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SketchUcam

Discussion in 'CAM' started by Mark Carew, Aug 13, 2015.

  1. Mark Carew

    Mark Carew OpenBuilds Team
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    Discuss all things related to SketchUcam here

    [​IMG]
    SketchUCam is free plugin written for the Google SketchUp CAD program that allows the creation of Gcode to control your cnc machines and bring your SketchUp creations into the real world!
     
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  2. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    First some background:
    Some very clever people wrote a lot of code that was Phlatscript that became SketchUcam. I will have to track down the names and add them here.

    A few years ago I was trying it out and discovered a bug, fixed it and posted the file.
    Then I discovered some other bugs, and had some ideas for improvements....
    Those bug fixes and improvements became version 1.0 and now v1.3a is current and I am working on V1.3b.

    Now, please watch this intro video and read the help (big blue question mark on toolbar) to accelerate your skills from 'what is it' to 'I cut this out!' in the shortest time.
     
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  3. superelvis

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    Do anybody have expirience with RhinoCam and OpenBuild OX with Arduino GShield?

    I Work a lot with Rhino... I plan to buy "OpenBuild OX with Arduino GShield"
    I don´t know If the G-Code out of RhinoCam work in GBRL Controller??






    [​IMG]
     
  4. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    no idea, but as the thread name implies, I know that SketchUcam will work just fine
     
  5. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    Mark Carew and JustinTime like this.
  6. samerhay80

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    I'm planning to build a CNC, so I'm checking softwares around. wanted to try sketchucam but unfortunately it's not that easy to download it. first you have to sign up and create an account. ok, i get that, then when i click on download, it takes me to an external website that doesn't recognize my username and password, probably cause it needs to update the list of username which could take anywhere from 1 sec to a year. I'm really sad when i see programmers doing a great effort to build a software which they are ready to distribute for free but then fail to "distribute it".
     
  7. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    phlatforum.com is the official host for the software and is the only host for it.
    why?
    because keeping multiple hosts updated and in sync is a massive pain in the ***, and is in fact the day job I get paid for.

    even if we hosted it on Sketchucation (the central repository for Sketchup plugins) you would have to sign up and log in. The benefit of signing up for phlatforum is that every question you have has already been answered there since that is where SketchUcam was invented.
     
  8. southsc

    southsc New
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    Program works fine but will not cut tabs.
     
  9. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    um, tabs are not supposed to be cut, they are left behind to keep the part in place so it does not jump up and jam the cutter.
     
  10. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    ChrisCassin and Giarc like this.
  11. dirtdemon

    dirtdemon New
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    Anyone else have an issue with the latest sketchucam plug in and sketchup 2016 pro? Ever time I try to do an outside cut it sends sketchup into not responding mode. Then when it recovers and im able to add the cut it doesn't show up when I generate the gcode, only inside cuts.
     
  12. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    I have not seen this in testing on Sketchup 2016 (free). I do not have Pro, though I doubt that really makes any difference.

    Please attach your file, either here or in a private conversation with me.
    You will need to tell me exactly what you were doing, the order of operations might be important.
    Is this a new file, recently created?
    What OS?
    How much RAM?
    I also might need to know what other plugins you have installed that might interfere.
     
  13. dirtdemon

    dirtdemon New
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    Ty @David the swarfer I figured it out tho was writing a new comment when u replied. Seems I was trying to cut a. 125 inch slot with a .125 bit and the outside cut command didn't like that. I do have another question tho... Is there a way of setting up a tool for engraving in sketchucam I watched your tutorial for sketchucam but it just shows following the outline of bubbled letters and I just want a single cut line thru the middle of each letter
     
  14. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    ah yes, the bit HAS to fit between the lines of slots with at least 0.002" clearance. maybe more. do experiment.


    To do letters with a single line you have to use a single line font. You will have to google for one.
    or, you can use a narrow font, where there are 2 lines but they are very close together, and then delete one of the lines.

    The reason for this mess is that truetype fonts are 'always' loops so that they can be filled.
    Works nicely on laser printers (-:

    try these...
    CamBam Stick Fonts
    OneLineFonts, The source for single line fonts
     
  15. dirtdemon

    dirtdemon New
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    Thanks David for the links... Fonts can be imported to sketchup somehow right?
     
  16. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    import to *Windows*, then you can use them in any program, including Sketchup
     
  17. dirtdemon

    dirtdemon New
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    Nice thank u sir. Now to figure out the tool change part haha..... back to the hobby room
     
  18. frank796

    frank796 New
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  19. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    That is the correct file. You install it in Sketchup from the Window|Preferences|Extensions dialog.

    Full install instructions are on that download page under 'Scenario 1'.
     
  20. frank796

    frank796 New
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    Thank you for your reply.
     
  21. julio delgado

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    This link esta broken, you kindly share by MEGA or some other server . THANK YOU . GREETINGS FROM PERU .
     
  22. julio delgado

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  23. julio delgado

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  24. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    Julio, please do not post the same thing many times in reply to many posts.

    The link is working just fine, but you do have to register and login on
    PhlatForum
    before you can get the download.
     
  25. julio delgado

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    I 'm loqueado And When entering the page http://www.phlatforum.com/xenforo/index.php?threads/sketchucam-download.3128/

    I get messages sgte
    PhlatForum - Error
    You do not have permission to see this page or esta Action Wear Cape .

    It is urgent be so kind to help David hanging it Mega UN or some other server . Thanks greetings
     

    Attached Files:

  26. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    No, I will not put it on any other server.
    Did you register?
    Did you login?
    If you did then maybe try a different browser, I have seen such errors even when logged in with Firefox, but Chrome or IE or Safari will work at the same time. (but waiting 10 minutes will fix it, usually)

    We do not want it on multiple servers because it makes it so hard to keep track of updates and make sure only the latest is available.
     
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  27. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    I have been working on a new Halloween Project and have been trying to cut through 2 inch foam which is actually 52.5 mm on average (at least from my supplier in the Pacific Northwest - Home Depot). I drew up the item I wanted cut (a gravestone) and everything looked great in the drawing. I sent the g-code to GRBL Panel and it was working great and returned to the zero point at the end. However, it would not cut deeper than -35.somethingish mm. When I looked at the file in Notepad, it made a statement about -35.somethingish mm being a limit of some sort. I apologize that I do not have the code on this computer to post it. Is this a limit due to it being designed for the Phlatprinter? I improvised a workaround by just lowering the z zero appropriately and recutting. But, I was hoping for a real solution if one exists. I could not find a setting or anything in "help" mentioning this setting.

    Thanks,

    Craig
     
  28. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    Hmmm.... Maybe if I set the table as the zero height, it will cut if the limit is only a negative cut limit. Kinda scared to try it though with the price of the material.:nailbite:
     
  29. David the swarfer

    David the swarfer OpenBuilds Team
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    In the help there is a red link to the bit where it says 'what to do after install' which has a discussion on the importance of setting z_min and z_max correctly.

    For example the z axis I have just built can move 127mm so I will set
    Z-min = -127
    Z-max = 127

    Note that this might allow for hitting end stops, up to you to do the thinking, but at least the gcode will be correct :)

    Anyhow, the upshot is that you have your z-min set to about -35mm, maybe -1.5" ? and you need to change it to suite your machine.
     
  30. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    Thanks!

    I am an idiot. :duh: I had only been clicking the links in the main body of the help page (holes in grid, etc...). somehow I had missed the menu at the top right.

    On the plus side, I tried using the table as z-zero. I like it. It guarantees I don't cut into the table. The foam I am cutting is not perfectly flat, so this seems to be a better solution.
     
    David the swarfer likes this.

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