Too many pierce points!!

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thebuilder
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Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 10:26 pm
Too many pierce points!!

Post by thebuilder » Thu Dec 13, 2018 7:00 pm

So I've been using F360 for almost a year now to do basic 2d brackets and fabrication based pieces. I have yet figured out how to create a gcode file in F360 so I have been moving the file once done to Inkscape as a DXF file. For the most part it works well, definitely quite a few steps to create a file that the plasma will read but works pretty well. My issue is that sometimes when I design something in F360 and transfer it to Inkscape a lot of the time the file is opened showing multiple pieces which is not how it's designed. Fix for that I found was to "combine" the image in Inkscape giving me essentially a file that is one piece. The next problem is with F360 to Inkscape conversion, when I go to make a Gcode in Inkscape it will create multiple pierce points. I'm working on a piece now that should only have 2 pierce points but for some reason there is a pierce point at every line intersection. I have no idea why or how to change it so I don't run the part until I can figure that out. Also, only on occasion this same issue will happen when I "fillet" a corner in F360 where the fillet shows 2 pierce points on the fillet instead of seeing it as a consistent line.

Sometimes I can redesign the part in F360 and it works and other times it makes it worse. Any ideas on how to fix this issue? I have multiple parts that I need to cut and can't cut them because of the multiple pierce points most of which overlap each other. Once a pierce and cut is made the torch gets confused when it tries to pierce in a spot that's already been pierced (lack of pressure feedback is my guess since there is no metal in that area anymore to get a pressure reading from)

I'm wondering if anyone that is using the system I am is experiencing the same problem. Maybe there is a way to "combine" the file before moving out of F360 into Inkscape?

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Dave
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Re: Too many pierce points!!

Post by Dave » Thu Dec 13, 2018 8:22 pm

I don't know about fixing it in F360 but I get DXF files like that all the time.

I fix it in Inkscape using the paint bucket tool:

1. Select all the lines you want cut out
2. Go to Object->Fill and Stroke
3. On the "Stroke Style" tab, set the width to your kerf width.
4. On the "Stroke Style" tab, set the cap to square cap.
5. Select the paint bucket tool.
6. Zoom in as far as you can -- the paint bucket tool works in pixels so the more pixels covered by the part you want cut out, the less error there will be
7. Click in the middle of the part.

You should end up with a paint bucket fill of the part to be cut out. Export that paint bucket fill as gcode. On the tablet, make sure you turn off offsets (they were already applied by the line thickness in Inkscape), but you can still use pierce points.

Attached are before/after paint bucket fill in Inkscape and the Stroke style tab.
Attachments
paint bucket.png
stroke style.png

GregSmith
Posts: 53
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2018 2:44 am
Re: Too many pierce points!!

Post by GregSmith » Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:44 pm

When I use F360, I save as dxf then open in sheetcam. Not sure if it adds too many pierce points. Works great for gcode though amd it only takes an import click, amd two other clicks and its done.

thebuilder
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 10:26 pm
Re: Too many pierce points!!

Post by thebuilder » Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:52 pm

I think I might have solved my issue. I've designing all my parts in the "model" section of F360 which I believe is the issue since I'm only cutting 2d parts and not 3d parts. I designed a part that I've been having issues with in F360 with too many points. I changed from the "model" option to "sheet" and everything seemed to work out, this time at least. I also found that some of the parts I haven't been cutting because of the issue are easily opened in F360 and then I go to the "sheet" setting and resave the DXF and they seem to be right. It's as if the "model" part of F360 is assigning points as if the part was on a CNC mill vs. a 2d flat plasma. I will keep the post going as a R&D the validity of this as I'm sure I'm not the only one with this issue. Or maybe I am... :lol: :lol:

thebuilder
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 10:26 pm
Re: Too many pierce points!!

Post by thebuilder » Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:53 pm

Dave wrote:
Thu Dec 13, 2018 8:22 pm
I don't know about fixing it in F360 but I get DXF files like that all the time.

I fix it in Inkscape using the paint bucket tool:

1. Select all the lines you want cut out
2. Go to Object->Fill and Stroke
3. On the "Stroke Style" tab, set the width to your kerf width.
4. On the "Stroke Style" tab, set the cap to square cap.
5. Select the paint bucket tool.
6. Zoom in as far as you can -- the paint bucket tool works in pixels so the more pixels covered by the part you want cut out, the less error there will be
7. Click in the middle of the part.

You should end up with a paint bucket fill of the part to be cut out. Export that paint bucket fill as gcode. On the tablet, make sure you turn off offsets (they were already applied by the line thickness in Inkscape), but you can still use pierce points.

Attached are before/after paint bucket fill in Inkscape and the Stroke style tab.

Dave,

How do I get pictures like this on here? I'd like to be able to share some visual aids that go along with the issue so others can understand better.

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Dave
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Location: Pflugerville, TX
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Re: Too many pierce points!!

Post by Dave » Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:36 am

thebuilder wrote:
Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:53 pm
Dave,

How do I get pictures like this on here? I'd like to be able to share some visual aids that go along with the issue so others can understand better.
In windows, you can copy and paste the app window into paint, save it as an image (png compresses best for typical applications), and add it as an attachment:

1. Give the window you want to save focus.
2. Press Alt+PrintScreen to copy the window to the clipboard
3. Open Paint
4. Click Paste.
5. Crop if needed.
6. Save as a png.
7. In the forum, underneath the main "Post a Reply" text box, click on the "Attachments" tab (see attached image :lol: ).
8. Click "Add Files" and select the image.
Attachments
reply.png

thebuilder
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 10:26 pm
Re: Too many pierce points!!

Post by thebuilder » Mon Dec 17, 2018 5:43 pm

thanks Dave!! see if this works or not. This is the program I use to check my files before going through to the tablet. If the picture shows up you can see how many pierce points this part has. It should only have one on the perimeter and yet you can see there is a point everywhere there is a radius intersection. I tried saving it in the "sheet" option on F360 and it still came out funny. I'm guessing I need to redesign from the beginning in "sheet" to get it right?
Attachments
gcode.png

thebuilder
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 10:26 pm
Re: Too many pierce points!!

Post by thebuilder » Mon Dec 17, 2018 5:44 pm

I was hoping to be able to use this program to delete the extra pierce points but I've yet to figure that one out as I have no real idea on how to read Gcode or to modify the existing Gcode.


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