Feature Request: 3D engraving

[Axeman]

I can't see this being a huge request...but it would certainly push the 'commercial' level of the AWC right in with the big boys.

It would just read a 8-bit grayscale image varying power based on which level of gray it encountered using a bitmap surface map.

The amount of stuff you could do with solid stock would be beyond amazing.

Pretty please

[waltfl]

hi axeman
I use 8 bit grey for semi 3D ( that's all you can get anyway) see picture. the grey is the original
greetings
waltfl

gillfishacryl.jpg (20.36 KiB) Viewed 5944 times

I can't see this being a huge request...but it would certainly push the 'commercial' level of the AWC right in with the big boys.

It would just read a 8-bit grayscale image varying power based on which level of gray it encountered using a bitmap surface map.

The amount of stuff you could do with solid stock would be beyond amazing.

Pretty please

[Telrad]

it would most certainly be a huge request! This would reduce the amount of time necessary for processing an image. The software could be handled by user configurable power curves like in adobe photoshop. That would let people tweek their power output for different lasers.

[Axeman]

Someone could manually set all 256 levels and do 3D engraving but it would be so time consuming...that's why I meant by it wouldn't be too big of a request to implement it...That's the only feature missing (other than some basic CAD drawing tools and the ability to account for kerf width in your cuts) that is missing compared to Epilog and Universal Lasers...

[wctx1977]

I would like to be part of the 3D engraving request group. This feature would make this card very competitive and more popular against the big dads (epilog, universal and others).

[Tech_Marco]

It is a 'huge' request! I asked the programmer before and he said that he had no plan to do it as it involved tremendous time investment to add that feature. If he will, he will do it on my software in the near future per our agreement.

By the way, a new feature will be added to the LaserCad soon. What is the new feature is to allow one to set the number times of cutting or engraving per layer instead of just one for the current version . Before, if you want to cut 1/2" pine wood and need two pass to do it, you have to run the cutting twice manually. But with the new feature added, it will allow you to set the number of pass at will. That's something I can do it for now.

I can't promise the 3D or gray scale engraving but I can promise you that I'll keep "knocking" the programmer door to push him to take some effort


Marco

[Axeman]

Well thanks for the response and the thoughts on the matter =D

So maybe I'll just ask for something easier...maybe in the future could you convince him to enable the ability to account for kerf width? Positive and negative numbers to allow for "inner" and "outer" cuts?

Cool to get more than 1 extra pass in the future...

[Tech_Marco]

I don't think the DSP has something to do with the width of "kerf". I think it really depends on the quality and the focus of the focus lens. Of course, the quality of the CO2 tube is very important like the rate of divergence.

Marco

[Axeman]

No, I'm not saying the DSP is at fault for kerf.

I'm saying that I'd like the DSP to account for how wide the beam is in it's cut pattern. When you use a CAD program, you tell it to do either "on the line" or "outside the line" of the vector by x mm's to cover for that tool width (being a laser, tool bit, etc).

So I'm asking is if that could be integrated into the DSP so that instead of having to manually edit all the DXF's for high precision parts...the cutting program simply offsets itself inward or outward by x mm's from the vectors line. Right now, I have to manually resize the vectors in the DXF to account for kerf which is extremely time consuming. When I was using G-code, I simply told the CAD program to account for kerf and I could cut a part within 0.01 mm's of precision.

This is an example write up from a water jet cutter website, same concept I'm trying to explain.

"Determining the tool offset

Because the cutting beam of a waterjet is not infinitely thin, it is necessary to offset the tool slightly from the geometry of the part. For example, a typical kerf width of a nozzle is about 0.030" (0.76 mm). If you were to trace the exact outline of the part you want to cut, the part would be undersized by 0.015" (0.38 mm), which is half of the kerf width. Therefore, it is necessary to follow a path that is "offset" by this amount.



The original part as drawn in a CAD system (purple) with the actual path the machine will follow (yellow), which is offset from the original part. The blue dot represents the jet.

In the above figure, notice that by following the yellow path, the purple part will be cut to exact size. If the jet followed the purple path, the part would come out undersized."

[Tech_Marco]

I see what you mean now.
You know what, there is a feature built in on the LaserCad

I give you a moment to find it out

Marco

[Axeman]

Is it parallel offset? It sure looks like it...though I think I have to make sure to check off "output" so I don't engrave the vector afterwards...

Man, I feel silly not noticing that sooner.

[Tech_Marco]

You got it!



It is ok as it was a late added feature AFTER the manual was launched

Marco

[Axeman]

Ah that makes my day...it really does. I'm going to do some playing with that now!

One last thing, if you ever figure out how to use Clothing Mark, I'd be curious of what that does exactly...

[waltfl]

YES I WOULD BE INTERESTED TOO.
GREETINGS
WALTFL

Ah that makes my day...it really does. I'm going to do some playing with that now!

One last thing, if you ever figure out how to use Clothing Mark, I'd be curious of what that does exactly...

[Tech_Marco]

Got my latest request of LaserCad with 'work count per layer'

Marco