Hi Jay:
" want a macro or a way to use gear for making a engine crankshaf t able to machine one the forth"
I think to make a crankshaft youll need hand programming or something more sophisticated
than Gearotic.
"can it be made so when you open gear it says update in version or a fix "
Fixes to Gearotic dont happen much lately, I locked its code over a year ago as it was getting too complex for internal changes. I usually do that prior to codeing up a new version, but Im not sure when or if I will
do that as too many packages now make gear outlines, and while gearotic is much more configurable
than most of them, it reduces the amount of people that require the level that Gearotic goes to. It is unlikley
there will be a Gearotic 4.0, though when a user has troubles I havent seen before I do makes fixes to
the base code to make sure it works as designed in future. I dont like to change Gearotic much as its proven
its accuracy in many very expensive projects and I dont like to risk adding in errors that happen in revisions
( I mention this only to explain why I dont typically add modules to Gearotic anymore. ). My nightmare is
someone machining a 4 foot steel gear and finding it inaccurate , the only one Im aware of made to that size meshed perfectly so that part of the code wont change for example as its proven itself.) Mach3 was locked down in the end for the same type of reasons and runs fairly well to this day as a result.
Most of the past couple years releases are more graphical tools for reprocessing outlines or creating
added designs for clock facing or decorations. Im not sure now, or ever am sure really of what project
or addition is next. It usually is simply a matter of what I find interesting, lately its 3d celtic knots,
but could be near anything in future. Vexx has an AI and an AI training programming built in but unused for example as I became interested in AI a year or two back. Havent found a real use for it yet, but you never know when it may become usefull in some mechanical context.
I will give any advice I can on any project of course, if I feel I can add to it, and many of the people
who peruse this forum are pretty damn good ( far better than I) at several modalities and are very helpfull
with advice. So feel free to post in the various topics if looking for advice, we're always happy to kick in, and
the letters themselves stand as archives for those that find us over the years.
Art