Hi There...

Thanks for Sketch-U-Cam - It's really great. I have been using it to cut parts for model a/c, having just completed an Openbuilds OX machine. Attached is a picture of a test piece I cut this week.



Here are a few things i've noticed...

The pocket tool doesen't work on more complex shapes like text and letters...Gutted.
I'm sure this is tricky, but for me it's the biggest problem right now.

Also it's a pig to delete a pocket cut if you get it wrong.

Also if you add in some cuts and then change the material thickness or another option, I don't think that updates the cuts you've already specified, so you have to be very careful to do things in order.

AutoTab would be a great feature.

Sketch-u-cam doesn't like anything that is grouped. You have to un-group it first, and sometimes redraw certain lines to ensure that there are all the correct faces.

Just my observations so far. Thanks for a great plugin.

Best Regards
Martin Turner

 

Thanks for your reply. After some more playing last night, I realise now that your right :
Sketch-u-cam does update the G-Code if you change the material properties.

Where the problem lied was that if your G-Code is open in another program, e.g. Mach3 then Sketch-u-cam cannot re-write the file, however Sketch-u-cam does not give you a "write error msg".

If you close the G-Code in Mach3 first, then it works fine.

I will try your pocketing suggestion - Thanks!

It's a great bit of kit.
Cheers
Martin

 

Exactly - That was the problem....Great job.
Any possibility of making pockets work on all kinds of shape ?

 

Just noticed what i think is another bug. I was cutting some circular pockets tonight and there seems to be extra Z moves that are not required.

1. It Cuts the Zig Zag lines..
2. Z goes to safe height - Why ?
3. Tool drops to Pocket Depth and profiles the pocket
4. Z goes to safe height - Why?
5. Tool drops to Pocket Depth and does another profile cut - Why ?

This really slowed down my job. I had about 20 pockets to cut.

Cheers
Martin

 

I love this program. I'm still learning it but so far it is getting my designs from SketchUp to router very quickly. That's a big help especially during the iterative phase of designing.

I used the pocketing tool for the first time and after quite a few trials I figured out that my pocket tool appears to be stuck at 50% In/Outside Overcut no matter what value I enter into the In/Outside Overcut % box. This happens with and without multi-pass checked but I do get multiple passes IF my multi-pass depth is set to less than 50% of the material In/Outside Overcut % value. I have joined files with plunge and outside cut tool processes and those generate G-code to the called out depth.

So far I have text edited the g-code output file to change the z value to the desired value in all instances where it is called and have changed the value in the material thickness box to the make my z depth reach the desired value with the assumption that the In/Outside Overcut % is stuck at 50%. Both are successful workarounds but I sure would like to know if there is a button I forgot to push or a box I forgot to check/uncheck.

I'm using Sketchup Pro 2017 version 17.1.174 64 bit and SketchUcam V1.4c-82ae114.

Thanks

 

Thanks for pointing out the step over box.

I used it and the effect was more horizontal (or vertical, depending on orientation) passes per linear unit as I reduced the percentage. But there was still no effect on the Z axis depth when using the pocket tool. Pocket depth remains at 50% of whatever maximum depth I specify.
I have been using the YouTube video SketchUcam: doing 2.5D cuts to make 3D things as procedural guidance. Starting at about 0:54 the inputs of 10 mm material depth and 100% inside/outside overcut percent are entered and at about 4:57 or so there is a quick flash of the G-code output that shows z depth going to -10 at line 14 in the code. Looks like if would I try the exact same procedure shown at 0:54 in the video my g code output would show Z-5 at line 16.

Any ideas on what I could be missing

 

Thank you, Swarfer. Entering the value in the Edit box and not the parameters menu is was exactly what I was missing. Explained very well in the video link you supplied starting at 9:47.
Thanks again.