origin and work material position

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terry1956
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:28 pm
Model of CNC Machine: sieg x1

origin and work material position

Post by terry1956 »

hi, I just had a go at machining a part on my mill which I had drawn in solidworks and imported into cut3d to write the G code. a few things I just don't understand. as you work your way through the setup pages the work material part was always showing face forward to the right. yet when I set the material up in the machine this way. when I air cut the program the machine was cutting as if the material was left facing. I have never had this problem before. can anyone point out what I have done wrong. thanks. michael

Kayvon
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Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:29 pm
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Re: origin and work material position

Post by Kayvon »

I find "face forward to the right" to be a confusing way to refer to cuts. When you import a model into Cut3D, you may find it doesn't "face" the way you had anticipated. For example, if you imported a bust, it's possible for the person's nose to be facing the x axis or the y axis, so depending on visual clues from the cut model is difficult at best.

Fortunately, Cut3D offers an axis orientation in the corner of the model, regardless of where the origin is. It displays three arrows showing the direction of positive Z ("up"), positive X, and positive Y. Those are what you want to use when orienting your material to the machine.

It's a good piece of software. I used it yesterday to help a kid from church with his pinewood derby car.

terry1956
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:28 pm
Model of CNC Machine: sieg x1

Re: origin and work material position

Post by terry1956 »

Thanks.what I cant figure out is this. First the import model is always facing the wrong way.yes I know that you can turn it.then the apart from positioning the model in the centre you can't move it.I am trying to machine a 30mm end section of brass bar.but I just cant find a way to position the work in this program and wonder if its possible.is it ???.

Kayvon
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Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:29 pm
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Re: origin and work material position

Post by Kayvon »

You can only reposition ("Rotate 90") and mirror ("Mirror X" and "Y") the model. You can scale it, too. Apart from also choosing your origin position, that's all you can do.

terry1956
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:28 pm
Model of CNC Machine: sieg x1

Re: origin and work material position

Post by terry1956 »

Thanks for reply i am beginning to think that cut3d was a waste of money for what it does.

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Adrian
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Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
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Re: origin and work material position

Post by Adrian »

That's why there are trial versions so you can work out in advance if the program does what you want it to.

You should be able to us the XY origin position to move the start of the toolpath to that position offset from your control set XY to do what you want.

terry1956
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:28 pm
Model of CNC Machine: sieg x1

Re: origin and work material position

Post by terry1956 »

the test visions are so paired back sometimes its pointless. but I think this cut3d for the money is a total waste. just far too limited in its use. I have gone back to using other software for toolpaths. pity because I like vcarve desktop for making my locomotive name plates and so on and was hoping that cut2d was along the same lines but better, I was wrong

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Adrian
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Re: origin and work material position

Post by Adrian »

If you've got VCarve why not use that to make the item?

VCarve can cut 3D pieces as well and you can directly position them in the material rather than using the XY offset as you have to with Cut3D. Cut3D's strength is in multi-sided 3D machining but you can do that in VCarve as well if needed.

The trials are fully functional except you can only cut the sample files but you can calculate and preview any file.

Kayvon
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Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:29 pm
Model of CNC Machine: CNC Shark

Re: origin and work material position

Post by Kayvon »

Cut3D is a fine tool for what it does (primarily for multi-sided 3d machine, as Adrian said). With the addition of 3D machine to VCarve a little over a year ago, a lot of the 3d functionality most folks want is already wrapped up in VCarve. It's not that Cut3D has gotten any worse, it's that VCarve really stepped it up.

Aspire, of course, has always had the 3D capability for as long as I've known about it.

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adze_cnc
Vectric Wizard
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Re: origin and work material position

Post by adze_cnc »

terry1956 wrote:which I had drawn in solidworks and imported into cut3d to write the G code
Remember that Solidworks thinks that the Y-axis is "up and down" whereas Rhinoceros, all the Vectric products, CNC machines, and just about everyone else thinks that the Z-axis is "up and down". This means that any model you import will be 90 degrees off and won't match with any visual in Cut3D.

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