GrblGru = Free 3D-Simulation for ShapeOko2

[Alexmoon]

Release notes V3.33
Have fun with GrblGru

Hi, GrblGru!
Thanks for new version!
Can I distribute my machine model to other GrblGru users, using the .tco file from the folder ..\ProgramData\GrblGru\Models?
Regards, Alex.

[GrblGru]

Yes, of course!!! I would be happy if you would do that.

I must apologize to you. I wanted to add your great model to the program much earlier. I wanted to simplify it a bit before. And unfortunately I didn't have time for that.
Thank you very much for your support.

[Alexmoon]

Yes, of course!!! I would be happy if you would do that.

Hi, GrblGru!
I must apologize to you. I wanted to add your great model to the program much earlier. I wanted to simplify it a bit before. And unfortunately I didn't have time for that.
Thank you very much for your support.

I want to apologize for not reporting on the implementation of your "Posts: 207 Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 5:44 pm" instruction. Unfortunately I did not succeed- shame on me.
That are the instructions and their results:
1. start the homing process
Done.
2. press the macro button "parameters" and note the positions.
(see screenshot #1)
Probably the grbl-controller after performing the "homing cycle" resets the machine coordinates
3. touch your part as described with the knobs.
Done.
4. press the macro button "parameters" and note the positions.
(see screenshot #2)
Nothing changed
It is explainable - the machine does not have encoders and the grbl controller did not notice the change in coordinates.
5. press the "Origin" button.
Done.
But still no changes
6. press the macro button "parameters" and note the positions.
(see screenshot #3)
7. start the homing process
Done.
8. press the macro button "parameters" and note the positions.
(see screenshot #4)
Perhaps that problem (with manual moving with the knobs) has no solution.
Therefore, I will focus on finding the precision remote control, so the GRBL controller will always know the current position of the tool after performing the “homing cycle”.

About model of machine CNC1310 for the GrblGru program.
I'm not sure that you should include my model in the release of new versions of the GrblGru program. It has several times larger size than other models. It would be nice to have a public repository (like as GitHub) for program users to download the models they need. However, I simplified the model (eliminated spiral surfaces) that improved the situation twice. But still .tco file has a 2.9MB. Here is the new model: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r36scg7wagd6n ... u.zip?dl=0
Regards, Alex

[GrblGru]

I've simplified your model once again. Now it's a compromise between good performance and good representation.
It's not so nice anymore, but I hope you still like it and you can work with it.

On my Dropbox you can find under https://bit.ly/2xCD7Nd_GrblGru_Beta the new version V3.34.1 containing CNC1310.
Please let me know if something is not ok.

You have to answer the question during the installation with 'Yes' to overwrite the old files. Make a backup copy first.

I expected different results for the positions of the axes. Give me a little time. I have to think about it again.

[Alexmoon]

I've simplified your model once again.

Wow! Thank you very much!
It's amazing!
But I have a question about the homing position.
It’s written in the GRBL manual: "By default, Grbl's homing cycle moves the Z-axis positive first to clear the workspace and then moves both the X and Y-axes at the same time in the positive direction. ”
Positive direction of the X axis - to the right.
Positive direction of the Y axis - spindle forward (table - backward).
Please watch the short video (36 sec) to understand what I mean
Also, after the origin command and loading G-code, the trajectory is drawn below the table level.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/e-3EyS-uu8U[/youtube]

[GrblGru]

I'm not sure I understand your question right.

The program cannot know where you mounted your limit switches. Therefore you can enter the position of your machine after the homing in the machine manager.
The attached picture below e.g. shows the position from your video with Yr = 90mm.

Please also note. If you press the 'Origin' key, the Z-axis is positioned so that the tip of the tool touches the top of your workpiece. The inputs 'V-Offset' and 'Thickness' from the group box 'Stock' are taken into account. In reality this corresponds to the situation when you touch your workpiece with the tool.

I hope this helps you. Please let me know if I didn't understand you correctly.

pic.jpg (347.81 KiB) Viewed 644 times

[Leonardo]

Hello!
This is my first post and I do not know if it should be in other place (forum), if so, please, give me some directions to move it to the correct location.

I have a small lathe that I would like to convert to CNC, using an Arduino UNO and GRBL to control it.
Also I found GRBLGRU V.3.34.0 what is a great piece of software and this encourage me to start with this project seriously.

In my opinion, when you are planing to make a CNC machine, looking deep into the software options is the more important thing. Perhaps you will be able to make the most greatest and wonderful CNC machine but, if you do not count with the right firmware and software suitable to control it, you do not have nothing.

I installed GRBLGRU in my computer and was looking at all the lathe options as well as watching the videos on YouTube. All look quite fine by now although I am not able to make any physical test because I have not the machine yet.
Anyway, as I use carbide inserts, I saw that this is in the "ToDo" list and would like to offer my collaboration in this issue. I thought in making the STL model myself but did a search in Internet looking for something done and... I was lucky enough to find beautiful models available in a Mitsubishi Material web site. Unfortunately the Tool Holders and the Carbide inserts are separate so it is necessary to make a little effort editing the Tool Holder and adding the insert.
What I was not able to find is how to add the STL model to GRBLGRU in a way that the software use it in the simulations.

Another thing in which I am working on is in a new translation to Spanish. The actual Spanish language file is incomplete and quite disordered so I would like to contribute with this collaboration too. (It will take me a bit of time because there are really a lot of words to translate!)

I hope that "toe" GRBLGRU find this post and also the STL models of the tool holders interested and suitable to be added to the software.

I am attaching here a picture of the first (and only) tool holder with the carbide insert installed on it i made to show you how nice it looks.

All the best for you all!
Leonardo

[GrblGru]

Yes, this is the right place for your suggestions. GrblGru grew up in this forum.

Of course I am happy about your offer to help to develop the program further. I also like your idea to use the tools as STL. But for the calculations we need a simple description of the cutting geometry. If you would use the STL model, it would take much too long.

I would like to think about it again. If you want to help, you could put together the different sizes and shapes you need.

Please wait a while with the translation. Another user has just provided me with a new Spanish language file. I will include it in my next version. It would be nice if you could check if the texts are complete for the lathe.

[Leonardo]

Thanks so much for your answer GRBLGRU!

The problem that I can see is that each tool holder type can hold few inserts (same shape) with different radius. It was quite difficult to me to place the insert in the tools holder because the software in which I was doing the job is not able to detect the centers in the STLs. I think that it would be necessary to have every insert with the corresponding tool holder as an unit.

Anyway I am attaching here a tool holder alone, the corresponding insert with 0.2 mm radii and the complete tool (tool holder + insert) for you to see.

Perhaps I did not understand the GRBLGRU options quite well yet. In the tools Menu, when you select a tool, let's say "Widax", you have a sub-menu (2-STL) with a variable (#latheshowstl) valued "YES". I thought that it might be a way to load all the tools you may want in this way...

May be it will be much more easy to forget all the fancy things and load every carbide insert shape with appropriate parameters saving them as you do with the other tools. Anyway I saw a rendered red tool in your videos and thought that it will be possible to do with other tools. I may be a bit confused trying to absorb a lot of info in a short time, please excuse my mistakes!

Regarding the Spanish translation, that's OK, I will check it when you release the new version. On the other side, I did about 1/3 of the translation so I think that I will go ahead with an Argentinian Spanish version anyway

Well, after trying some times it seems that it is not possible to load the STL files, just pictures.

If you PM me an email address I will send all the files to you.

Best regards! Leonardo

[Leonardo]

GRBLGRU, I was rereading your post and I think that I understand what you say about the calculation time.
But, would it be possible to load the insert profile to use it in the calculations and the tool's STL file to make the simulations?
In this way we can have both, a faster path calculation process and the simulation done with the actual tool.

I can give you all this data, STLs and inserts profiles.

It would be a must to set the inserts profile in the same angle given by the tool holders in its standard positions.

Also, I have one more question. I did not investigate about this possibility in your software yet but, would it be possible to generate the tool paths on the rear side of the material (running the spindle CW of course)?
Perhaps the tool paths can be mirrored after it generation on the front side. In this way it will be possible to use the same tool to mechanize the external AND the internal profiles and also facing the material.

I am pasting here a picture of the tool that can do these tree operations without changing its position.