Calculation Box Formulas

[Beamer]

Hey all!

So I admit that I'm probably an edge case here and most folks wouldn't necessarily find this handy but I have this (very minor) thorn in my side that I would love to solve.

In my business, I make a lot of personalized items. I've got several dozen "template" files that I have setup which get me all the geometry and toolpaths I need for a given job. There's one line of products I have where the main variable is the width and height of the item. This is where I'd love a little streamlining.

Ok so stick with me ... lol. You know how we can specify a dimension using a formula, right? Say you want a rectangle who's width is calculated with a little math. For example "w-.07" -- that's .07" smaller than the job width. Excellent. Very handy for what I do. However! In the case of the above product line, where the dimensions must change, my template file also has a couple of vectors that I wish I could specify as relative to the job dimensions.

For example, I have one rectangle that is .07" smaller in width and height. I also have a 2nd rectangle that is .32" larger than those dimensions. These live in layers that are used by toolpaths and need to be these sizes for several reasons.

So I was thinking "Man, it'd be great if I could set the dimensions of these vectors relative to the job width and height."

Then I thought "Hey, I can do that with the formula thing ... maybe it'd be useful if that formula could be stored and evaluated with each change to those 'w' and 'h' variables!" -- as a programmer myself, I know that's such a simple sounding thing but isn't so easy in practice.

I went looking around just to be sure this didn't already exist and I found the support video on calculation boxes. Turns out, it DOES! Except ... not on vector dimensions. Only in toolpaths. Shoot!

So this is kinda where I've landed. Currently, my process is to take one of these template files and copy it to the client's folder. Open it and set the job dimensions. Then I have to go to each vector and set their dimensions relative to the job sizes. After that I can get to work. It doesn't sound like much. Believe me, it isn't THAT much. But after thousands (literally) of these, you might see how a little streamlining can really add up.

I have a feeling asking Vectric to support the formulas in the vector dimension boxes would be a pretty big ask. It's likely why they don't do it already since the toolpath ones do and these don't. Plus, I don't know how many people would actually benefit from it as much as I would.

So for those of you who do production in a similar manner, how do you solve this? Do you solve it at all? I'm okay with a "suck it up and keep doing it the manual way" answer - but I'd love to entertain some brainstorming of ways that might save this step somehow.

I have another idea that I'm pondering which could solve this, but I'll make a new thread because it's much broader.

Anyway - lots of rambling (which is par for the course for me) but I'd love to get the group's thoughts on this little issue. What say ye?

[Leo]

I am pretty sure the question about parametric sizing has come up a couple of times and Vectric is not parametric.

[Beamer]

I am pretty sure the question about parametric sizing has come up a couple of times and Vectric is not parametric.

There were a few threads I found back in 6.5 when they introduced saving the formula in toolpaths but not in other places. You can do "w-.07" in a toolpath somewhere, but not elsewhere. Which I totally get. As a coder, I can understand why that might be a bit of a big ask.

I'm hoping I can find a way to save this step in my workflow - even if it's only saving me 90 seconds, that would add up a good bit.

I've started looking into a bigger picture solution - a macro recorder for windows - this might be just the ticket for a lot of things I do repetitively.

[Leo]

There is a resizing tool. You can link x-y or resize x-y independently.

I do understand what you want as I have used parametric dimensioning many times and even created parametric CNC programs in industry. We call them Family of Parts programs.

I have never seen nor heard of anything parametric about Vectric. Doesn't seem to be much call for that sort of thing.

You could get creative with CNC but Mach3 is also not parametric. I have tried a few times but not successful. GER21 is the most knowledgeable about that.

[Adrian]

You can do it via a gadget. It would be fairly trivial (if you know the LUA language) to create a gadget that could create new vectors based on formulas from the job width and height. I have a very simple one that I use every that creates a boundary for nesting based on the size of material in use minus the clamping area.

I've got loads of other gadgets I use every day to streamline my operations. Like you I tend to do the same things over and over so a few seconds saved here or there soon adds up.

[Beamer]

You can do it via a gadget. It would be fairly trivial (if you know the LUA language) to create a gadget that could create new vectors based on formulas from the job width and height. I have a very simple one that I use every that creates a boundary for nesting based on the size of material in use minus the clamping area.

I've got loads of other gadgets I use every day to streamline my operations. Like you I tend to do the same things over and over so a few seconds saved here or there soon adds up.

Thank ya! Looks like I'm gonna have to learn LUA, eh?

[dealguy11]

You can also set up a spreadsheet that does the calculations for you automatically, and use it (if formatted just right) to generate CSV files that can be imported into Aspire using Paul Rowntree's "CSV to 2d Vectors" gadget to create the vectors. I do this for MDF doors.

[Beamer]

You can also set up a spreadsheet that does the calculations for you automatically, and use it (if formatted just right) to generate CSV files that can be imported into Aspire using Paul Rowntree's "CSV to 2d Vectors" gadget to create the vectors. I do this for MDF doors.

Interesting solution, Steve! I hadn't considered that gadget for this ... hmmm