modules / plugins >> laser

Problems and questions
1

Les

Could I ask for maybe a little of an explanation of what some of the muldules or plugins do (over and above the standard sheetcam).

I’ve got the rotary, v-carve and drag knife modules… (but they may be useful to others to know)

I was just wondering what the laser module and plugin brings…

I may want at sometime in the future to have a play with some of the 5W sort of lasers and was just wondering what this module would bring?

Does it do stuff such as multiple pass (I was wondering how that could be done anyway with standard sheetcam for plasma say [like double cutting a hole].

Thanks for your time

Rob

2

OK, here is a rundown of the plugins supplied with SheetCam. Depending on what version of SheetCam you have installed you may not have all of these.

moreposts Allows you to have buttons for more than one post processor - useful if you run several different machines

Mach Integrates with Mach3 and allows you to jog the machine directly from SheetCam. It also automatically reloads you code in Mach when you run the post processor. In Mach you have to enable the ‘SheetCam remote’ plugin for this to work.

Laser Laser raster engraving. Instead of simply cutting around a shape it scans back and forth at a steady speed, firing the laser where needed to build up the shape. Not many controllers are capable of handling this.

Knife Generates the tool paths for drag knife cutting.

HPGL, Gcode, Excellon, DXF, DSTV, SVG are all drawing import filters.

DNC Tool for transmitting code directly to a machine using serial or an external communication program.

Calculator A basic calculator. It is more a demonstration on how to program plugins than a useful tool.

Quickload Allows you to quickly select drawings and load them into pre-prepared jobs. Mainly used if you have a lot of very similar parts to process.

Autoload Monitors your last drawing and automatically reloads it if the drawing changes. This is quite handy if you make lots of changes to your drawing as you are working.

Wire Wire cutting for foam

VCarve ‘chip carving’ with a V cutter

Text Add text to your part

Sim the simulator

shape Shape cutting using predefined templates

RotaryPlasma Cutting tubes including rectangular and I-beams.

3

Thanks Les,

The laser plugin… Caveat over controllers… What do you mean not many are able to handle this … Is this because of the m10p1/m11p1 codes?

Or something else?

I run a smooth stepper for my sins and am getting to know it quite well

Rob