Topics

1

CamBam help (General usage) / Tiny text on v1.0 user interface

« on: August 29, 2023, 02:26:13 am »

I've installed 1.0 onto a new to me laptop, set up my license, transferred my configs.  Fresh install of Windows 10. Laptop has a decent display, 15.5" diag, 1920x1080 resolution.  My desktop's display is 1920x1200 (higher resolution).  But the Cambam UI on laptop's display is very, very small.  I tried adjusting windows text settings.  That causes the items in the properties window to get bigger (and get cropped if you set the size up very much), but the UI items on the menubar and in the "tree" remain unchanged, still tiny.  By tree I mean the box immediately below where the Drawing and System tabs are.  <ctrl><+>, nor <ctrl><shift><+> work at all in Cambam's window, and the <Win><+> functionality does the same as the settings from control panel.

Out of curiosity, I installed 0.9.8.  It's text on both the UI menubar and "tree" is substantially larger. 

On my desktop, the text is the same size on both versions.

I don't see any options in CamBam preferences for setting the interface text size.  Is there a way to correct this?

2

CamBam help (General usage) / DXF Import circle diameter inaccuracy

« on: August 01, 2021, 22:21:26 pm »

I teach a high school robotics program and this season we started using Fusion 360 for CAD.  When I export a a DXF with a specific hole size, CamBam is seeing it as a slightly smaller hole.  The hole is designed at 0.125", CamBam shows it as "0.12499999999999994".  I use a .125 tool and so if I try to drill a .125 hole with the tool I get an error.

My first assumption was it was F360 causing the problem, and it may be still.  For what it's worth, I opened the same DXF in my old CAD software and that shows the hols as 0.125, correctly.

The problem is reproducible.  I've attached a sample export with the offending hole.

Recommendations for a fix or workaround?

3

CamBam help (General usage) / Text size problems

« on: May 23, 2019, 22:51:33 pm »

I haven't needed to use Cambam text much but today I wanted to add some notes to my file.  I have Cambam stick fonts installed as well.  Wen I choose the text tool the smallest fint I can pick is about 2" tall on the drawing and unreadable in the text window  when typing.  When searching for the solution I saw where someone else said small text was too small in their text window to see/edit, so I figure there must be some setting somewhere I've got wrong.  Because I cant get any font small, stick, Arial, anything.

4

CamBam help (General usage) / Choppy motion when doing 3D profile

« on: May 20, 2019, 00:21:25 am »

I was adjusting stepover, & resolution to make a final smoothing pass on my part.  Working to get rid of the scalloping I had with my first settings.  The changes worked in that regard, but the motion on my 3D passes were very rough/choppy.  I took a slow motion video with my iPhone to see what was up.  On a horizontal cut, all was well, but when the bit was going up the inner side of my "bowl" the best way I could describe it is that it was making a small move, pausing and making the next move pausing and so on.  Not moving very fluidly.  I tried up upload the slo-mo video somewhere so I could show, but that in itself was problematic thus the verbal description.  FWIW, Mach3 didn't seem to be pausing and was zipping away with the gcode.

I don't know if it's something I've caused with my setup, a machine limitation, mach3 issue, or what.

Grateful for any pointers.

This happens with the 3DSurface5 or 6 MOPS in the attached file.

5

CamBam help (General usage) / 3D paths, tool changes on a part? How do to vertical planes

« on: April 27, 2019, 21:42:21 pm »

I'm decent at 2D stuff now, but 3D is new to me.  I want to cut a "bowl" in some hardwood and cut the perimeter out.  At least one issue is that my ball nose tool is tapered.  So it can't cut a vertical surface.  Even if it were not taperes, I coudl not get all the way to the base due to the ball nose.

It would be great if I could fence an area (the bowl) and make one MOP to cut the bowl, then a second MOP to cut the profile.

I muddled my way through FreeCAD and managed to get the bowl (only) output as STL, and CB seems to make the toolpaths for just the bowl-only part correctly (haven't simulated or cut).  Figured I could make a whole 'nother part and have it cut the profile with a normal bit.  Or something like that.

Hoping there a better, more appropriate way to do this?  Seems like it would be a common issue if you only have X-Y-Z.

File attached with the whole thing and just the bowl STL.

6

CamBam help (General usage) / FreeCAD to CamBam in Inches

« on: April 26, 2019, 20:22:43 pm »

Trying Freecad.  Muddled my way through creating a 3D object.  I set the units in Freecad to Inches, and exported an STL.  When I open in CamBam, it was 25.4 times too big.  FreeCad's Scaling does not appear to be very precise and is a kludge to do IMO.  Well, the way I tried it at least.

Anyone have a workflow for going from FreeCAD (3D) to CamBam in inches?

Wasn't sure the best place to post, as it may be a CamBam internal solution or may be a pre-CamBam solution.

7

Related Softwares / Latest recomendation for CAD software?

« on: April 26, 2019, 14:31:33 pm »

I'm an old user of Bentley Microstation.  Used it because it was free from work.  Then I taught a High School robotics class using the subset version called Powerdraft. Retired and I need to migrate to something new because I won't have licenses for Bentley anymore.  I looked briefly at FreeCAD to convert a STP file to STL for CamBam.  Man that interface was a head scratcher LOL.

Anything new I should consider?  Free always good, outputs something very compatible with CamBam please.  Willing to pay some reasonable price for a permanent license.  Not a candidate for the crazy priced corporate subscription  licenses like Microstation (and I think Solidworks too) has.  Old school, I want to install it and own it, and forget about it.

Grateful for any pointers..

8

Problem dxf files etc... / Help with BoyScout Logo

« on: April 25, 2016, 15:00:32 pm »

Trying to help an Eagle Scout with his project. 

I used an open source program called Inkscape to trace a clean jpg of this logo.  I can open it in my CAD program without issue, and in CamBam as well.

I cannot get the elements to join.  Figure I'm doing something wrong.  Can anyone take a look and see?

Thanks,
Scott

9

Installation Help / Copying settings from Windows 7 to XP

« on: August 28, 2015, 19:03:58 pm »

So I thought I had this right, but ran into a problem when I tried.

I have a desktop running Windows 7.  My shop PC running the CNC machine is XP.  I made a bunch of configuration and style changes on the W7 PC, I wanted to update the XP PC to match.

This is what I did (attempted):

1. Copy the system files and subfolders, in their entirety:
FROM:Windows 7:  C:\Program Data\CamBam plus 0.9.8\*.*
TO:    XP:  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\CamBam plus 0.9.8\

2. Copy plugins.  I didn't think there were any changes, but might as well be sure:
FROM:  W7: C:\Program Files (x86)\CamBam plus 0.9.8\plugins\*.*
TO:      XP:  C:\Program Files\CamBam plus 0.9.8\plugins

3. Edit the system setting for my default template file, which I put in the [system folder]\templates folder.  Have to update the path due to the OS change

4. Edit the system setting for Post Build Command, again to adjust the path.

Problem was when I got to step 3, opening CamBam, the settings panes were blank. I couldn't update the settings.

I fiddled and eventually deleted "CamBamPro0.9.8.config" which got me back to having settings, but I had to enter them as several had changed.

What did I miss?  Maybe I should have deleted the system folder first?  Something else?

10

CamBam help (General usage) / Auto setting clearance plane

« on: August 23, 2015, 20:10:33 pm »

When setting the default clearance plan in a profile, is there a way to set it such that it takes the "Stock Surface" (as set in the cutting depth section, not the stock definition) and adds 0.7 to it?

along the lines of:

{$cutting depths stock surface} + 0.7

The plan being that if the cutting depth stock surface is changed, the clearance plane setting will auto-change with it.

11

Post Processors (*.cbpp) / 2010 screenset - issue "park"

« on: August 15, 2015, 22:59:09 pm »

I'm using Gerry's "2010 Screenset" in Mach 3.  Love it so far.  I'd like to have my machine run his "Park" macro (M883.mls) when it has finished executing the Gcode.  Is that possible via the footer in CamBam?  Not sure how to issue/generate the command, if it's possible.

Scott

12

Post Processors (*.cbpp) / Remove Tool change on startup [post build process]

« on: August 15, 2015, 03:55:25 am »

I'm switching to a 3rd party screenset for Mach3.  It uses a fancy tool change setup that somewhat automates resetting Z when you change a tool.  Having a M6 command initiated at the beginning of the job is a problem using it because it causes it to probe zero 2 times when that exists.  All of my CamBam jobs appear to issue a tool change command because I have to press cycle start, then again after the phantom tool change when I start my programs in Mach 3.  Not a big deal so far, but with the new screenset, looks like it's an issue.

So I looked to see if I could see what causes it.  I see this in teh preprocessor for header.

Code: [Select]

{$comment} {$cbfile.name} {$date} {$endcomment}
{$tooltable}
{$comment} CUTVIEWER {$endcomment}
{$comment} FROM/0,0,5 {$endcomment}
{$comment} Select dummy tool to avoid warnings {$endcomment}
{$comment} TOOL/MILL,1,0,20.0,0 {$endcomment}
{$comment} STOCK/BLOCK,{$stock_width},{$stock_length},{$stock_height},{$stock_x},{$stock_y},{$stock_z} {$endcomment}
{$cbfile.header}
{$units} {$distancemode} {$arccentermode} {$velocitymode} {$cuttercomp(off)}
{$toolchange(first)}
{$clearance}
Is this the line that's generating it?
{$toolchange(first)}

Just remove this to prevent it?

13

CamBam help (General usage) / tool retracting to clearance plane between depth increments

« on: August 11, 2015, 01:25:45 am »

Hi guys.  The high school robotics season is about to start up again and I'm cleaning out some mental cobwebs related to Cambam.

Can someone look at this cb file and see what I'm doing wrong?  The tool is retracting to the clearance plane between depth increments.  Cuts a layer, retracts to clearance, lowers, cuts a layer, repeats.  Only does it on the pocketing MOPS, not the profile. 

14

CamBam help (General usage) / How-to? cut half of a part at a time

« on: October 28, 2014, 14:34:01 pm »

My modest CNC machine's working envelope is 8x14x3 (x-y-z).  I really need to rebuild it to 14x14, a project for another day.

Meanwhile, I occasionally need to make a part that's larger than my 8" limiting y axis.  For example a wheel that is 12" in diameter.

I thought I might do this:  Draw half of the wheel (plus a little for overlap).  Mount my material, let the machine drill 2 1/4" locator holes through the part and into my spoil board.  Have the machine cut out half of the wheel.  Now, remove the half cut wheel, install 2 1/4" locator pins, rotate 180 degrees, and install half cut wheel using the locator pins.  Secure and then have the machine cut the other half of the wheel.

Seems like that would work, assuming a nice tight fit with the pins.

My question is this..  How can I tell CamBam to cut the outside of a line that is not a closed polygon?  That is, follow a line on one side of the line?

Thanks,
Scott

15

CamBam help (General usage) / Extra pass generated when profiling

« on: October 28, 2014, 14:27:15 pm »

Hi guys:  I've got a simple part I cut out of polypropylene.  I use a single 1/8" flute onsrud o-flute bit.  When profiling/slotting, the chips tend to pack in the slot on the second pass as the cut gets deeper.  To assist in chip removal, I increase my cut width slightly (Set Cut Width to 0.18).  That causes the profile to make a second trip around which I understand.  First pass to make initial cut, second pass to cut to the edge of the part.

But for each cut increment, I'm getting a 3rd trip around the part with no apparent increase in depth or step over.  (3rd trip happening in "Profile 2" in attached file)

Can anyone tell why?  I've attached my cb file and the resulting nc.  Let me know if you need anything else (style file?).

Thanks,
Scott