raymw Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 There are probably ten or so versions of dxf/dwg formats - a new version every couple of years or so. Unless you can write and read the same versions, you'll most likely get problems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beatty 139 Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Turbo cad has some issues and glitches when it comes to producing files for laser cutting and for that matter other tasks that go beyond printing. The main issues with TC and laser cutting are Arcs if you can see the line or not most cnc programs will and say you try to cut the end of a wagon it gets very frustrating when the machine cuts a full circle instead of just part of arc that's the roof edge, TC know about this and hopefully it's resolved in the latest version. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Thanks all. I'll try to catch one of the elusive artefacts, and bring it here to show off. The arc thing has been a TC issue for a while, you do have to be careful when ungrouping anything containing arcs, as if you go one step too far, your arc descends into a series of chords (I think, maybe they're tangents, but that doesn't seem logical). Whilst this might be a pain if you want to snap to the centre of the no-longer-existing arc, it may resolve the weird "re-creation" of the rest of the circle. Of course, this may no longer be the case, as my version TC is antediluvian. Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 There are probably ten or so versions of dxf/dwg formats - a new version every couple of years or so. Unless you can write and read the same versions, you'll most likely get problems. Programs like Autocad and Draftsight let you choose which version of DXF or DWG to save the drawing in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrushType4 Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 I use and always recommend QCad. Its free to try and inexpensive for the full version. The learning curve is shallow and has lots of features. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Programs like Autocad and Draftsight let you choose which version of DXF or DWG to save the drawing in. So do many other cad programs, but I've found that the g-code conversion software,of various free/low cost flavours, do not handle whatever version correctly on reading the file. Usually arcs seem to screw up in the g-code side of things, but that can easily be resolved by converting arcs to straight lines in the cad program, if it has that facility, before saving as dxf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Ah,using Cut2dlaser with the Emblazer, I don't get those problems! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 23, 2018 Author Share Posted May 23, 2018 Hello. Hello? Anybody in there? Well, yes, after an unconscionable delay caused by a combination of factors, I finally got my finger out and tried to sort out my laser. Cleared up garage, enabling me to actually get at the laser. Fitted an arm and support for the laptop. Fixed the water cooling pump, which had clogged up with an aluminium salt of some sort, and replaced the aluminium hose connector with a pvc turning. Hopefully that will not recur. Drained water, and refilled. Need to do that again because I’d run out of deionised water. Currently using unsoftened tap water. RTBM. Discovered that I had configured the smoothie to switch itself off in a panic whenever the carriage hit an end stop. Like when it zeroed... Download software updates, install, get frustrated. Played around with Giles’ brick outhouse file, as I knew that worked. Added physical offset to x-zero point. Will need to do this again, but not today. Tried visicut. Crashed. Finally, got it to etch, using Laserweb. More soon Simon 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 G'day Simon, re Laserweb, Darklylabs have moved away from that to supporting Lightburn https://lightburnsoftware.com/ Its light years ahead of Laserweb, though it isn't free - about 40 Aust bucks - but is well worth it. There is a free trial version but I understand if you don't want to learn yet another software package! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 24, 2018 Author Share Posted May 24, 2018 Monkeys, Thanks, I saw that, natural reaction was “ooooh, it cost actual money... I wonder if it’s worth it...?” Laserweb is already four gazillion times better than NewlyDraw or whatever the appalling Chinese sw was. And, though I didn’t photograph it, I banged out another of Giles’ brick outhouses last night, but it crashed about half way through the final cut, not sure why, probably an issue with comms, damn frustrating as the registration was perfect, which is, of course, exactly why I started this palaver. So progress, in hour-sized chunks, each evening... Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 26, 2018 Author Share Posted May 26, 2018 Huzzah, hurrah and yippee! By dumping the usb connection, and converting to Ethernet, it seems that the issues of crashes and freezes have been resolved. I did use Visicut, which operates very well, but slowly & clunkily, and then went back to Laserweb, which seems much quicker and smoother, but I need to understand how to get it to treat layers for etching differently to those for cutting, and getting the cuts in the right order. Time to RTBM I fear. Anyway, another chunk of progress Best Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 Excellent - its such a relief when you find the problem! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 Having RTBM, I read the manual for LightBurn too, and have downloaded the software trial version. Not yet tried it, but it seems to be pretty much perfect, so assuming it does what it says on the tin, it’s where I will go. Experiments today! There’s a 30-day free full-function trial, after which it’s about £23 payment by PayPal and they email you the licence, which sounds like a good way to get customers. Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 Found another problem, the laser modulation is not working This is to do with the smoothie installation, not the software. More digging required But the sun’s shining and a beer on the patio is a huge disincentive. Ho hum Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 Sadly, I haven't a clue what laser modulation is........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 The controller board is supposed to turn the laser power up & down via pulse-width modulation, so it can engrave at say 100mm/s and 20% power (actually, it’s 100% power for 20% of the time) or cut through at 100mm/s and 100% power. Unfortunately, the controller is ignoring the commands from the computer - I think it’s a wiring error on my part. I can get it to turn on and off, but not to smoothly vary the power from nothing to full whack, and it should... Spent too long on it today, resulting in a bad mood! Trouble is there’s lots of advice on the www, it’s just finding the one thing that goes “aha!” I did, at Monkey’s suggestion, download LightBurn. It seems very good, but, ironically, won’t talk to the laser by Ethernet! I’ve asked the question. Will report in due course. Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 Ah - I understand what you're talking about - sorry to be slow, Simon! Sadly it's not something were likely to be able to help with - merely sympathise from a distance! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 28, 2018 Author Share Posted May 28, 2018 Rapid reply from Oz at LightBurn, they are not prioritising Ethernet for smoothies . He did provide some useful advice re USB though. After much fighting with it yesterday, I retraced my steps this morning. I can etch and cut, accurately, under laser control, and will settle for that for the time being. Hopefully will bang out a couple of panels for the locoshed today to convince myself that all is well. Disappointing not to get the power control working properly, but at least the registration issue is resolved. Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 29, 2018 Author Share Posted May 29, 2018 Well, you know how you take a step or two forward, and then... Well, Monday afternoon, glorious weather, too hot to be in the sun, MissD & MrsD we’re out & about, so I thought, ok, the modulation’s a PITA, but it doesn’t matter for now, because I can manually control the power, and the software controls the speed, between them, I would be where I was before I started playing with it, except I’ve now got much better software, a much better controller board, and as a result, the registration is just about perfect. So having made a mess of one wall panel for the loco shed, I though, ok, just do one good one and call it a day. All went perfectly until the final cut layer when the laser sputtered and went out. The £10 cooling water pump had failed and killed the £100 or £150 laser tube. And of course, your cheapo Chinese K40 lasers don’t have a water flow switch, so no protection. So, what to do? An Emblaser is somewhere between £2 - 3k so that’s not happening. I can buy a tube, and a pump and a water flow switch, likely less than £200. I wonder about fitting a solid state diode laser (with power modulation) to the K40/Smoothie chassis, which works fine. I think I’ll go read about that. Or I could buy another K40 complete, for about £350, and extract the goodies from the dead one to make my mini-mill NC controlled.... Answers on a postcard Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 New laser tube ordered, along with new pump, and a flow switch. Hopefully, we can close the stable door before the next horse bolts... Meanwhile, perhaps the Duchess... Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 Duchess remained firmly on its shelf. This morning, i moved the air-assist pump onto the wall, which makes it run much more quietly, cleaned the extract fan, and fitted a new mains lead to it as the original was tatty, and looked fit to fail, and I checked the scaling, as I noticed that the wall section that I made before it failed last weekend was higher than those I’d made previously. The right hand panel is too high by about 3% - will recheck scaling when I can burn a square and measure it. Probably 145mm as my digital very-near has a 150mm scale. It’s a simple adjustment in the config file. I also made a better set of stops for the X-axis. Posh & adjustable!!!! Base blocks for the stops hacksawed from a bit of 3/8” ally bar, and squared up on the miller. Drilled & tapped 4BA for the stops, one of them has a single 4BA fixing screw, the other has a pair of 6BA screw holes. Could have used metric, but I’ve got a decent stock of BA fasteners. X-max in place and adjusted Ditto X-min. More important, this is the home position for X. And the air pump on the wall. Tube and other gubbins expected next week. Helpful response from Paul at Millenium lasers, but he couldn’t match the Amazon price. Of course, the Chinese part that I’m getting might be good, or less so. Still, I’ll get it going before I consider an upgrade. More next week Best Simon. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Good luck..... sorry about the frustrations! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Thanks Giles, It has been a bit of a fight, but the LightBurn software does appear to be the “best yet”. Assuming the new tube goes in, and aligns and it all works, I’ll be able to get on with the shed, which would be nice. I measured the original way back in September 15, have done all the CAD, really do need to get on with the model! I’m still investigating getting the Smoothie to control the laser power - that would be perfect - but I can manage if I only have two levels, “etch” and “cut”, always providing I can remember which I’m doing of course! Meanwhile, there’s lots of other stuff going on Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Should have it all sorted just in time for the Lightburn free trial to run out.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted June 4, 2018 Author Share Posted June 4, 2018 Actually, given the calendar for the next few weeks, that is just about spot on... Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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