PROFILE MODELER

[Marius Gouws]

Good morning from a chilly South Africa
I have created a part with Ecabinets, write .twd file and load it in PM. I verify all regions with success, then write the code, all well. But if you take a look at the code it read something like this ".....region 2 bottom........G00 X789 Y18...G00 Z10 G01 Z-64......." You see what PM is doing, is that it is telling me that its cutting the bottom of the part but it generates the code as if the part is lying face up.It does not do a "flip-op" The part needs to be machine from both sides.
Am i doing something wrong?
I have include the job file if somebody want to have a look at it. T1 is a 12.7 cutter to remove the waste and T11 is a 9.525 ball-nose cutter to smoothing.
I finally got it it right, but had to make 4 different parts and had to do it in stages.
Thanks in advance

PS - Good luck to the "Springbucks" when playing the "All Blacks" tomorrow morning.
(There will be blood)

[Nick M Singer]

Ja Marius, the thing is who's blood?

[Nick M Singer]

Marius I checked out the file, my guess is the problem lies with the curves (again!) Are you on Gen 2 or do you have a Gen 1 controller?

[Pete Riddle]

Marius,

I've been looking over your part here and I'm not getting as far as you are. When I verify region 1 it says that it verified ok, but you can see that it missed the corners of the part. I think that's only the begining of the problem. when I try to write the code it gives me another eerror.

I'm going to ask some others to look at it too, to see if there is a solution to the problem or to see if it's just outside the limitations of the software.

Either way you've already proceeded to what I would have recommended to temporarily solve your problem.

Thanks,

[Thom Davies]

Yes there was blood. It was a very good game! Pity SA cheated a bit! LOL SA people have some werid surnames!

[Nick M Singer]

We've weird names but we're not partial to sheep

[Thom Davies]

Sheep r great!

Y do u think paul has 1 as his avtar! LOL

[Marius Gouws]

SOUTH AFRICA 30
NEW ZEALAND 28
GO BOKKE!
Does anybody here use Bobcad v21 or v22 with success with a Thermwood machine? Will it be a better substitute to PM? I have Bobcad v21 but never took the time to learn it. They are selling V22(it includes Bobart X) pro now for $500, but I want to know for sure that it will work with our machine.

[Nick M Singer]

Marius I have read some very unfavourable reports on BobCad user forums. I always wonder when a thing is so cheap and there is such hard sell. The two programs that stand out after our research are firstly Visual Mill, (about R10,000.00) which is very solid and will give an easy intro into CAD/CAM software and of course MasterCam X which is the big daddy, does everything, just need to sell the kids to buy it

[Zach Froble]

I use Bobcad for all my profiling and modeling. I have version 22, and do my drawings there, but I still go back to version20 for my toolpaths. I also use Bobart and love both of them. Once you learn how to use the two efficiently you can not beat the price. There is a learning curve just like any software.

I recently did some relief carvings and custom radiused mouldings. I will post some pics when I get chance.

[Nick M Singer]

Zach what concerns me is the accuracy of the system. Have you had any problems in the generation of code for a Thermwood and the actual machined output from BobCad?

[Zach Froble]

Nick,

No, I haven't had any problems with code to the machine. They actually already had the post for a Thermwood, but they are pretty easy to adjust.
V22 posts are even easier to adjust. The main reason I haven't been using V22 to produce code is I haven't had a chance to adjust the post they had ready. If you need help, you can send them over a sample program from your machine and they will produce a post for you. If you look on their website they already have three Thermwood posts available for download. I downloaded all three and picked the one I liked best and when I get time I will adjust it to my exact likings.

If I can find some free time this evening I will post some picks of some curved mouldings I have been routing.

Zach

[Zach Froble]

Nick,

Here is a picture of one of the mouldings I did today. I actually did this one in V22 including toolpath and posting to the machine. Since I haven't got the post right I had to do some slight modifications to the program in Predator CNC editor.

I am still playing around with all the new toolpath options in V22, That why you can still see some slight machining lines in the piece. Even thought you can see them, you can't feel them (hardly any sanding).

If I can get some more free time I will show you what BobArt can do.

P.S. We were looking at a new CS45 for the shop, now I might just update our C40 and look at a 5-Axis machine. I hope Thermwood is taking a 5-Axis to Atlanta, so I can take a close look at it running and see how much sleep I am going to lose learning how to program it. My next option is the rotary playback device, will this be on display in Atlanta as well?

Does the PM work with the five axis machines.

Zach