuracy, so to be sure that measuring process is accurate enough / kindly
    Yes i have done the pen and paper thing on some parts. The machine is capable of sending the digitised points to a PC program for then converting to cnc code. All i need is a program that can save these points for that to happen. It is already set up with a probe

    Regards Bob


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    Member deadlykitten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digitizing

    hy it may be possible to analyze data without a software

    if you wish, please share a few exemples



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    Default Re: Digitizing

    Quote Originally Posted by deadlykitten View Post
    hy it may be possible to analyze data without a software

    if you wish, please share a few exemples
    For one example intake and exhaust ports on a cylinder head. Also combustion chambers

    Regards Bob


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    Default Re: Digitizing

    aa, pfff, i don't know how those look like, but jim does

    i am asking, in order to understand if shape is 2 2.5 3d; also, is posible to simplify data, because some 3d shapes can be handle by 2d toolpaths

    so far, i have measured 2d beziers, 2.5 shapes from a part that was casted, and 3d tilted cilinders

    are you going to a fancy race, or something ? space rockest with exaust ? kindly



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    Default Re: Digitizing

    Quote Originally Posted by deadlykitten View Post
    aa, pfff, i don't know how those look like, but jim does

    i am asking, in order to understand if shape is 2 2.5 3d; also, is posible to simplify data, because some 3d shapes can be handle by 2d toolpaths

    so far, i have measured 2d beziers, 2.5 shapes from a part that was casted, and 3d tilted cilinders

    are you going to a fancy race, or something ? space rocket with exhaust ? kindly
    Haha no space rocket. The idea of digitizing the ports is to get best flow characteristics in one port then digitize to pc and end up with a cam file to then cnc port the rest of the ports to the same dimensions

    Regards Bob


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    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digitizing

    From what you have said it would seem that there is a probing routine in your machine software. There is a lot of software available to convert a point cloud to several different CAD type formats.

    So the piece you are missing is that which would log the probe coordinates to a .CSV or other delimited text file to export the data. From a programming perspective this is a pretty basic function: Read the current DRO data, and append to a file, rinse/repeat. But if you don't have the source code for the machine software, then this is not really possible. One possibility would be a macro if your software supports that.

    What machine controller/software do you have?

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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    Default Re: Digitizing

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Dawson View Post
    From what you have said it would seem that there is a probing routine in your machine software. There is a lot of software available to convert a point cloud to several different CAD type formats.

    So the piece you are missing is that which would log the probe coordinates to a .CSV or other delimited text file to export the data. From a programming perspective this is a pretty basic function: Read the current DRO data, and append to a file, rinse/repeat. But if you don't have the source code for the machine software, then this is not really possible. One possibility would be a macro if your software supports that.

    What machine controller/software do you have?
    G'day Jim, yes the machine supports those routines. I only need a software that i can send all the points to to then make a model and then the code to machine it. The controller is Heidenhain tmc 360. Like i mentioned the machine originally came with the pc software but unfortunately that disc is no longer an option for me.

    Regards Bob


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    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digitizing

    I really don't see any easy way to do what you want. The problem is that you don't have any way to program your machine to output the data.

    Mach3 has some kind of plugin for probing/digitizing. I would guess Mach4 would have that also. Centroid also has a digitizing function. https://www.centroidcnc.com/cnc_digitizing.html I think I see a controls upgrade in your future if you want to do this on your machine.

    A cheap alternative would be to build a ''CMM'' out of a cheap router table, obviously would not have the same resolution as a commercial CMM, but might be close enough for your needs. Or find a broken commercial CMM, and do a controls upgrade, I have seen a few of these around in the US for what is effectively scrap price.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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    Member Algirdas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digitizing

    I fully agree with Mr. deadlykitten.
    In case if you do scanning -> complex processing -> transfer to machinetool already , then you can use the same technology for shapes you mentioned.
    But today I would do 3D models of the part just sitting by the CAD computer with manual slide-calliper. This gives many advantages versus scanned model.
    Once I did 3D model of artpiece, because the scanned was very difficult to prepare for machining process.



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    Member deadlykitten's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digitizing

    it can be done with smartphone, using an ocr software is possible, for example, to run a macro from a smarphone, that gets data through ocr from cnc scrren, thus one simply has to point his phone towards the machine, then perform some math, and create a program, or show some result

    or record video sesion, and i will extract data from it ...

    no need for fancy stuff

    i just remembered : no need for renishaw or 3d taster, but also with a dial indicator ( that is mounted free, randomly tilted, not aligned among z axis ) is possible to digitize, up to a point, off course

    Last edited by deadlykitten; 09-22-2021 at 03:26 PM.


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