CAM simulation for the Path Workbench

[roivai]

Hi roivai,

The tools you use are invalid.
Just edit your tools and give the cutting edge height a value other then 0.

shai

Oh - obviously. Now it works beautifully. Thank you so much. This is a great addition to FC Path.

[shaise]

Thanks!

[schnebeck]

@shaise:
From me also a big thankyou for this tool. No more need to start camotics and syncing the tool lists.

If you need some ideas how to improve your simulator here a few suggestions:

- Support for drilling cycle
- A better reaction on key press/mouse clicks events during heavy simulation movements
- View of current X, Y and Z value and current coord-system (G53, G54, ...)
- Toggle path viewing on/off
- Toggle part viewing on/off
- Collision checks if tool works deeper than the step depth
- Collision checks if tool works deeper than the cutting edge height
- Collision checks if tool interacts with other parts (clamping, bolts, etc)
- Smooth movement relative to the current velocity
- Time estimation for process
- Animate CAM process as machine movement using a config file with cad data from the machine
- Support for rotating axis/lathe (Today not supported by Freecad Path/CAM)

I mean, as fast as you wrote this simulation this is only a weekend for you

Thanks a lot

Thorsten

[chrisb]

If this is a wish list: The simulator could be combined with the "Inspect GCode" tool and advance as the user selects parts of the gcode.

[shaise]

OK, added everything to the wish list.
Thanks for the vote of confidence but I'm not that good of a programmer...
Anyway, will do best.

shai

[JoshM]

Hi Shai,
I hadn't run into this before--hadn't tried Stopping, or Pausing, but tried it today and they weren't responsive for me. Are they in progress, or is it a thread-priority type of thing?
Best,
Josh

[shaise]

Hi,

I am using QT timers to do the animations. Maybe for complex simulations the interval is too short. Try reducing accuracy and speed and see if it starts being responsive.

shai

[schnebeck]

Maybe a QThread could help?

Bye

Thorsten

[JoshM]

If I slow it to 2G/s it's more responsive--enough to catch it within a second or two. If it's even up at 10G/s, it's non-responsive. The Speed-Bar is a bit more responsive, so at the moment, the workaround is to grab that, move it as far left as possible, then hit pause/stop...

That said, it's so frigging awesome Shai! My boss walked in a minute ago while I was testing it and though he'd seen it before, was again, blown away by what you've done. Good job!

Best,
Josh

[shaise]

Josh,

I'll look around to see if I have a better solution for that.
Did you try the fast-forward button? can you pause in the middle of fast-forward?

shai