[maxbot]

http://cnc.craftorian.com/micropath/

microPathcnc toolpath generator for creating very small or large
cnc toolpaths from image files.

(Saving of toolpath files is disabled in the unregistered version.)

An email and download link is sent within 24 hrs.


****
Works great...and is fast and easy

[Gabe Newell]

The download doesn't work.

[High Seas]

Download seems to be working now.
Interesting and simple to use. I note that the stepover is equal to the bit diameter.
Would it be better to select from a range of stepovers based on bit diameter?
At any rate at the intro price of 35 bucks it might get a lot of takers. Me too.

Another nice feature is being able to run from a stick! Can pick up your images at the source and bring back to the shop to run. COOL.

Cheers - Jim

[diestruck]

Would it be better to select from a range of stepovers based on bit diameter?

Hi Jim,

It's probably best to be able to enter bit diameters directly for better
results. Entering bit diameters directly allows for accounting for an
endless variation of cutting bits and also accounting for run-out.
It takes a few trial cuts to see how a pointed bit will give a different
result from a ball type or flat tip.

microPath also has an option for a different type of toolpath that
adds a slight zig-zagging to the toolpath. That can machine more surface
area, but the file is larger and should be run slower as "lookahead"
settings in Mach3 or EMC will have an affect the usefulness of it.

The program will generate a dead-on centerline path of just about
any size, so choosing a bit that's the same...or very close..to each
pixel/point size will give the best results. After a few test cuts, you
begin to see how you can enter bit diameters slightly under or oversized
and get a smoother finished carving that needs *much* less final
finishing or sanding.

I use it for very-very tiny carvings in urethane blocks....








The moon was given a bit size slightly undersized to create the
smoothly blended machined surface that needed no final finishing.
(i.e. the cutting bit slightly overlapped each pass by about .002)

I'd thought about making the tool bit selection box, but after
a short time, anyone will soon see how much total control they
have by entering numbers directly.

(I did accidentally make a file for a 34 ft wide image. And it
would have worked --if I had a machine large enough...

John

[Gabe Newell]

The problem appears to be with my firewall. To recap:

1) Tried to download the files and failed.

2) Came back later after people had reported success, and tried to download again. My firewall gave me the following error:

"This request is blocked by the SonicWALL Gateway Anti-Virus Service. Name: Nota (Trojan)"

3) Disconnected from firewall, downloaded the file.

4) Checked the files with Symantec Antivirus 2010 - no virus.

5) Checked the files with McAfee web scanner - no virus.

At this point, I'm assuming that my firewall was the cause of both problems - being unable to download and falsely identifying the file as a trojan.

I've run the program without triggering an alert from Symantiec Antivirus.

My apologies.

[diestruck]

About all I can tell you is, it is not.

There's been more than 500 downloads of it and that's the first
I've heard of that.

John

[Gabe Newell]

About all I can tell you is, it is not.

There's been more than 500 downloads of it and that's the first
I've heard of that.

John

You are correct. I was mistaken. See above.

[diestruck]

Thanks for running the tests!
Always good to know things check out clean...


John

[diestruck]

Here's some pictures of some extreme toolpaths created by microPath...

A file with over 2 Million lines loaded in Mach3....

(I would make this file available for anyone to see for themselves,
but the file is over 58MB...)

The file took less time to load in Mach3 than my *best* word processor.
(about a minute...)

Once loaded. It runs as normal. Only 2 hours has been tested so I
have no idea how long it would take to complete 2 million lines.
(Vampirella is case you recognize her. The toolpath display doesn't
draw over 2 million points well enough to see the detail from a distance,
but it's VERY detailed






On the opposite end of extreme....

A .125" high by .08393" wide...(aspect ratio intact)...
toolpath of the famous White Rabbit....

positioned .375"(x) and .375"(y) in 1" wide material....








Max cut depth of .001" and stepover of...... .0003"





This is a genuine toolpath that would cut fine...if there were
a machine that could cut to those extreme tolerances. I
don't expect to ever be close enough to one to see it myself...

You can download this .tap file to load into Mach3 if
you like....

http://cnc.craftorian.com/tiny/tiny.zip

Just a few experiments with toolpath making


John

[Bob Adams]

Looks like a very good program.
What type of bit is best to use and where to buy them?
Bob A
www.cad2gcode.com/freeprogram

[diestruck]

Thanks Bob!

It depends on what type of project you want to do, but the quick
answer is http://www.precisebits.com/

Carving images can take a long time to do very high quality work, so
it's a good idea to have the best bits for the job. I've found that
precisebits has the *right* bit for just about any sort of precise work.

Projects like carving a photo or image in wood and some plastics
work very well with woodcarving type bits.
For wood and foam, I've had excellent results by using this one...

http://www.precisebits.com/products/...arve250b4f.asp

For doing very tiny designs, engraving and/or ball type bits can work
very well...again depending on material choice.
It takes a few trials & errors to begin to know exactly what sort of
cutting tip may be best for any particular material.

Micropath allows for close visual inspection and very fine "tuning" of
the toolpath. Entering numbers in the 3-4 decimal points range can
and will have an effect on the quality of the finished work....

example...

.001 over 400 lines of resolution adds up to .400
.0012 over 400 lines of resolution adds up to .480

80 thousandths difference. For very small and highly detailed work,
80 thou variation is a big difference.

Most machines won't do .0002 and it may be discounted from the beginning
to even take numbers like that into consideration. But it adds up over
several inches of detail, and while the machine won't do the .0002 once
or twice....over 400 lines is the significant 80 thousandths.

The micropath program was originally intended for the very small and
precise carving of image designs for mold and die making. Close
inspection and precision adjustment of the toolpath makes a huge
difference in that case, but it'll also make any size toolpath for more
generic carving of image designs.

I've been asked why I don't have examples on the web site. Examples
may be a bit misleading. Quality of Results are going to vary depending
on wide ranging factors such as choice of cutting bit. Spindle. Machine.
Run-out. Material choice. Speed of cut. Machine operator experience.
Micropath just makes the toolpath. That's the road for the machine to
drive on.

Carving image designs takes practice, but with practice comes the
experience and knowledge to make better choices with cutting tool
selection. Close inspection of the toolpath and adapting it to the
capabilities of the machine...or, reaching a balance between desired
results and ability of the machine to do it...are what micropath is
all about. Precision adaptability.

In the moon carving picture above....I had to blur the image several
times to get the blended smoothness. The original toolpath was
machining every crater on the moon and it looked more like an
orange than the moon....

There are other places to get good cutting tools, but our experiences
with precisebits.com have been so good we haven't looked elsewhere...


Thank you Bob!

John

[dertsap]

Looks like a very good program.
What type of bit is best to use and where to buy them?
Bob A
www.cad2gcode.com/freeprogram

these are what i use for cutting my images , I generally find the 20 deg suits my needs the best for preserving detail at greater depths http://www.cnctoybox.org/store/page27.html

is this program in development or is this the final product . it has a similar look to "bmp bender" a program that I currently use to generate images to models . is this part of that project ?

[diestruck]

Hi dertsap,

If you're asking if micropath is in development...no. I add a few
things that are of genuine use from time to time, but simulations
and textures don't actually do much but lead to expectations that
won't likely happen...and make for a more expensive and complicated
program...

Micropath gives the user the tool path itself in high resolution detail
for close inspection. There are advantages to having that such as
judging whether angles of descent/ascent between the height
variations are within the practical limits of the cutting tool and a machines
ability to position.....i.e...lessen the cutting depth and space the lines
further apart and a less precise machine will do a good job avoiding
"overwriting" detail already cut.

(Your fine tipped cutter is a good example of a cutting bit that would be an
*ideal* bit for exceptionally fine and detailed small image carving...

Success with small image carving takes a little practice and several trial runs,
but with the practice, someone will begin to be able to predict what the
results will be by using a specific bit in any given material. Micropath should
give results similar to any other heightmap-type program when cutting larger
images.

A lot of "fluff" has been either removed or avoided in the micropath program.
It's all about the bit riding the tool path. Seeing the actual tool path
up close helps in visualizing how the cutting tip will move along that path.

The "fluff" that stayed is (hopefully) a friendly user interface that
encourages experimenting with generating paths and imagining how
the cutter will "ride" the path.

Imagine a tiny little marble rolling along the continuous tool path. Will
it give the desired result....or should it be even smaller. Or maybe
instead of a round marble(ball tipped bit)...it should be a tiny little
disc(.003 flat tipped engraving cutter).

Variations are infinite. It takes a little practice.....like most anything...

I apologize to you & Bob both, if your question was for him...


John

[dertsap]

most of the stuff i do is min 10" x10" or so with a .01 step over which generally gives me a pretty good piece , one thing that i find lacking in most imaging programs is a lack of smoothing control , its the one feature that i find that always makes the difference in the end result because edges can be far more smooth and uniform , I have blown thru nearly every image software made and I have my personal favorite tools (softwares) to accomplish what I do . have you considered such features , i understand the need for a lack of fluff and your software is well priced but for me the true fluff is in the created model , toolpaths come later

[diestruck]

There's an attempt at smoothing control in micropath with the "LZ Path"
option. That'll create a file twice the size, and it should be run a bit slower.
It adds a zig-zagging to the toolpath to cause a smoothing motion, while
attempting to machine more surface area. Look-ahead settings in Mach or
EMC may overrun it in some cases.

It hasn't been proven to make a difference...yet...but I believe it will in
time.

I do mostly tiny stuff, so the results are hard to determine unless the feedrate
is very slow.

I don't make much mention of it until it's proven to be useful, though...


John

[mactec54]

Hi Maxbot

Will there be up grades of your software

[diestruck]

I don't plan any major upgrades to microPath, but I do
plan to add small details that will be useful along the way....
Such as the ability to invert the high and low points in
any image toolpath.

MicroPath is really a stand alone toolpath and gcode
creator for images that should stay lean and to the point.
Of course anything a user may suggest will be welcome
and could possibly be added into the program...

I do have a surface modeling application in the works, but
there's still Lots of work to go before that's ready.


John

[dertsap]

I've done my typical torture test images and it seems to process them quite well , the zigzag path is interesting and I can't wait to try it ,unfortunately I'll have to wait until next week before I can play . I tried a 10 x 12 with a .01 step over with the zigzag path and got nearly 2.5 million lines of code , just over 62 meg file size , so it can definitely do some heavy processing , the other toolpaths processed quite well also

[diestruck]

Updated....

Fixed rare problem where screen may not repaint after
minimize on some mini-itx computers.....

Added a checkbox to invert heights.....

(dark/light colors in an image can be either high/low for creating
a raised or lowered effect.....works GREAT with black & white images
that have been slightly blurred in a paint program...





(the toolpath needs to be regenerated for the change to occur....)


The "trial" version has been updated with the new additions....

http://cnc.craftorian.com/micropath/micropath_Vt.zip


John

[diestruck]

Almost forgot....

Registered users can go to the same link sent to them previously and update to the
new v4 version. (same activation code should work)

John