GearHeads Forum

Gearotic was meant to be a simple utility, but it has, over time, become pretty complex.

That's a definete understatement Art !

>>For example, of course the fillets can only be half the module. I knew that. No, really!

lol.. me too, but I still had to open the code to find out why it was reacting that way.. then I said.. Oh, of course, it can only be 1/2 Module..
Gearotic was meant to be a simple utility, but it has, over time, become pretty complex. And I fear Im going to make it even more so over the
next year or two.

Art

Hi Art - Thanks for the quick service. I am also learning a few things... For example, of course the fillets can only be half the module. I knew that. No, really!
-alfie

Hi Al:

  Most items are now fixed for next release. A couepl arent really bugs as Ill explain.

1) On the Output Options panel, hovering over the DXF button brings up the tool tip "Video Tutorial Links". Of course
 
FIXED

2)  On the Help Video Selection dialog, GUI1 and GUI2 links call the same video. Yup, also not a bug.

FIXED , really only 1 exists. So theres 1 link now.

3) Involute spurs and bevels on the Circular Gear Module get a nice curve when the Rack Fillet is less than 0.5. But grea

FIXED. This was a typo. The rack fillet is in Module units. So 1/2 mod is the max. The typo was the check for it before it was set, so it now properly
clips the setting to .5mod's.. no more catywumpus dedendums.

4)  Geneva ratchet crosses have spokes whether decoratio ns are enabled or not on the tool screen. When added to a project, the spokes will only be present if they were enabled, as it should be. But when sent to the workbench, spokes will be there even if they were not part of the cross on the project screen.

  Couldnt really replaicte to your example, however, the spoke setting was clearly bugged. It is now fixed. The wheel doesnt have spokes at all, only the pinion
was meant to allow them.

5)  I see just two minor things with the new STL Slicing module. The text on the tab of the propertie s panel says '3d Energy Paper'. Im not sure what you mean there. Is this a reference to the filament or resin of 3D printers? Next, the label on the Proposed Scale slider is the same as the Review slider. Im

FIXED.

6-8)

If the pinion tooth count is not equal to and greater than the wheel tooth count, the two bevels no longer mesh and their faces are parallel and offs

  This relates to changing formulas to industry standards. The calcs use alot of pinion vs wheel comparisons. In this formulation, unlike older gearotics,
a pinion is much more related to the wheel. While Gearotic is usually lax in the definition of wheel and pinion, it seems in the case of bevels we must
be much more picky. So in future, bevel Pinions must have no more teeth than the wheel. A wheel is then in bevels at least, considered to be the gear
with the greatest number of teeth. Ive limited the pinion to be less or equal to the wheel. This fixes the trouble. One must in future make the wheel the
largesat gear. Im reticent to make great changes in this section, its incredibly complex at this point with all the various standards used, but I think
this simple change allows everythign to work with the least chance of inducing greater troubles.

9) Meshing of helical bevels an facewidth changes.

    The formulation of the helical bevel makes it impossible to mesh to of differing face width at this point. Ive added to my list to see why that
migth be and see if its simply my design, or a mathematical impossibility due to the caclulations used. Its possbile the facewidth of one affects the other
in the calculation stream. So in future you may see this change, but at present my recomendation is that al helical bevel pairs muct share a common facewidth


  Thanks for these bugs, I like to ensure Ive fixed all I can find, or at least know about the ones I cannot fix.


Youll see these fixes in the next update, my puppy thanks you..

Art

Hi Al:

1. Depending on the computer, when Simulate is on, all the various check boxes on the ribbon do not always update their state until the cursor is moved out of their respectiv e panels. Its a bit confusing when these check boxes dont update when clicked. But as I said, I get this only on certain computers; win7 at work has this problem, win7 at home doesnt.

  >> Noted. This one it turns out is a Windows GUI bug. I tried fixing it but its a known issue and will occur on some computers, not others..

2. On the Output Options panel, hovering over the DXF button brings up the tool tip "Video Tutorial Links". Of course this label should read something like "Output DXF file(s)". I know, not really a bug...

  >> Ohh, I like that one. Hadnt noticed. Ill fix that up.


3. On the Help Video Selection dialog, GUI1 and GUI2 links call the same video. Yup, also not a bug.

  >> Depends on definition of a bug I guess. < Ill fix this one as well.

4. Involute spurs and bevels on the Circular Gear Module get a nice curve when the Rack Fillet is less than 0.5. But greater than that, the dedendum filleting is very much all disjointe d and catawampu s. The fly cutter profiles are also adversely affected. For example, try 0.9. Zoom in to a couple of teeth and you can see what I mean. And when adding these wheels and pinions to a project, the crooked dedendums are present there too. Subsequen tly, all outputs in the Output Options panel are affected as well as 3-axis g-code files (workbench). In 4th axis a gear with large rack filleting also looks banged up but all of the 4th axis g-code sequences seem unaffecte d.

>> Interesting. Noted for fix..


5. Geneva ratchet crosses have spokes whether decoratio ns are enabled or not on the tool screen. When added to a project, the spokes will only be present if they were enabled, as it should be. But when sent to the workbench, spokes will be there even if they were not part of the cross on the project screen.

    >> Definite bug. Im of the opinion Geneva's shouldnt have spokes..

6. The DriverPin on a Geneva ratchet will become a tangled geometry on the tool, project and workbench screens if the GenevaDri ver wheel is big enough to have spokes. Again, whether spokes are enabled or not. Also, spokes of any type on the GenevaDri ver wheel do not generate correctly on the tool screen, having various missing line/arc segments. And GenevaDri ver wheel spokes do not continue on to the project and workbench screens. See the two attached DriverPin jpegs.

    >>Same bug I think..different symptom

7. I see just two minor things with the new STL Slicing module. The text on the tab of the propertie s panel says '3d Energy Paper'. Im not sure what you mean there. Is this a reference to the filament or resin of 3D printers? Next, the label on the Proposed Scale slider is the same as the Review slider. Im guessing you intended something like 'Scale %'

  >>Oops, that was a separate module , Ill rename.

8. In the Circular Gear Module, select Bevel. Anything can be set in the Bevel Params area. If the pinion tooth count is not equal to and greater than the wheel tooth count, the two bevels no longer mesh and their faces are parallel and offset.

  >> Ill check that. Looks like a kennel of adoptees this version..

9. With the two parallele d bevels on the tool screen, click Add Wheel to Proj and then click Add Pinion to Proj. The two bevels are parallel in the project screen just like they are on the tool screen. However if the pinion is added first, then they are placed correctly and they mesh.
 
    >> Noted.

10. Regardles s of which bevel is placed first in a project, when the bevel pinion tooth count exceeds the bevel wheel tooth count, the bevel wheel geometry on the project screen is cheesed. Face width is way thinner and the tooth tips are parallel with the face. Yoiks!

  >>Its obvious I havent placed many bevel recently..
 

11. Bevels, good or bad, can only be sent to the workbench for some reason but cannot be sent to 4th axis. At least for me. Am I doing something wrong? Or maybe this code isnt available yet?

  >> Not available yet. You cant machine a bevel in any mode as of yet, they are pretty special in terms of tryign to machine them, typically, it takes 5 axis to do a bevel..


12. On helical bevel gears, if the face width is changed between adding a linked pair to a project, then the models on the project screen have their teeth smashing into one another. Or you could say the teeth are overlappi ng. Add wheel->change face width->add pinion. Clicking Reset on the simulatio n panel doesnt help. Zerol bevels have the same problem, though much less pronounce d. See the attached colliding helical jpeg.

  >>Noted. Ill check this as well.
 
 
  Thx for this list of bugs, probabaly noticed by many but unreported. Expect to see them fixed over the next coupel versions. I really appreciate the effort to note them all, and Ill spre the puppies.

Hello Art and Bob, Maybe you are aware of these various items. But just in case, here is a list of my experience with Gearotic to date. I am on 2.269. And I think every time a bug is reported, somewhere a programmer adopts a puppy...

1. Depending on the computer, when Simulate is on, all the various check boxes on the ribbon do not always update their state until the cursor is moved out of their respective panels. Its a bit confusing when these check boxes dont update when clicked. But as I said, I get this only on certain computers; win7 at work has this problem, win7 at home doesnt.

2. On the Output Options panel, hovering over the DXF button brings up the tool tip "Video Tutorial Links". Of course this label should read something like "Output DXF file(s)". I know, not really a bug...

3. On the Help Video Selection dialog, GUI1 and GUI2 links call the same video. Yup, also not a bug.

4. Involute spurs and bevels on the Circular Gear Module get a nice curve when the Rack Fillet is less than 0.5. But greater than that, the dedendum filleting is very much all disjointed and catawampus. The fly cutter profiles are also adversely affected. For example, try 0.9. Zoom in to a couple of teeth and you can see what I mean. And when adding these wheels and pinions to a project, the crooked dedendums are present there too. Subsequently, all outputs in the Output Options panel are affected as well as 3-axis g-code files (workbench). In 4th axis a gear with large rack filleting also looks banged up but all of the 4th axis g-code sequences seem unaffected.

5. Geneva ratchet crosses have spokes whether decorations are enabled or not on the tool screen. When added to a project, the spokes will only be present if they were enabled, as it should be. But when sent to the workbench, spokes will be there even if they were not part of the cross on the project screen.

6. The DriverPin on a Geneva ratchet will become a tangled geometry on the tool, project and workbench screens if the GenevaDriver wheel is big enough to have spokes. Again, whether spokes are enabled or not. Also, spokes of any type on the GenevaDriver wheel do not generate correctly on the tool screen, having various missing line/arc segments. And GenevaDriver wheel spokes do not continue on to the project and workbench screens. See the two attached DriverPin jpegs.

7. I see just two minor things with the new STL Slicing module. The text on the tab of the properties panel says '3d Energy Paper'. Im not sure what you mean there. Is this a reference to the filament or resin of 3D printers? Next, the label on the Proposed Scale slider is the same as the Review slider. Im guessing you intended something like 'Scale %'.

8. In the Circular Gear Module, select Bevel. Anything can be set in the Bevel Params area. If the pinion tooth count is not equal to and greater than the wheel tooth count, the two bevels no longer mesh and their faces are parallel and offset.

9. With the two paralleled bevels on the tool screen, click Add Wheel to Proj and then click Add Pinion to Proj. The two bevels are parallel in the project screen just like they are on the tool screen. However if the pinion is added first, then they are placed correctly and they mesh.

10. Regardless of which bevel is placed first in a project, when the bevel pinion tooth count exceeds the bevel wheel tooth count, the bevel wheel geometry on the project screen is cheesed. Face width is way thinner and the tooth tips are parallel with the face. Yoiks!

11. Bevels, good or bad, can only be sent to the workbench for some reason but cannot be sent to 4th axis. At least for me. Am I doing something wrong? Or maybe this code isnt available yet?

12. On helical bevel gears, if the face width is changed between adding a linked pair to a project, then the models on the project screen have their teeth smashing into one another. Or you could say the teeth are overlapping. Add wheel->change face width->add pinion. Clicking Reset on the simulation panel doesnt help. Zerol bevels have the same problem, though much less pronounced. See the attached colliding helical jpeg.