'Simulate with CAMotics' plugin

[EddyCurrent]

Too hard this time.

if cb2cm.config has, <regen_gfile_before_post>false</regen_gfile_before_post>
do this exactly,

1. start cambam, open camotics test.cb
2. Machining->Produce gcode (i.e. for ALL the file)
3. select and right click the part, dip wax mold reworked
4. select, produce gcode, from the context menu
5. with the part still selected choose, Tools->simulate with camotics (part)

if cb2cm.config has, <regen_gfile_before_post>true</regen_gfile_before_post>
do this,
1. start cambam,  open camotics test.cb
2. select and right click the part, dip wax mold reworked
3. select, produce gcode, from the context menu
4. with the part still selected choose, Tools->simulate with camotics (part)

[lloydsp]

Bingo!  Thanks!

Now, the other part about the V-cutter not showing its cuts is probably a CAMotics issue, and I'll fiddle around a bit to see what it takes to correct it.

LLoyd

[EddyCurrent]

Marvelous !

So what were you doing different before ?

[lloydsp]

Not generating the g-code for the part just before simulating.  It WAS generated from a previous run, so I don't know exactly why it wouldn't work without generating it immediately before invoking CAMotics for part... <shrug>

Lloyd

[dh42]

Hello

One other thing... I have an engraving tool working to put nomenclature on the mold, and it never shows any contact having occurred between that tool and the lowered work surface (but it works in 'real life' on my mill).

Maybe a tool definition problem ?

On the Tag field in the engrave mop, is see 82° V cutter, but in camotics, it's a 0.11° tools with Ø = 0.02 (pic1)

If, in the CB tool library I set the following values for the tool #5

Diameter = 0.125"
Vee Angle = 82
Length = 0.2"

I get the right 82° tool in camotics and the simulation works. (better if you choose "Very Hight" for resolution) pic2

If you have a look on camotic resolution, you can see that for your part, with medium setting, the resolution is set to 0.98", and for Very Hight, it is set to 0.289", so in this case camotics can't simulate a tool of Ø 0.02" as you set in the engrave mop.

I tried with 0.02 for resolution ... and after some minutes, camotics use the whole RAM (16GB) !!! .. and show a calculation time = 8h00 ... LOL

++
David

[EddyCurrent]

Not generating the g-code for the part just before simulating.  It WAS generated from a previous run, so I don't know exactly why it wouldn't work without generating it immediately before invoking CAMotics for part... <shrug>

Lloyd

The plugin uses the generated .nc filename as the one to use for generating the .xml file and then passes that to CAMotics.
I tried to disturb JK's code as little as possible

[EddyCurrent]

What's wrong with just disabling all the Parts other than the one to simulate ?
To disable a Part, just select it in tree view then press the Space Bar.
Then just produce gcode as normal, is there something I've missed ? is that too laborious ?

[Bob La Londe]

What's wrong with just disabling all the Parts other than the one to simulate ?
To disable a Part, just select it in tree view then press the Space Bar.
Then just produce gcode as normal, is there something I've missed ? is that too laborious ?

That was kind of my point before.  I was missing why ...   I simulate part of jobs all the time in order to isolate problems. 

[lloydsp]

I probably wasn't clear on my last post.

I had created a .nc file for the particular part in an earlier run, so my puzzlement was why CAMotics wouldn't have used that .nc file.  The name was the same each time.  It was ONLY for the one part.

Is there some residue in memory at the time of creation of the .nc file that CAMotics relies upon?

It IS 'no more trouble' to run the creation immediately before running CAMotics.  I sometimes do it JUST to make sure I haven't created any errors which only show up during its creation.  I'm just curious about why the older .nc file wouldn't have served the purpose.

Lloyd

[Dragonfly]

Anyone using Camotics and the plugin with Linux?
I had to install a missing library for Camotics to run. It's Java Script runtime, old version and I read comments about it having security issues. Also, where is the config file for the plugin because it cannot find Camotics automatically.
Although a simple simulation ran OK with Camotics started manually before CB.

[Bob La Londe]

Anyone using Camotics and the plugin with Linux?
I had to install a missing library for Camotics to run. It's Java Script runtime, old version and I read comments about it having security issues. Also, where is the config file for the plugin because it cannot find Camotics automatically.
Although a simple simulation ran OK with Camotics started manually before CB.

I had to locate the config file and enter the Camotics location manually with W10 and CB1.0.14 also.  It was ok, though as I also changed the default resolution from medium to high at the same time. 

[dh42]

Hello

Also, where is the config file for the plugin

On Windows, it is located in the Cambam system folder (menu Tools/browse system folder in Cambam)

it is called cb2cm.config


++
David

[Mark81]

Is there any way to change the default settings that the plugin writes in the xml file?

[dh42]

Hello,

Nice to hear it so useful )

Resolution may be specified in plugin config.
Open cb2cm.config from system folder (Tools->Browse system folder) with text editor and change line

Code: [Select]

<sim_resolution>MEDIUM</sim_resolution>
to the one of LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, VERY_HIGH

I can't obtain the right resolution in the XML file generated by the plugin. Even if I set HIGH or VERY_HIGH in the Camotics config file, the generated file always use MEDIUM.

It's working for you ? (plugin V 1.5.11 - Camotics 1.2.0)

++
David

[dh42]

Ah Ah, found ; CamBam must be restarted if the config file is modified ; I assume that the camotics config file is read only one time when CB and the plugin are loaded and the config file is not read again each time we run a new simulation.

++
David