[Old Buck]

Hello Every One. I am having problems and I hope some one here can help me solve my problem. I do not remember if it was this site or PlasmaSpider.com that I saw an octagon fire ring. I am trying my best to make one with no luck. When I signed up at PlasmaSpider I got 10 dxf files I would like to use. I of coarse had to shrink them down to fit into my 15" by 12" sides. Now every time I try to cut them on the laser at work I keep getting a "P00153 I. F. Error." When I first started I was getting a "G41 or G42" error because I am new to the cnc industry. I finally built my own router table at home and the company I now work for said they would give me a try but I have no formal training of any sort. I was told that the G41-G42 error was because the laser (Mitsubishi ML 3015 LVPlus) would get confused in the sharp inside corners. So I took a couple of the dxf files home and used Vcarve Pro (the software I have to run my home cnc machine) and took a lot of the sharp inside corners out. I also removed some of the nodes and used the software to "smooth with curve" to give the inside corner a rounded edge instead of the sharp V. The software on the machine at work to run the nesting is DiamondSoft 7. No one at work can seem to tell me what to do, so I am hoping some one here can help me out with this problem. Is the error because my curves are a ray instead of an arc? I really don't believe that is the problem because it will do several of them now. I was hoping to cut it out this week but without your help I'm stuck.

[TechGraphix]

I can't believe that a machine like that will get confused about a few sharp edges.
I don't know what these errormessages would mean as this is something of that Mitsubishi controller itself..
DXF can give a few problems. Maybe this is because the definitions in DXF are almost prehistoric. (needs an upgrade imho).
In programs like artcam you can examine a vector for problems and solve them.
Sometimes i see endless loops where i expected a line ( like you fold an <8> to a and sqash it to a <|> ) If you try to use this kind of vectors some software gets ****edup completly..
Share your problem DXF so we can take a look at that first.

Do you use the same applications to import DXF-files as before, or is this the first time?

DXF also comes in a lot of variaties, all with there own specifications. Sometimes you need to convert to another version. Problems like circles become squares, circles become half circles. Normal polygones become linesegments etc etc are quite common unfortunately..
Kees

[Old Buck]

Let me give Jason at Cascade a quick email to make sure it will be ok to share his dxf he is selling before I post it. I know that I have changed it a lot in smoothing out some of the finer details but it is still his drawing.

In the office at work they use auto cad for drawing the parts I cut. After they put them on the H drive I can pull them up and tool them with the Diamondsoft software. But because I worked on these files at home I have been installing the files from a zip drive in the usb port. The G41 and 42 errors is a radius error. Looking at the manual for the machine is where I found that a sharp inside v the machine does not know how to cut that. It is trying to figure out if it should go outside the line to hit the last node or not. After finding that in the manual is when I started rounding all the inside v's. The I.F. error is saying there is interference in the program. The thing I don't like about the machine is you have to guess where you are in the G code. Or even where you are in the design. It does not highlight anything for you. The only program I have right now to edit any dxf files is my VCarve Pro software. I would love to get artcam put I am just getting started in my home projects and that just isn't in the budget at this time.

[TechGraphix]

Did my file work??

Kees

[Old Buck]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have been working over time at work and it seem all I have been doing is working, eating and sleeping. I think I am getting to old for this.

I got your dxf file but you forgot to reduce the file again after you enlarged it. I have worked on it a little but I am having problems reducing it again with my software. If I can get you to reduce it again it would really be helpful. PM me again with the reduced version.

Does Artcam Pro 2008 have the same vector doctor in it? I know I have seen that version for sale on the internet somewhere. In a price more my range. I don't know if I could find it again for that price but I would look for it again if it has that program in it. After seeing what you have done it makes me want the program even more.

[Old Buck]

I thought that I was looking at a 2008 version of Artcam Pro or Insignia but I found out it was really Artcam Express. I knew that somewhere on the internet I found an Artcam product for $149. I don't know if it is worth buying it though. By the time I pay for all of the add on's the price is getting up there again. I guess that software is just going to have to wait. I would really like to find a good and affordable software that I can do some relief carving with.