Link nesting issue

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Tim Massa
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Link nesting issue

Post by Tim Massa »

Hi all,

Here's a little repeat business from a customer whose job had been run successfully a little over a year ago. They've come back for some more cabs and wgen I went to load up the ones needed into batch and nested in Ecabs Link I'm getting a pocketing error. I don't know if its the curvey shape in the lower stretcher that's causing it or the Rafix SE holes. The rafix holes don't seem to be causing and issue with the other stretchers nesting so I'm beginning to think it's the Curvy design. This is odd since these parts have been run before without the nesting problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've included the job file for one of the cabs.
Thanks,
Tim
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Nesting Trouble.esj
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Clint Buechlein
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Clint Buechlein »

Tim,

Can you email an export of your settings to cabinets@thermwood.com? We are out of here for the weekend at 4:00PM CST, if you get it to me with a little time I'll take a look at it for you. If you have the .twd that you created send it as well.


-Clint-
tim lucas
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by tim lucas »

Possibly the tool for pocketing has been changed - your pockets are small and you may have used an 1/8" bit before and now your pocket tool is set to a 1/4" ???
Tim Lucas Custom Woodworks LLC
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Tim Massa
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Tim Massa »

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the suggestion. The weird thing is that the simple left/right stretchers will nest fine. It's only the front stretcher with the curves that is causing the problem Seems like the part editor cut is throwing the link yet my 1/4 MC bit should cut that outline just fine.

Scratching my head still,
Tim
Clint Buechlein
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Clint Buechlein »

I replied to Tim in a email, but I will post the response to him here as well for other users:

I'm not sure what happened from the first time it was ran until now, but it seems like there are four pockets added along that curve profile. See the attached pictures. In picture 1, I erased the curve cut and you can just barely see four black lines on the part. In picture two I nested in THM before erasing the cut. The blue lines represent outside boundaries of a pocket. I tried saving the geometry for the large curve, erasing the cuts, and placing it back on, but I believe it was added as a spline since it has so many line segments. Somewhere those lines are disconnected not allowing it to be selected again to make a part. You can try to trim them together and make it good again, but it will be extremely time consuming. I can't imagine it giving you a very good cut as well with so many segments.

Unfortunately I don't know how you were able to cut it the previous time. I would remove all the geometry cuts, and redraw the curves using arcs.
Attachments
2.JPG
1.JPG
Tim Massa
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Tim Massa »

I've contacted Clint and will share what I'm finding as well.
Parts were run happily last year with no DXF geometry issues. DXF template drawings are clean with none of the odd pockets Clint has found. Loaded up early job file from last year and it nested in link with no pocketing issues. Recreated a batch file from those cabs and created TWD file. Ran thru link fine. Took one of the Cabs into part editor. Applied part editor cuts to the cabinet sides. Saved off cabinet with new name. went back to batch list. Added newly titled cabinet to the existing list (who's cabinets are nesting fine) and cretaed new TWD file with the newly added cabinet. Ran new TWD file and the newly added cabinet threw tooling errors on the front curvy apron/stretcher.
Sent Clint all the info. Waiting to hear from Thermwood on what could be causing these issues.

here seems to be a conflict now with DXF geometry where there wasn't a year ago when the original parts were run.

Has anyone else had issues with DXF geometry suddenly bucking and kicking in the part editor?
Tim Massa
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Tim Massa »

In attached link is the job cut out last year. With the exception of the signage and Plexi glass, all cutting was done thru Ecabs. Seed racks, Rack stands etc....
Now trying to cut additional cabinets and rerun current cabinets for a 10x20' space and were hitting landmines with respect to this dxf geometry issue.

http://stronghillcabinetry.com/Fruition-Tradeshow.html
Tim Massa
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Tim Massa »

So far it seems like bezier curves are getting messed up somehow, again.

Still digging but the clunky arcs might be the only way out now. Have to put away the french curves and use circle templates. Yuck.

Somethings shifted in Ecabs again with regard to imported DXF geometry. Finding more odd behavior with Ecabs and previous created DXF geometry used in previous run of this cabinetry from about a year ago.
Tim Massa
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Tim Massa »

After talking with TW today it seems that I've been lucking with the curves and I really need to be using arcs for something like an S curve. It was suggested that I look and see if there is a feature that will convert a curve to arcs in my CAD program.
Checked with my Cad program publisher and indeed they do have that feature in the more recent deluxe version of their CAD program with CNC in mind. Tried the free trial version and it will work..... sometimes, sometimes not. On the left back of corner cab it does work. On the right back it won't. At least not in the recommended way from TW.

I'm going to do a lot of air cutting to test parts before running material but I think bailing on Ecabs for some of these curved parts that won't nest or take an ARC curve in PE and going old school with templates and hand router is the only answer.
Sheesh......

Is anyone running a cad program that is playing well with Ecabs so that you can cut, say... a simple S curve?
Scott Marshburn
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Scott Marshburn »

[quote="Is anyone running a cad program that is playing well with Ecabs so that you can cut, say... a simple S curve?[/quote]
Hi Tim
I use DraftSight.
David Egnoski
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by David Egnoski »

No problem here with AutoCAD LT.
Dave Egnoski
Richmond Cabinet & Millwork
Tim Massa
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Tim Massa »

Thanks Dave and Scott,

Are you cutting S curves and, if so, are you using a polyline such as a Bezier curve and then converting to arc/poly line tso it can be used in Ecabs?
Scott Marshburn
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Re: Link nesting issue

Post by Scott Marshburn »

I reproduced the front stretcher on your cabinet this morning before work in draftsight. I used only arcs. After I got the center arc like I wanted I then used the append function to make the rest tangent. The one on the left is mine.
Here is a video that I made a while back on how to do something similar. The draftsight part starts around the 4 min mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlT7Bd ... U&index=13
Attachments
Tims seed rac.jpg
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