Version 2.265 online.

[ArtF]

Hi All:

  Version 2.265 is online. The simulator is turned on in this release so you can watch your results.
Make sure your tools are accurately defined if you decide to use the simulator. I use medium resolution
with no trouble, I can use high, extreme slows me to a crawl ( and likely you as well, but I include such things
because I know how fast computers get faster. )

  I wont do a video for a couple weeks on how to use it, it should for the most part be obvious. You may sim forward
or backwards, (but I wont add material if you go backwards. ). You may turn on or off the toolpaths as you use the
simulator. At end of job the sim will pause. To get rid of the machined stock, just hit simulate again, it will make it go
away.
  I have found a small tabbing bug using this simulator, I havent fixed it yet so you may notice it as well , on some profiles
one of the tabs will ramp up instead of rapiding up first. So the tab is screwy. Im looking into it. Other than that the toolpaths
seem to work great. The Sim is based on stored toolpaths just prior to posting stage for maximum accuracy test.

Thickness of stock is set currently to the thickness of the thickest object being cut in that simulation. Please let me know
of bugs or weirdness in its use, Ive tested it a lot, but you know how that goes.

  So now that we have this, Photo-engraving and Celtic knots engraving will be done in the new year as well as Bevel engraving. ( Which was why I headed down this long tortuous path in the first place.

Thx,
have fun
Art

[Mooselake]

For fun, and because the KZ650 is looking sad parked in the barn,  I created a 20T #420 chain sprocket with a 25.4mm round shaft (any plans for keyways in the future, or did I miss them?).  I set up a 0.125" square end endmill, feed of 25mm/s, plunge of 10mm/s.  Spindle speed of 5000 rpm, depth per pass of 0.03".  All made up numbers, of course.  Used the Auto output option, then simulated.

The only possibly odd thing I noticed is that the tool path stays at the gray background color for about 3 passes, then turns white after that.

I could make Fred the head rotate in a circle, but not look up or down, so the only view was from the top.  I probably need to read the manual again, along with finding out how to change the stock color from medium gray to something that'll allow better contrast.

Looks great!  Thanks again, Art.  Maybe by the time I can actually cut metal it'll be the only bike in the UP with a celtic knot engraved on the sprocket

Kirk

[John T]

Hi Art,
I can create in the tools, and project and then send to Workbench - so far so good-  I can manipulate the objects in workbench but as soon as I highlight an object and hit simulate - I crash  "error 1801"

John

PS I did use the default tool and got a simulation to work but the tool was in mm, I had to change to inches and then the problems started.

[Mooselake]

I created a two lobe roots blower, selected both the driver and driven (not sure what to call it..) thing, then clicked send to workbench.  GM locked up, machine went to 25% CPU (it's a quadcore, so likely one thread in a loop), and the resource monitor shows GM not responding.  Closed and retried and it did it again.  Selecting just the driver works OK.

<ctl><shift> left mouse drag lets me move the perspective around; found it by experimentation since I couldn't find it in a quick rescan of the user interface videos.

Watched the new video, now know why the toolpath stayed gray.

Kirk

[Jerrywi]

Happy New Year Art;
When I operate the Sim, the dark gray stock material scrolls up in a grid formation, matching the hairline grid on the work table. My grid scale is 1 inch for the major scale size and 1/4 inch on the minor scale size.
As the tool follows the tool path lines the stock material is removed grid block by grid block (looks like each 1/4 inch grid block is a pixel.
The sim shows the tool cutting Completely through the stock on the first pass even Though  it takes the required passes entered into the depth per pass field.
after the simulation is complete, there is no stock material left except for two or three 1/4 inch pixels. No matter what level of resolution I pick.

I hope this makes since
Jerry

[BobL]

Hi Guys;

Thanks for the feedback. hopefully will have results/solutions on these soon.

Cheers
Bob
???

[ArtF]

Hi Guys:

Thx for the feedback, Ill look into and figure otu whats up with them...

Art

[ArtF]

Hi All:

Sorry fro the delay on this one, I wasnt getting notificatiosn for some reason..

Anyway....

Kirk:  I use a center mouse button to rotate, but holdiong ctrl will allow motion, shift-ctrl will allow full rotation..The path
stays greyish till the tool free's it from the material. It may be something was still stuck in memory with the roots load, I loaded
up several here and they all simulate just fine. Please try again with new version and let me know if it still happens.

John: A new version is online with more error codes in it. Your 1801 tells me something went wrong in bench's drawing
subroutines, redownload and your error will tell me where in those routines.

Jerry:  This sounds as if the tool is enourmously large or seomthign isnt quite right. Does the tool look right on the screen?
I suspect Ill need to put in some sanity checking for tools outside normal dimensions. (Or something went horribly wrong..)

Eventually, Ill allow the material to be changed, but presently I think I need to reorient some of the lighting in the scene
as flat surfaces do not show any real contrast... perhaps Ill add a spotlight or see what i can do to make it enhanced a bit..

Thx for the feedback, let me know what you find. If you DO find a project which will crash you, or make cpu lockups , please save
that project and post it here so I can try it.

Thx
Art

[Mooselake]

Both parts of the roots blower now move to the workbench OK, and the simulation appears to work.  However, both parts were placed close together.  I had reset to defaults after one of the crashes, and with the default tapered tool the parts are too close together and cutting the adjacent part nicks the other one.  Don't know if this is because I need to reposition them or not.

On my machine, with a Logitech M310 mouse, tilting the center mousewheel will rotate the workspace.  Rotating the mousewheel will zooms in and out regardless of what combination of shift and click I use.  No biggy, I'd rather use ctl-shift drag, although it's a bit touchy.  Looks like there's lots to learn about using the simulator

Need to make a news year resolution to get one of the CNC machines working, either the mini rewired or the RPM paperweight assembled, so I can cut one for real.  It's on the list.

Kirk

[ArtF]

Kirk:

If you use ctrl and shift-ctrl , you then just left click and move mouse, the center wheel isnt used when you use the keyboard modifiers.

Thx for the feedback, Im looking into other bugs as well, its an early simulator, it will toughen over the new few weeks as we find the bugs.

Thx
Art