#linuxcnc Logs

Mar 17 2023

12:15 AM TurBoss8676[m]: duno I use a small FEED for search and smallest for LATCH like 100mm/min
12:25 AM TurBoss8676[m]: * like 100mm/min and 50 maybe?
02:08 AM Deejay: moin
02:09 AM XXCoder: roycroft: nice!
02:10 AM jpa-: mits[m]: you can calculate the search speed limit from machine acceleration and switch safe over-actuation distance: for example if machine acceleration is 1000 mm/s^2 and the switch activates 1 mm before its end of travel, you have 1 mm distance to stop; from v = sqrt(2*a*d) we get an abs max limit of 2600 mm/min - though i would leave safe 2x safety margin
02:11 AM jpa-: mits[m]: for the latch velocity, you can calculate from the servo thread frequency and the accuracy you want - for example 1 kHz thread and 0.001 mm accuracy would mean 0.001mm/ms = 1mm/s = 60mm/min latch velocity
03:12 AM menace is now known as Deknos
03:21 AM travis_farmer[m]: G'Morning ☕️
03:37 AM Loetmichel: GNAH! I HATE Microsoft. Moved my Work PC into a VM on my new Work Laptop. Managed to link it to a Microsoft acc by accident. One i dont know the PW of... result: cant login. PW Reset needs the Mail that is locked behind that VM... *TANTRUM*
03:40 AM Deknos: yeah, i thought as much. but don't you then have an internal IT which should provide migrations? or are you the unlucky guy of internal IT?
03:51 AM Loetmichel: Deknos: its a 10 employee company (branch)... New corm that bought us has yet to provide IT support. So You'lll do what you have to do.
03:51 AM Loetmichel: s/corm/corp
03:52 AM Deknos: and there's no you-have-to-do-your-work-windows-stops-you-so-you-choose-your-own-tooling-loophole?
03:53 AM Loetmichel: sadly no
03:54 AM Loetmichel: also the new Solidworks i get trained for only runs on win
03:54 AM Loetmichel: the one i got that notebook for
03:56 AM Deknos: ah, ok
04:14 AM jpa-: Loetmichel: https://superuser.com/a/1545015/117985 this worked for me for using Windows OEM license inside virtualbox
04:17 AM Tom_L: morning
04:17 AM Loetmichel: jpa-: that would negate the pourpose of that VM. I was to lazy to move all my programs to the new notebook. Was easier to just move the whole old PC into a VM and use as is
04:18 AM jpa-: ah, so windows on windows
04:18 AM jpa-: i just assumed windows in VM on linux, because that's what i have ended up with so often in work :)
04:50 AM Loetmichel: yep. Win is sadly company policy. Also the new notebook is there because of solidworks, so it needs to be win anyway.
07:19 AM JT[m]: Morning
07:23 AM DOS[m]: morning
07:28 AM menace is now known as Deknos
07:37 AM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: HOME_SEARCH_VEL needs to be low enough so that the axis can decelerate to a stop after hitting the home switch but before hitting a hard stop. So it depends on the acceleration setting of the axis and how much overtravel there is past the home switch. Obviously you need to account for some variation so I would always leave extra space.
07:37 AM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: HOME_LATCH_VEL depends on the dynamics of your home switch and what level of accuracy you are looking for. The most practical way to determine this is experimentally but for most the best option is just to set it "low".
07:37 AM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: Nothing about these values are machine type dependent and general recommendations can't be made beyond the above statements. Considering that homing is only done on machine startup optimization is not usually needed.
09:08 AM jasen: hi
09:20 AM bjorkintosh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CeCxkFVCdM
02:19 PM JT[m]: We're in Broussard
02:20 PM Tom_L: cool
02:25 PM JT[m]: Just checked and the order of blue went through
02:25 PM travis_farmer[m]: sounds cryptic, like a secret message... ;-)
02:26 PM JT[m]: LOL
02:28 PM travis_farmer[m]: maybe it should look more like:
02:28 PM travis_farmer[m]: -----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----... (full message at <https://libera.ems.host/_matrix/media/v3/download/libera.chat/0c8ab9adc84c3d626038badf40088c6452d76cec>)
02:28 PM travis_farmer[m]: ;-)
02:30 PM travis_farmer[m]: ... dang, it spoiled the message... i can't win LMAO
02:31 PM XXCoder: can see full message anyway by link
02:32 PM travis_farmer[m]: it worked by link for me... oh well, it only said "test" encrypted by my key ;-)
02:35 PM travis_farmer[m]: i was always fascinated by encryption. even wrote some of my own, years ago. nothing really great, but so be it.
02:54 PM roycroft: grr
02:55 PM roycroft: the good news is that laserweb installs fine and generated gcode fine
02:55 PM roycroft: the bad news is that it doesn't like the svg files i feed it
02:56 PM XXCoder: yeah, I found out the same, if you want lines, you have to convert objects to paths
02:56 PM XXCoder: otherwise its going to act strange
02:56 PM XXCoder: (laserweb)
02:56 PM XXCoder: not sure on solid objects as I havent tested that\
03:14 PM roycroft: i'm going to fire up an old imac that has adobe illustrator on it and do the eps to svg conversion with that
03:15 PM roycroft: maybe it will produce better paths than inkscape did
03:15 PM roycroft: it's too bad i can't feed an eps file to laserweb directly
03:15 PM XXCoder: yeah
03:16 PM XXCoder: cheap company wouldnt pay for dev of importing different formats
03:16 PM roycroft: there are other things i can try
03:16 PM XXCoder: so they see whats common and go for it
03:16 PM roycroft: my graphics designer converts fonts to paths
03:16 PM roycroft: but then she groups all the objects together when she generates the eps file
03:17 PM roycroft: which makes sense - i paid her for a logo, not a graphic and a font
03:17 PM roycroft: and she did a bunch of customizations to some of the font characters, and hand kerned it
03:17 PM bjorkintosh: JT[m], what is Broussard?
03:17 PM roycroft: so delivering a single object is the right thing to do
03:17 PM roycroft: but i might be able to ungroup them and then convert to svg
03:17 PM roycroft: and laserweb might understand that better
03:18 PM roycroft: i'm going to try illustrator first, though
03:24 PM bjorkintosh: roycroft, do you know if there's a metafont/metapost to gcode converter?
03:24 PM bjorkintosh: seems like a good candidate.
03:26 PM roycroft: i don't know, but yes, that would be pretty cool
03:27 PM roycroft: although at this point i'm not really interested in fonts
03:27 PM roycroft: i just want to generate gcode for vector graphics
03:27 PM bjorkintosh: isn't that a solved problem?
03:27 PM XXCoder: if I recall right inkscape has convertor for making fonts. interesting but meh stock ones good enough for me
03:28 PM roycroft: i have fontographer if i need to make or modify a font
03:29 PM roycroft: that runs on one of my few remaining windows xp virtual machines
03:29 PM XXCoder: nice
03:29 PM roycroft: because the version i have doesn't run on anything newer than xp, and it works fine
03:29 PM XXCoder: I think I actually briefly played wih that? pretty while ago
03:29 PM XXCoder: if thats that old then wine probably runs i fine
03:29 PM roycroft: i don't need to pay for a $500 upgrade just to run on modern windows
03:29 PM TurBoss: roycroft: to get good svg in laserweb you may need to conver object to path then use tajectory/join
03:30 PM TurBoss: so many typos in a single phrase lol
03:30 PM roycroft: i undestood what you said
03:30 PM TurBoss: 🙂
03:30 PM XXCoder: didnt know about second part
03:30 PM roycroft: and introduced my own typo in my response :)
03:31 PM XXCoder: I managed to avoid typo this time lol
03:31 PM TurBoss: join or merge eliminates empty spots when paths overlay
03:31 PM XXCoder: ok
03:34 PM roycroft: the problem i ran into is that every object was flipped - the first object was a stroke, the second a fill, the third a stroke, etc.
03:35 PM roycroft: i'm thinking that's some kind of artifact with the object grouping
03:35 PM roycroft: and that if i ungroup each will be seen as a individual stroke object
04:20 PM roycroft: well i got all the way to previewing the job and the laserpecker told me there are errors in the gcode
04:20 PM roycroft: so i think i'm close to having this working
04:22 PM roycroft: it's too bad it doesn't give me an indication of what the errors are though
04:22 PM XXCoder: no log?
04:23 PM roycroft: no
04:25 PM roycroft: oddly, the laserpecker doesn't understand g0, so all instances of g0 have to be changed to g1
04:25 PM roycroft: even though it doesn't extrude anything
04:25 PM XXCoder: that is strange implemention of gcode
04:25 PM XXCoder: but then reprap just pauses at m0 then resumes without user input
04:25 PM XXCoder: which is certainly not correct m0
04:26 PM XXCoder: funny enough without m0 they had to add special g code to pause for user input, exactly what m0 would be for.
04:27 PM XXCoder: why yes it is one of my gripes lol
04:27 PM roycroft: the laserpecker is based on marlin
04:28 PM travis_farmer[m]: laserpecker... sounds like something Dr Evil would have for unwanted romantic relations... ;-)
04:29 PM roycroft: it also requires a g4 p0 before every move
04:29 PM XXCoder: so dweel at zero power
04:29 PM XXCoder: weird
04:29 PM Tom_L: can't just remove G0?
04:30 PM roycroft: i just replace it with g1
04:30 PM roycroft: that's what is recommended
04:30 PM XXCoder: tom still have to make moves I guess
04:30 PM roycroft: it also uses m3 and m5 to turn the laser on and off
04:31 PM XXCoder: yeah thats common, grbl does that also
04:31 PM Tom_L: it probably uses grbl
04:32 PM XXCoder: nah marlin based as roy said
04:32 PM travis_farmer[m]: well... i thought it was funny... :-(
04:33 PM XXCoder: dunno about others but I dont find nonconsental stuff funny
04:38 PM roycroft: i know that "laserpecker" is a play on "woodpecker"
04:38 PM roycroft: but i still cringe at the name every time i see or use it
04:38 PM roycroft: but soon the sjws will demand that "woodpecker" be renamed
04:39 PM XXCoder: doubt that
04:39 PM roycroft: into "avian arborial engineer"
04:40 PM roycroft: the generated gcode has "G1 F1" right before it turns the laser on
04:40 PM roycroft: that seems a bit slow
04:40 PM roycroft: and an invitation to a fire
04:41 PM roycroft: i think i need to fix that
04:41 PM roycroft: there's a "G1 F2000" in the header, which looks much better
05:51 PM skunkworks[m]: wow - the boss hands me a bag full of a mavic air 2 drone. Said - his friend gave it to him because the guy crashed it and the camera gimble didn't work. I turned it on - the camera would 'home' then sit a a 45 degree angle. but it gimbled. all 3 axis moved when you moved the drone around.. Looked through all the settings - could not find anything.
05:51 PM unterhausen: likely it stripped a gear
05:51 PM skunkworks[m]: Google search - there is a python utillity kit that does a course and fine homing..
05:51 PM skunkworks[m]: seems to fixed it.
05:52 PM skunkworks[m]: I don't think there are gears..
05:52 PM unterhausen: they have good servos then
05:52 PM CaptHindsight[m]: one mans junk is another mans easily solved tech problem
05:52 PM unterhausen: how do you think they gimble it?
05:52 PM skunkworks[m]: right!?!
05:52 PM CaptHindsight[m]: the more you know
05:52 PM skunkworks[m]: now the company has a nice drone 🙂
05:53 PM unterhausen: I got an apple scanner for $5 from the penn state surplus. It had been to a repair place even
05:53 PM unterhausen: they had the shipping locks in
05:53 PM skunkworks[m]: well - I have no clue how 'nice' it is - but it certainly isn't a $100 walmart one.
05:53 PM CaptHindsight[m]: unterhausen: does it scan all sorts of fruits or just apples? :)
05:53 PM unterhausen: tim apple made it
05:53 PM unterhausen: back when he was working his way up from factory worker to ceo
05:54 PM unterhausen: dji's are decent drones. Especially if it will crash without needing parts
05:55 PM unterhausen: I feel like google is judging me for taking a picture of a recipe
05:55 PM CaptHindsight[m]: https://www.space.com/mavic-air-2-review
05:55 PM skunkworks[m]: that is it
05:55 PM CaptHindsight[m]: $799
05:55 PM unterhausen: at least the recipe won't be covered up with ads every 2 minutes
05:55 PM skunkworks[m]: came with 3 batteries
05:56 PM unterhausen: going to register it with the faa, or go scofflaw?
05:56 PM skunkworks[m]: lol - haven't thought that far ahead.
05:56 PM skunkworks[m]: it is pretty heavy
05:58 PM unterhausen: I have some tiny ones that don't need to be registered. .55 pounds, or about 2 bananas
05:58 PM unterhausen: that's the limit
05:58 PM unterhausen: haven't heard of anyone getting in trouble yet
05:58 PM skunkworks[m]: I have the 9 dollar ones from the local hardware store. they fly suprisingly well inside. Fun
06:00 PM CaptHindsight[m]: skunkworks: I don't see a payload rating for it. How many bananas can it lift?
06:00 PM skunkworks[m]: wasn
06:01 PM skunkworks[m]: wasn't it coconuts?
06:01 PM unterhausen: I'm glad to see that we're starting to adopt a reasonable system of measure here, bananas
06:01 PM CaptHindsight[m]: European or African drone?
06:01 PM skunkworks[m]: exactly!
06:01 PM CaptHindsight[m]: oh yeah banana for size, coconuts for weight
06:02 PM unterhausen: no, banana, banana, seconds
06:03 PM unterhausen: there is a subreddit for banana metrology
06:04 PM CaptHindsight[m]: I'm too close an airport to fly drones and the town has banned any drones from being flown over public property
06:04 PM unterhausen: the no-fly zone around dc is massive
06:05 PM unterhausen: not for cessnas and such that could actually do damage though
06:05 PM unterhausen: although the one that ran into the white house didn't do anything, even break a window
06:05 PM skunkworks[m]: The company is pretty close to the lacrosse airport..
06:05 PM unterhausen: you might should call the controlling authority
06:06 PM unterhausen: pilots will narc on you
06:06 PM CaptHindsight[m]: skunkworks: any river flooding by you this year? or too soon
06:06 PM skunkworks[m]: too soon I think
06:06 PM skunkworks[m]: nothing so far. The x lives on the back waters. she will be the first to know.
06:08 PM CaptHindsight[m]: drove back from Minneapolis through Lacross, that area is really pretty
06:08 PM skunkworks[m]: I live in Trempealeau - so north of lacrosse by about 3 towns.
06:09 PM skunkworks[m]: prettier here.. 🙂
06:09 PM skunkworks[m]: https://electronicsam.com/images/house/view3.JPG
06:10 PM CaptHindsight[m]: I took 90 from Rochester, next time I want to take 14
06:10 PM skunkworks[m]: CaptainHindsight going to make it to tormach?
06:14 PM CaptHindsight[m]: probably not
06:14 PM skunkworks[m]: awwww
06:15 PM skunkworks[m]: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/23bEsKMNJH0
06:16 PM CaptHindsight[m]: fun stuff
06:18 PM CaptHindsight[m]: I'm a bit curious about what the future development goals of the devs are
06:19 PM CaptHindsight[m]: but as long as it stays open I'm fine with whatever
06:20 PM skunkworks[m]: I would love for rob to get some of the trajectory stuff back into linuxcnc..
06:20 PM CaptHindsight[m]: skunkworks: does he have his trajectory planner working with >3 axis?
06:21 PM skunkworks[m]: I think so.
06:21 PM CaptHindsight[m]: i know a few years back the one in LCNC went from 2-3 looks ahead to 50+
06:21 PM CaptHindsight[m]: but still only 3 axis
06:22 PM skunkworks[m]: yes - that is what rob did - anything over 3 and it falls back to 1 segment look ahead.
06:22 PM skunkworks[m]: which - I guess for most people is ok
06:22 PM CaptHindsight[m]: is his repo public somewhere?
06:22 PM skunkworks[m]: He has a repository on github - but I doubt the tormach stuff is there.
06:23 PM CaptHindsight[m]: so there is a better trajectory planner but it's kept hidden somewhere?
06:24 PM skunkworks[m]: https://github.com/robEllenberg
06:25 PM skunkworks[m]: It is in pathpilot.. he made a comment that there are enough differences that it will be non-trivial
06:25 PM CaptHindsight[m]: like Tivo
06:26 PM skunkworks[m]: (between the 2 code bases..)\
06:26 PM skunkworks[m]: right
06:26 PM CaptHindsight[m]: another reason why I won't bother going to Tormach
06:27 PM skunkworks[m]: aww.
06:31 PM Tom_L: i wonder if anybody has ever tested a commercial control against linuxcnc
06:31 PM CaptHindsight[m]: well for CNC machines Siemens or Heidenhain is the way to go, nobody wants LCNC except for DIY
06:31 PM CaptHindsight[m]: you buy the whole kit from Siemens, controller drives and motors
06:32 PM Tom_L: just takes tuning out of the equasion
06:32 PM CaptHindsight[m]: it has the 5+ axis trajectory planners, s-curve accel
06:32 PM CaptHindsight[m]: etc etc
06:32 PM skunkworks[m]: sure
06:33 PM CaptHindsight[m]: but IF you do anything outside of what they offer then LCNC is great and much easier since you don't get Siemens source
06:33 PM CaptHindsight[m]: well you can get it, the same for heidehain
06:33 PM CaptHindsight[m]: but you still can't just hook up your own drives simply
06:33 PM Tom_L: the cincinnatis the kid runs at work are all Siemens
06:34 PM Tom_L: wonder what processors they use
06:35 PM CaptHindsight[m]: most new additive manufacturing systems can easily use LCNC to be up and running in days or weeks at most, but they don''t use LCNC since they can't control the codebase, they spend a year or two writing their own control software
06:36 PM CaptHindsight[m]: how much control do they want over their customers? Same as how much money they want, ALL of it.
06:37 PM Tom_L: they make it a secret blackbox
06:42 PM CaptHindsight[m]: Tom_L: they were using x86/amd64
06:47 PM CaptHindsight[m]: so whoo hoo, LCNC got hijacked
06:48 PM bjorkintosh: the website?
07:02 PM unterhausen: I think the good cap'n also got hijacked
07:04 PM CaptHindsight[m]: to Cuba
07:17 PM roycroft: so i found a way to browse the files on my ipad, and thus can inspect the sample gcode files for the laser thing
07:18 PM roycroft: i also was able to determine that the file i uploaded to the app that gave errors is 0 bytes in length
07:18 PM roycroft: which to me would seem to be invalid gcode
07:18 PM roycroft: i guess that's the problem i have to fix
07:19 PM roycroft: it's nice to have a sample of the gcode it likes, though, and the sample looks a lot like what i'm trying to upload
07:33 PM roycroft: well, something resembling my logo is starting to engrave
07:33 PM roycroft: that's a relief
07:34 PM XXCoder: awesome
07:34 PM XXCoder: so you have workline down
07:34 PM roycroft: sort of
07:34 PM roycroft: there is some tweaking to do still
07:34 PM roycroft: but i'm pretty convinced that it's doable
07:35 PM roycroft: my graphic designer also does work for the country fair - that's how i was introduced to her
07:35 PM roycroft: and the fair is coming up in july, so this is her busy time of year
07:36 PM roycroft: the logo is going to need some tweaking for rendering it small, and burned into wood, but i need to see the results of the stock logo first before we can decide on what tweaks are needed
07:36 PM roycroft: that's why i'm really pushing to make this work right now - i want to send her something this weekend so she'll be able to get it done before she gets totally swamped with country fair work
07:37 PM roycroft: it's a matter of getting it in march or getting it in late july
07:37 PM roycroft: i did need to use illustrator for the svg code
07:38 PM roycroft: illustrator cs 6 - an ancient version, but that's why i have that ancient imac around
07:38 PM roycroft: and i'd been using nextcloud as the file sync software
07:38 PM roycroft: that was failing, so i set up a dropbox account
07:39 PM roycroft: so it's logo.eps -> illustrator -> logo.svg -> laserweb -> sed script to tidy things up -> dropbox -> laserpecker app
07:40 PM roycroft: because i bought the device that was the easiest to use :)
07:41 PM XXCoder: lol
07:41 PM XXCoder: irony fun
07:42 PM roycroft: as long as it works in the end ...
07:42 PM roycroft: and once i scale the logo to size i'll just store the file on the ipad, and it will be easy-peesy to engrave going forward
07:45 PM XXCoder: yeah
07:55 PM roycroft: well it no longer resembles my logo
07:56 PM roycroft: so i guess i have more debugging to do than i thought
07:56 PM roycroft: i'm going to let it finish, and then figure out what went wrong
07:57 PM roycroft: but the fact that i'm sending a gcode file to the app and the app is processing it is a major win - it tells me that i can use this thing once i get the gcode issues sorted
07:58 PM * roycroft wonders if this is a foreshadowing of what he's going to be dealing with when he finally gets his cnc router buit
08:00 PM roycroft: maybe i should be doing my future testing on card stock instead of wood
08:00 PM roycroft: it's cheaper, and i can engrave a lot faster
08:02 PM XXCoder: lasered business cards lol
08:03 PM roycroft: folks do that
08:03 PM roycroft: you can buy wood and metal business card blanks on amazon to laser engrave
08:05 PM XXCoder: not surpised
08:16 PM XXCoder: sigh. myfordboy reviewing a ebike
08:17 PM XXCoder: he must have knees of steel
08:17 PM XXCoder: he can just go down on bumpy concerete and be unconcerned
08:28 PM roycroft: i think i know what's going on with the gcode, but i don't know how to debug it or fix it
08:29 PM roycroft: is there a good gcode simulator that folks use for troubleshooting?
08:29 PM XXCoder: camotics? though for milling
08:29 PM roycroft: would loading my file in linuxcnc in simulator mode be helpful?
08:29 PM XXCoder: dont think theres anything for laser, but sim lcnc maybe if you can figure lines
08:29 PM roycroft: 2d is 2d
08:30 PM roycroft: it doesn't matter if it's a cutter or a laser, does it?
08:30 PM roycroft: if i'm doing path debugging
08:34 PM roycroft: now i have no idea what's going on
08:34 PM roycroft: i thought i saw something that indicated a pattern of brokenness
08:34 PM roycroft: but now it's just a big mess
08:35 PM roycroft: i think laserweb is shite
08:35 PM roycroft: that is my professional opinion :)
08:36 PM roycroft: but now that i know how to transfer files to the ipad, i can look at other gcode generator apps
08:36 PM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: I mostly just use notepad++ with syntax highlighting. Anything that isn't caught by that is usually something you need the control to look at. I used to have predator editor and that worked okay but again didn't line up exactly with the control.
08:38 PM mits[m]: Am I able to fire up the tool that does the axis speed testing?
08:38 PM mits[m]: I don't remember what it's called
08:38 PM roycroft: my problem is that not only am i not terribly familiar with gcode at this point (although i'm learning rapidly), gcode isn't really much of a programming language
08:38 PM mits[m]: steptest? or something?
08:38 PM roycroft: it's more akin to a macro assembly instruction language
08:38 PM roycroft: i remember back in the '80s i used to hand craft postcript code, and tweak generated postcript
08:39 PM roycroft: but those techniques don't translate well to gcode
08:39 PM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: The lcnc gcode macros are a pretty complete programming language. At least in terms of machine control.
08:41 PM roycroft: maybe i'll get a trial version of lightburn - that's what most folks seem to use for production laser engraving work
08:41 PM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: I use lightburn with my laser. 100% worth it. So much better than the crap they gave me with the machine.
08:41 PM roycroft: and it's not very expensive
08:42 PM roycroft: iirc it's $60 for a basic license
08:42 PM roycroft: i have some sample gcode for the laserpecker, so i should be able to create a machine profile without too much trouble
08:42 PM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: There is a reason that a selling point for lasers is "lightburn certified"
08:42 PM roycroft: this is turning out to be more work than i wanted it to be
08:43 PM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: I would guess that someone probably already has created a profile if possible.
08:43 PM roycroft: but what i was looking at was $300 to buy a custom electric brand with my logo in one size vs $313 for a laser engraver that could engrave my logo in multiple sizes
08:43 PM roycroft: possibly
08:44 PM ZincBoy[CAON][m]: Why not machine your own brand? 🙂
08:44 PM roycroft: because i don't have a cnc mill yet
08:44 PM roycroft: and i do not have the skill or patience to hand engrave the brand
08:46 PM roycroft: anyway, the issue with the machine profile is that the laserpecker 1/pro 1 can only be controlled via an android or ios app
08:46 PM roycroft: the laserpecker 2/3/4 have desktop apps to control them
08:46 PM roycroft: and uploading random files to ios/android and making them available to a particular app is tedious at best
08:46 PM roycroft: so it seems not many folks are interested in that
08:47 PM roycroft: i have all that sorted now, so it's down to generating good gcode
08:49 PM roycroft: there is allegedly a laser gcode generating plugin for illustrator now
08:49 PM roycroft: but it probably doesn't work with my ancient verison of illustrator
08:57 PM roycroft: yeah, i can get a lightburn license for marlin for $60
08:57 PM roycroft: and there's a 30 day trial license for free
08:57 PM roycroft: i think i've spent way more than $60 worth of my time on this just today so far
08:58 PM roycroft: and the license terms are very generous - install on two machines, updates for a year, and the license is perpetual
08:58 PM roycroft: i can renew it after a year if i want upgrades, or i can just keep using what i have
08:59 PM roycroft: if it works i'll give them $60 in a heartbeat
09:26 PM Tom_L: roycroft, what's the stepover distance on the laser rows?
09:26 PM Tom_L: i presume it scans back and forth as it burns
09:26 PM Tom_L: although it wouldn't have to
09:27 PM roycroft: it does
09:27 PM roycroft: i think the distance is 0.05mm
09:27 PM roycroft: i'll need to examine the gcode to determine that better
09:27 PM roycroft: but that's not the issue
09:28 PM roycroft: it's the x axis that gets skewed
09:28 PM roycroft: y is fine
09:28 PM roycroft: and i have some ideas about why it's getting messed up
09:28 PM roycroft: but no clue how to fix it
09:28 PM Tom_L: mechanical or software?
09:30 PM roycroft: it's gcode generation that is the problem
09:30 PM roycroft: the logo has a spherical graphic image on the left
09:30 PM roycroft: with two lines of text to the right (in my test)
09:30 PM roycroft: the graphic image is taller than the text, so it extends above and below the text
09:31 PM roycroft: the laser starts engraving the spherical element fine, until it gets up to the bottom of the text
09:31 PM roycroft: at which point it engraves parts of the spherical element on the far right, instead of on the left
09:31 PM roycroft: and continues to do that for the entire height of the text
09:31 PM roycroft: when it gets above the text it goes back to the left
09:32 PM roycroft: and none of the text engraves at all
09:32 PM Tom_L: what if you made a 2 pass doing the graphic then the txt
09:32 PM roycroft: i think there are two things going on:
09:32 PM roycroft: 1. absolute vs relative offsets are messed up
09:33 PM roycroft: 2. the gcode for the text is not being generated properly
09:33 PM Tom_L: 2 pass might help isolate that
09:33 PM roycroft: yes, and that's one of the things i'm going to try
09:33 PM roycroft: i'll just engrave the spherical element and see how that goes
09:35 PM Tom_L: also try 90deg rotation and burn
09:35 PM roycroft: that might be interesting
09:35 PM roycroft: and it's something i plan on doing anyway
09:35 PM roycroft: as with most small lasers, the beam is not round or square - it's rectangular
09:36 PM roycroft: so even when i get things otherwise dialed in, rotating 90 degrees should make a significant difference in the appearance
09:38 PM Tom_L: https://ncviewer.com/
09:39 PM roycroft: thanks
09:39 PM roycroft: i'll check that out after dinner, and see what my gcode looks like there
10:01 PM Tom_L: https://www.cnccookbook.com/download-g-wizard-editor-manual/
10:02 PM Tom_L: https://www.cnccookbook.com/g-code-simulator-viewer-generator-gwizard/