Hi Gang,
First, off: I LOVE CAMBAM! It's an AWESOME package and I use it constantly for laser and 3D. I plan to build a CNC plasma cutter and will use it for that as well.
Second, if I'm missing a key plugin or add-on here, lemme know and strike down my post much like Obi Wan Kenobe was struck down by Darth Vader (I am *not* comparing your development staff to Darth Vader - foot...in....mouth
).
I too would like to chime in here. Since I've been using CAMBAM to work with my laser engraver for some time now, my one request would be some allowance that allows for a larger variety of fill styles over simply horizontal, vertical, and concentric (center or outside or both). The benefits here could include:
THE OVERALL LOOK: With a laser, it's possible to get a lot of subtlety out of the material or the design by using alternative fill patterns that while procedural product an organic look and feel. For example, the ability to generate a "woodgrain" pattern complete with knots, or "riveted steel", "halftones", "cross hatches", "spirals", "donuts", "diagonals" (yes, I know this is already possible with some trickery), "sketchy lines" and even "varying thicknesses" (via multiple passes over the same line with a random "out of path" arrangement of some sort), "squares", "mosaic", "pop art", "shingles", "bricks", "radials", "shapes", "swirls" paisley", "letters", "DECwriter" (I just dated myself), "scales", "scallops", "flames", and I'm sure the user community could come up with a few thousand more. The point would be allowing a way to create fill styles on the part of plug-in developers, script-writers, and ultimately, end users (within reason).
EFFICIENCY: Someone mentioned somewhere else that there was an algorithm to generate a "spiral" fill pattern from the center, never "lifting the bit". This would also help in laser work in certain cases such as using a larger halftone.
FUN: Hey, fill patterns are fun.
SHEER COOLNESS: "My project is COOLER than your project because I used CAMBAM and you didn't!!!").
Anyway,
My two cents ($3.14 adjusted for inflation, interest, cost-of-living, and VAT).
As I said, love the product, dig the active community, and it's working great for me!
-S
