Leadin and Leadout properties

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David_Lelen01
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Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by David_Lelen01 »

Hey Les, would it be worth considering making the leadin and leadouts configurable for inside vs outside contours? 99 times out of 100, i want perpendicular leadin and no leadout with 0.01" overcut on inside contours and tangent-tangent-0 on outside contours, but the only way i am aware of to do this is to manually change each one, which is particularly cumbersome when i have 100+ parts nested on a sheet.

If you can do this i will quit bugging you about the negative overcut on individual start points bug...
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Les Newell
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by Les Newell »

I can't think of an easy way to add this without making it confusing for newer users. I guess some sort of rules system, similar to path rules would work but that's definitely not something that's going to happen in the short term.

I just checked for a negative overcut bug and can't see it. Could you send me a sample job.

Edit: forget it. I see the problem. I'll fix it for the next release.
David_Lelen01
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by David_Lelen01 »

Thank you so very much for fixing the negative overcut issue. I really cant tell you how nice that will be!!

Totally understand your concern for new users. Without knowing how sheetcam really works, i am blindly suggesting this, but could you add a check box to the operations window that says "Use same leadin/leadout for inside and outside contours." If this is checked then everything appears the same as it is now, but if unchecked another set of leadin, leadout, and overcut options is then displayed showing those properties. Something similar to how you already have "leadins on open paths." checkbox. I wouldnt think this way would be too confusing.
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Les Newell
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by Les Newell »

Remind me in a month or so, once the new stable is out and the resultant rush of bug fixes is over.
For the time being you could move all of the insides to a different layer, set up a suitable operation on that layer then break up the manually nested drawing.
David_Lelen01
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by David_Lelen01 »

Hey Les, any chance you could put this back on your radar? I am running into needing the different leadin/out more and more every day it seems. If there is any way i could help with it, i would be glad to!
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Les Newell
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by Les Newell »

I'll have to think on that one a bit more. It's not an easy addition.
David_Lelen01
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by David_Lelen01 »

Hey Les, me again! It's been about a year, so I'm gonna start pushing for this again. Can we look back into the different leadin/out/overcut for inside vs outside contours? It's still just as much of an annoyance to manually change each start point or even to move stuff to different layers and do different operations. If there's anything I can do to help figure it out or make it easier on you, I'd be glad to help.
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Les Newell
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by Les Newell »

At the moment I'm knee deep in the turning plugin and completely rewriting simulation.

This is a pretty specialized function that I don't see many people using. Do you start with a nested drawing or do you nest your parts in SheetCam?
David_Lelen01
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Re: Leadin and Leadout properties

Post by David_Lelen01 »

At the moment I'm knee deep in the turning plugin and completely rewriting simulation
I understand Les, that is why I am offering to help in any way possible. Probably not much I can do, but I'd be glad to try.
Do you start with a nested drawing or do you nest your parts in SheetCam?
I am equally as likely to start either way. Depends on how busy I am at the time and what the particular job is. I prefer to load parts into sheetcam and nest from there, but I find it can be a little faster to nest first, set one operation, and break up the nest if necessary. A lot of times I don't even bother breaking up the nest. I only see a need to do that if I have multiple operations on one or more parts.
This is a pretty specialized function that I don't see many people using.
I am going to have to disagree there, with the condition if people understand the capabilities it would unlock. I admit it is more specialized to laser and waterjet applications, however. We regularly cut parts with tons of small holes in them that need a perpendicular or arc leadin and an end joint would be a waste of labor time with someone needing to punch out all of the little holes. The outside profile typically cuts best/fastest with a tangent leadin on a corner and often requires an end joint (negative overcut) to hold the part in place so it doesn't stand up and crash into the head on an adjacent part.
With one part nested 100 times, I agree with you it would be pointless for what I am asking, but we rarely ever have a single part duplicated a lot of times. The majority of all of the nests we cut tend to be 10 or more different parts with only a few duplicates of each part. This is where what I am asking for would come in extremely useful.
I understand that a large part of sheetcam users probably cut one part numerous times, but I am sure another large fraction of the users do exactly what we do.
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