Messages

31

CamBam help (General usage) / 3D Milling - Getting Started

« on: December 20, 2023, 10:27:45 am »

I have used CB for a few years for simple profile routing and machining.

Now I need to do some complex 3D milling of stl file defined solid parts.
The first challenge is to nominate a selected surface of the stl file to be milled.

The documentation lists some Boundary defining aspects, but I cannot find any descriptive examples on how to apply them.
Could someone please just point me to some examples ?

Keep well,
John.

32

CamBam help (General usage) / Re: ALT+Left Mouse - 3D Scrolling

« on: November 10, 2023, 06:48:59 am »

I generated a Linux Mint 21.2 live session USB.
The presentation on the screen, and mouse response, is good - I like it.

Installed CamBam and the same sample stl file previously referenced.
Alt-Left Mouse does not scroll.

So, as Ubuntu 20.04 does provide scrolling, it looks like that is what I will run with.

But, I will explore other avenues as Ubuntu is too much 'in-your-face' for my liking.

Not requesting any further comments/help on this subject as I think I know where I am now.

Keep well,
John

33

Installation Help / Re: Ubuntu Mate - Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS - Not Run

« on: November 05, 2023, 23:31:59 pm »

Thanks for the comment on Ubuntu 14.04.

Got CB working on Ubuntu Mate 22.04.
3D scroll with "Alt-Left Mouse" does not work.

Installed Ubuntu 20.04 with Ubuntu Mate as alternative boot.
The "Alt-Left Mouse" 3D scroll works fine under Ubuntu.

So, now to try out Linux Mint.

John.

34

Installation Help / Re: Ubuntu Mate - Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS - Not Run

« on: November 05, 2023, 09:14:59 am »

Thanks for the help, Linux Mint is now on the list.

Lubuntu does not have any options to vary the key bindings, and editing the rc.xml files was not fruitful for me.

I will concentrate on getting CB working on Ubuntu Mate as I know I have done something wrong.
Starting with re-reading the install instructions,
This lesson has to be learned before jumping off into something else.

John.

35

Installation Help / Ubuntu Mate - Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS - Not Run

« on: November 05, 2023, 07:22:04 am »

Fresh install of Ubuntu Mate, then Cambam 1.0.

The install seemed Ok, no errors reported.
CB won't open, no errors reported.

I already have CB operating on a separate machine with Lubuntu 22.04 LTS.
The test with Ubuntu Mate is to see if that overcomes the dreaded 'Alt+Left Mouse' scroll issue.

My next move is to update the Mate to 22.04
If someone knows for sure that Mate suffers the same problem with scrolling, let me know and I will try another distribution.

John.

36

CamBam help (General usage) / Re: ALT+Left Mouse - 3D Scrolling

« on: October 25, 2023, 21:14:52 pm »

I have a thread on this subject running on the Lubuntu Discourse forum.
There, a senior Lubuntu team member advised the "lubuntu-rc.xml' is a remnant and it is "rc.xml" that determines machine operation.
My testing of both versions confirms that.

The un-altered "rc.xml" is attached.

I have loaded into CamBam the sample file "Cube_3d_printing_sample".
Testing using Edit/Transform/Rotation shows promise, but I cannot achieve 3D scrolling.
I need to review the documentation and attempt combination rotations.

John.

37

CamBam help (General usage) / Re: ALT+Left Mouse - 3D Scrolling

« on: October 25, 2023, 07:50:28 am »

Is there a way to achieve 3D scrolling other than "Alt+Left+Mouse" ?
It would be a shame to move away from Lubuntu as it has served me well for a number of years.

So far, I have only done a few simple 2D profile jobs derived from dxf files.
The current requirement is for a complex stl using end and ball nose mills.

I have yet to learn how to select a surface and define the tool orientation.
Digging in to the documentation and tutorials will now be the order of the day.

John.

38

CamBam help (General usage) / Re: ALT+Left Mouse - 3D Scrolling

« on: October 23, 2023, 10:52:38 am »

I considered the possibility that my evaluation copy of CamBam may have 3D scrolling as one of the feature restrictions.

So, in the hope that the 3D scrolling would be resolved, I elected to purchase a licence.

But, 3D scrolling is still not working.

I will do a fresh download/install, but I am not confident that is the solution.

Still researching keybindings and how they pass through to an application.

I am trying to achieve a second machine with Ubuntu Mate to see if that is the solution.

John.

39

CamBam help (General usage) / Re: ALT+Left Mouse - 3D Scrolling

« on: October 18, 2023, 21:38:45 pm »

I have spent some time investigating options within Lubuntu, without finding any references to ALT key options.

Separately, on Lubuntu Discourse, a contributor got me looking at OpenBox and the configuration file ' rc.xml '.
This could be central to the problem, but my editing of it has only produced error messages.
I have to learn how to successively edit/run configuration files.

This thread was in the hope others had already been down the path and had a packaged solution.

Interestingly, my workshop computer runs Ubuntu Mate, but without CamBam due to poor internet reception.
I will transfer it to house, install CamBam, and examine the options available.

If I can solve the 3D scrolling problem, I will purchase the latest CamBam.
Keep well, John.

40

CamBam help (General usage) / ALT+Left Mouse - 3D Scrolling

« on: October 18, 2023, 09:19:37 am »

I run Lubuntu 22.04 LTS.
The ALT+LeftMouse selection for 3D scrolling doesn't work.
This is critical for my projected projects.

Searching reveals it is an old problem, but very little on correction, mitigation or work-around.

It seems to be a difficulty with OpenBox passing through the key bindings to the application (CamBam).

Seeking a path forward.
Thanks in advance,
John.

41

CamBam help (General usage) / Re: Duplicate Co-ordinates after G2

« on: July 30, 2021, 23:57:55 pm »

Eddy, you are onto it, thanks.

I use LibreCad, and on close examination, I find that the tangent into the curve misses by about 1/10 micron (0.0001 mm), and goes past by about 3 microns.
I will investigate this further.
Many drawings have been done in the past trouble free, I suspect too many copies and mirrors when I did the drawing.
Goes to show that joining related elements into a 'Block" before multiple copy/paste/mirror etc would be worthwhile.

The "EDIT-JOIN" selection in Cambam was set at 0.01 to make the polyline.
This shows that CB cannot correct for sloppy drawings !

Today's task is to redraw the shape and then re-program in CamBam to confirm that was the problem.

The shape was a pocket in 12 mm steel.
I had drilled out most of the interior and my interest lay in learning about G42 and its ability to step sideways to the final desired line.
So I guess "perimeter" would be a closer description.
But it really is a profiling operation to an existing (very rough) pocket.
My "instruction" to CB was only to mean my selection of the options and parameters.

My work flow was to set G42 in LinuxCNC with a Tool Table entry of 11.9 mm (corner curves are Radius 6 mm), but load a 8 mm cutter.
The go round the (drilled) pocket observing the cut, theoretically (11.9-8)/2 = 1.95 mm clear of the final line.
Then progressively reset the Tool Table entry to 11.5, 11, 10.5, 10, 9.5, 9, 8.5, 8.2, 8.
Perhaps too conservative, but it worked a treat.

Keep well,
John.

42

CamBam help (General usage) / Duplicate Co-ordinates after G2 - Bad Drawing

« on: July 30, 2021, 00:23:37 am »

I have been experimenting with G42, cutter compensation, to establish the cut on my mill.

I instructed CB to generate code for the profile of a pocket with Tool Diameter = 0.

When I tried to run the code on LinuxCNC with the tool diameter set in the Tool Table, I got error messages and the code would not run.
Inspected the code and discovered that a number of G2 moves had the target co-ord repeated on the next line with a G1.

Generally, the repeated c-ords were slightly different, more or less digits of precision and roundings, all trivial differences.
Removed all the duplicated lines and the code ran fine.

I know that LinuxCNC calculates line-by-line the tool path using simple mathematics to allow for tool diameter.

Previous efforts along the same lines did not suffer the duplicates.
I assume LinuxCNC saw the trivial differences as intended tool movements and the tool path mathematics failed,

Can anyone shed any light on what I did in CB to initiate these duplicates ?

Keep well,
John (in Lockdown Sydney).

43

Installation Help / Re: Lubuntu 21.04 - Correct Download to Install

« on: June 11, 2021, 10:08:37 am »

Progress.

Thanks EddyCurrent,
Cleaned up the previous remnants.

Then downloaded and installed 'Ubuntu 18 based Linux/Mint19 ...' as this is listed as the 64 bit version, as for Lubuntu 21.04.
Just followed the instructions in the CamBam Home page.

It opens from the terminal script, but does not open from the icon in the Graphics category in the program selection dialog box.

Looks good, will test code generation tomorrow (it is evening in Sydney).

Presume the icon opening problem should not be too hard to track down and fix.

Keep well,
John.

44

Installation Help / Lubuntu 21.04 - Correct Download to Install

« on: June 10, 2021, 23:38:50 pm »

Hi,
I have trialled CB in the past on a previous computer with Lubuntu 18.04, not sure what CB download was used.
Because of problems with the Lubuntu upgrades, I am forced to run the latest rolling upgrade, currently 21.04.

I have decided to permanently install CB, but not sure what download to use.

Because of backups being used to re-populate the folder system on the new computer, I have some CB files in various locations.
Should I remove all earlier CB remnants before starting the new install ?

Keep well,
John.

45

CamBam help (General usage) / Re: Railway Wheels by New User

« on: June 19, 2020, 23:58:36 pm »

Thanks for the responses, I will access the documentation referenced.
But, good to have your assurances.
Now to get some 3D design.

CB is Version 1.0 running on Lubuntu with the generated code followed by LinuxCNC running on Debian.

Currently, I have 20 wheels at Dia 90 mm coded to use corner rounding cutters to provide pseudo 'oval' spokes.
There are clearance issues with these cutters that may not be the case with ball-nose cutters.

Keep well,
John