GearHeads Forum

Of course I would like it, but I'm just a lover of Tools, cause Ya-Nvr-No when that just might be the thing I need to get some job done or get me closer to my wild desire. Play away and keep having Fun. ;D

Slic3r has a output to svg option, so you can slice models and cut them out of paper, never used it.  I'm sure your dxf output will be a lot nicer.

Kirk

Kirk:

  DXF is why I wanted it, for Laser cutting out of paper.. but Ill also put out Gcode just for that purpose as well..
The Gcode may benifit on ly me or a few, but the DXF's may be very usefull. Its working well, so it will definitely be
added to the program sooner or later..

Art

Yes,please and Thank you
Jerry

A laser cutter's on my list...

I don't imagine anybody's seen anything like one of these?  Won't cut anything more than paper, but it'd be a cheap intro and (assuming it works...) could replace the xacto knife and box of punches for gasket cutting.  Bit smaller and cheaper than a 60 watter.

Kirk

Interesting.. amazingly cheap..

I use DXFs a lot and as I'm now also playing with 3d CAD the ability to slice my models to DXFs will be very useful.

I also import gear profiles as DXFs and build tailored 3d models from them - for example I recently exported a 78 tooth T10se pulley as a DXF and built the associated 3d model from it. I then cut the model into 7 interlocking pieces so I could 3d print it. My UP! printer unfortunately doesn't have a large enough footprint to print the pulley as one - hence the 7 pieces.

While the DXF output is great I do have to do quite a bit of editing as arcs are generally output as a series of short straight lines. An option to output arcs as arcs would certainly be of significant benefit to me. Could this be a possible future enhancement?

Thanks for the fantastic software Art.

Jim

Hi Jim:

  I do have on my list a Arc interpolation routine to replace segments with arcs where it can, so we'll see how that goes.

Its seems slicing is osmething many want... So Im adding widgets now to my rather raw interface to allow you to get
what you need for slicing.. Probably a week or two..

Art

"Probably a week or two.."

I may be dead in a week or two by virtue of freezing to death here in Ohio, can you have it later today

Hi Jim,
Unless I missed something in my math classes - there is no such thing as a mathematical arc - its all just a series of straight line segments.  If the segments are short enough you can't see them without magnification.

John