Surprising Edit Start Point behavior
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 1:46 pm
While working on a Plasma project that required indexing a design that spanned multiple table sizes, I discovered a surprising behavior with Edit Start Points. I'm posting here to see if anyone else had noticed this, I didn't see it reported anywhere.
Since my design (Created in Inkscape) spans multiple table sizes I had to break up the design into multiple open paths, each sets of paths for a given section are on a unique layer (with a unique color). Loading the drawing into SheetCam I then created Operations for each layer, separated by an M06 so I could reposition the workpiece after cutting each section. Each operation had Offset Open paths and Leadins on Open paths checked. I also had Reverse cut direction checked since it is a plasma cut - this turned out to be the key. SheetCam very capably created the sets of cuts, all of them nicely ordered in the proper cut directions.
However, I realized that it would help align each indexed section if I could begin the first cut in the next section at the end of a cut in the last cut section. So... easy, I tried to force the start point at one of those junctions, bearing in mind the correct cut direction, and found that the 'Sn' point jumped to the other end of the segment, rather than the point I was trying to select. Well, without going into all the silly experiments I tried, I've concluded that, IF Reverse Cut Direction is checked, then Edit Start Points REALLY edits End points and if I truly want to start at a specific spot, go to the end of that segment and place the start point there...
So... is this a known behavior or just something wacky with my setup? If known, is it documented somewhere? If not documented, should I post in Tips and Tricks?
Since my design (Created in Inkscape) spans multiple table sizes I had to break up the design into multiple open paths, each sets of paths for a given section are on a unique layer (with a unique color). Loading the drawing into SheetCam I then created Operations for each layer, separated by an M06 so I could reposition the workpiece after cutting each section. Each operation had Offset Open paths and Leadins on Open paths checked. I also had Reverse cut direction checked since it is a plasma cut - this turned out to be the key. SheetCam very capably created the sets of cuts, all of them nicely ordered in the proper cut directions.
However, I realized that it would help align each indexed section if I could begin the first cut in the next section at the end of a cut in the last cut section. So... easy, I tried to force the start point at one of those junctions, bearing in mind the correct cut direction, and found that the 'Sn' point jumped to the other end of the segment, rather than the point I was trying to select. Well, without going into all the silly experiments I tried, I've concluded that, IF Reverse Cut Direction is checked, then Edit Start Points REALLY edits End points and if I truly want to start at a specific spot, go to the end of that segment and place the start point there...
So... is this a known behavior or just something wacky with my setup? If known, is it documented somewhere? If not documented, should I post in Tips and Tricks?