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Thread: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

  1. #21
    Member he1957's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Les,

    Is the first DXF file you posted the one you intend to use finally. I don't see any lettering/words in it. Also, what are the overall X and Y limits of the drawing (in inches and/or mm)?

    I'm comparing some of the stuff because I haven't before.


    Thanks.



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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    It was actually an initial trial file to help set up my cnc router and get me familiarised with the whole process, and it was basically a superimposition of a PCB diagram that I want to engrave that goes behind a fascia panel with the engraved lettering. The later one is with the text included because my first attempts with another program would crash when the lettering was added. After I started using Qcad I could reinstate the lettering

    I was asked to start with the CB file and then in the lower left pane click Machining, and go to the Arc Center Mode and select default, I need to do that tonight after work to see if that helps.

    Cheers for all the assistance guys



  3. #23
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    So I have been having a play around, basically going back to basics to try and iron out any errors creeping in by using a new file and being rigorous with drawing units, plus only introducing text in Qcad.

    All looks better, and the CamBam file shows the four boxes of text I've put in, but for some reason when I open the gcode file in Universal gcode sender, one set of text is missing plus a load of other bits and pieces. Is it possible that the trial version of CamBam is cutting out some of the entities due to it not being the full version?

    Can you guys take a look and see if the gcode file works?

    Cheers

    Les



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    Quote Originally Posted by lesthegringo View Post
    So I have been having a play around, basically going back to basics to try and iron out any errors creeping in by using a new file and being rigorous with drawing units, plus only introducing text in Qcad.

    All looks better, and the CamBam file shows the four boxes of text I've put in, but for some reason when I open the gcode file in Universal gcode sender, one set of text is missing plus a load of other bits and pieces. Is it possible that the trial version of CamBam is cutting out some of the entities due to it not being the full version?

    Can you guys take a look and see if the gcode file works?

    Cheers

    Les

    I tested the gcode output by machining a test piece, and can confirm much much better results. I still have to overcome some basic zeroing issues within UGS, but what was displayed by UGS ended up on the test piece verbatim.

    I also looked at the gcode file in .txt form while the test piece was in progress to kill the time and noticed near the end it says (gcode truncated)

    Im guessing that despite there in theory being a short period for trial use of CamBam, this is not allowing the full gcode to be produced. I would like to confirm that it is the case though, I don't want to spend 150 euros just to find that it a problem with the program

    Cheers

    Les



  5. #25
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Quote Originally Posted by lesthegringo View Post
    I tested the gcode output by machining a test piece, and can confirm much much better results. I still have to overcome some basic zeroing issues within UGS, but what was displayed by UGS ended up on the test piece verbatim.

    I also looked at the gcode file in .txt form while the test piece was in progress to kill the time and noticed near the end it says (gcode truncated)

    Im guessing that despite there in theory being a short period for trial use of CamBam, this is not allowing the full gcode to be produced. I would like to confirm that it is the case though, I don't want to spend 150 euros just to find that it a problem with the program

    Cheers

    Les

    The ( gcode truncated ) message is from the trial version. I think this is new, as I recall it used to be full featured for 30 startups. But in any case I opened the CB file and it looks good, and generated good G code.

    Now you just need to learn how to use it. You can make CamBam do exactly what you want, but there is a learning curve.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Great, thanks for confirming. I sat with my (considerably younger) work colleague today at lunch and we played around with things, it's quite clear that my old analogue mentality is part of the problem - he had never seen the program before but he was instantly able to point out some things that were blindingly obvious to those who knew to look for it!

    Certainly I am much further down the line now so hopefully it is not too long before I can start using the machine in anger for real parts

    Cheers

    Les



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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Sorry, guys, next step in the 'help me' saga

    I'm trying to use the machine to drill the PCB holes on my trial job, so the holes are all 0.5 mm, I'm using a 0,5mm drill, and I am getting a weird result. I used the 'drill' setting from the machining menu, set the feed at 50mm/min, stock depth 3mm, drill depth 2mm, set tool diameter to 0.5mm drill, clearance plane 11mm

    Have a look at the gcode file, it has no bearing on the dxf or CamBam files

    I imagined that the drilling code would actually be simpler, evidently not!

    Cheers

    Les

    Attached Files Attached Files


  8. #28
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    If this is what you are talking about Stock Surface = 3mm Target Depth = 2mm. Assuming the stock surface is the work top, that means that the drill will plunge to 1mm above the stock surface then retract and not drill a hole.

    I normally set the stock surface 0 on the top of the work, then would drill to -2mm to drill a 2mm depth.

    So I think the problem is where you are telling the machine where Z 0 is. It G code looks OK.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Strange, take a look at the screenshot that the gcode file looks like for me on UGS

    Cheers

    Les

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver-screenshot-jpg  


  10. #30
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    I'm not sure what I'm looking at there. Pretty hard to read.

    I am unable to get UGS to display the file, don't know what is going on there. Maybe I'm using a different program.

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Basically it shows a file where there are no holes to be drilled on a workpiece 5mm wide, 70mm deep and 11mm tall (the height that the clearance plane is at). I re-ran it with the zero stock surface height and -2 as the drill depth, and seems to be the same as the first run.

    seems that the depth of the holes is missing, as are the holes themselves.

    I ought to be a beta tester, seems I am able to find new, improved errors and problems!

    Les



  12. #32
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Maybe UGS has no idea what to do with a G81

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    ok, looks like I need a different solution, maybe have to start learning Gerber files?

    Cheers

    Les



  14. #34
    Community Moderator Jim Dawson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    What kind of file format does your machine require or at least can digest?

    There is a GRBL sender plugin for CamBam, but I don't know anything about it. Also a few others, Google Cambam plugins

    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA


  15. #35
    Member he1957's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Are you trying to make a circuit board? ie: remove the copper plate around the etchings for the trace circuit?

    If yes, the following image and G-code (for Mach-3) was made using a pocket operation in SimplyCam. A simple outline was drawn around the (what I believe is the copper traces you want) to remove he copper and leave the traces for drilling and components/wires etc.

    No regard was given to speeds/feeds or other specific details but I used a 1 mm diameter pencil type cutter and a depth of 0.1 mm. In the image, the red and blue (aqua) lines are the material to remove. The overall size is within 100 x 80 mm rectangle - taken from the DXF drawing and opened using mm scales. The drawing origin was also taken from the drawing but normally I would reset it to 0,0 as the bottom left hand corner.

    The 1 mm tip size is probably too big to give the detail between component leg spacing but this is an (ignored by me for demonstration) detail issue.

    Apologies if I mis-understand your intent.

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver-etch_toolpath-jpg  
    Attached Files Attached Files


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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Thanks, and yes the intention is to produce among other things PCB's.

    I'm building a car / flight sim rig, and so I make instrument panels that are PCB's with connections, and wiring in built, onto which switches, encoders, potentiometers, LED's etc are mounted, that then fit behind engraved fascia panels. The trial design here is a test, a 'let's see what I am capable of ', a 'what's the machine capable of' plus a learning session for me. It would be nice to be able to drill the holes using the CNC engraver, but not essential, after all it marks the hole positions for you.

    I've come along leaps and bounds in my abilities on this, thanks in no small part to you guys on this forum. Bit by bit I will knock off the problems, and I'm sure that you guys will continue to be part of that.

    My latest problem (aside from not being able to get the drilling gcode sorted) is that the spindle motor of my machine is being limited to a relatively slow speed. The firmware with the Woodpecker 1.1 controller had it set at 1000rpm max, which I found I could edit but despite that I am unable to increase the speed, making me wonder if the Woodpecker controller does not have this function. Probably a post for another forum though

    As ever thanks for the help

    Cheers

    Les



  17. #37
    Member he1957's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Sounds like what you are doing is lots of fun and interesting at the same time. The sample I posted above was simply an example tool-path simulation (image) of the NC code that "drew" it (the NC code).

    For such projects, where you have (as shown) one operation to perform the task needed (route excess copper to get tracks) then a different operation (perhaps with a different tool) to perform another (drill holes) and so-forth. The machine/software should be quite capable of doing this. You use different operations.

    For example, I posted a pocket operation as described above. I would then create a drill operation using the pin (holes). These are shown as circles in the drawing but for a fixed operation such as it is, point entities would also work because the operation is a drill cycle using a particular bit size (perhaps 0.6 mm) at their co-ordinates, so all the generated code needs to do is drill holes at the point co-ordinates.

    The same copper traces could be produced by routing a contour around the outside edges of the "traces", leaving both the traces and the surrounding copper as "islands" that could also be used as ground-plane shielding (or even heat-sink assist or mounting pads). It's a matter of what works best for your intent.

    The various operation steps are broken into sections that can be in the same file with a tool change or as separate (manual) files with tool change.

    In the NC file, look for the "ToolChangeOrg" lines. These represent the start of the 3 operations and could be saved/loaded as three separate files. To make it 3 files, copy the "Header" and "EndOfFile" blocks and place the code from the "ToolChange" to the comment just before the next ToolChange between the Header and EndOfFile and save the files.

    The additional comments (between parenthesis "()") can be ignored/removed. I setup my PostProcessor to give this to help me follow/debug code if I need to. (Basically, its tells me about Before and After FirstFeed and LastFeed moves (BFFM, ALFM)).

    I constructed it this way so you can see the specific operations combined as a single file. A machine with tool-change processing will pause between the operations. If your machine does not understand tool change then it might blindly run the code (or error) using the tool currently mounted which could break the tool.

    Yes, there is a lot to it all, but it starts to fall into place. It's about thinking how would you do it yourself and then telling the machine (CNC machines are about as smart as a house brick).

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver-1_cuttraces-jpg   Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver-2_drillholes-jpg   Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver-3_cutinsideholeshapes-jpg  
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  18. #38
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Quote Originally Posted by lesthegringo View Post
    here is the CadBam file I used to generate the gcode appended to have a .txt extension (the only way I could get it to attach). You will have to rename it as a .cb file for it to work of course, but you will see that it has three items of text

    Thanks for the help

    Le
    G-code is only text it can stay in text and run in the machine control, some controls require different extensions, but most will run with the text extension

    Mactec54


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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Guys, I have been adding circles as my drill points in Qcad, whereas I think that what I should have been doing is adding a point, but I'm struggling on how to do that - any ideas?

    Cheers

    Les



  20. #40
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    Default Re: Help required producing usable Gcode files for CNC engraver

    Quote Originally Posted by lesthegringo View Post
    Guys, I have been adding circles as my drill points in Qcad, whereas I think that what I should have been doing is adding a point, but I'm struggling on how to do that - any ideas?

    Cheers

    Les

    QCad User Reference Manual - Points

    I don't use QCAD but it looks interesting.

    I use SimplyCam for most works. Not only can you draw your parts but you can generate G-Code tool paths for many targets (see above), run a speed-controlled simulator (as well as single step), view your objects in a 3D presentation. You can also import G-Code to get it to draw what the object looks like via the simulator.

    It also has a GRBL control inbuilt.



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