Hi Ron, That is what I've been doing. For certain more or less standard items, like pocketing holes on a grid, flanges, etc., I've created programs to create the gcode directly. The user  (me) sets the diameters, tool sizes, speeds, whatever, and ends up with the gcode text file, which is fed directly into the milling machine. This was written in c#, but I got fed up with the complexity introduced by microsoft, poor help, and annual updates of  visual studio. I recently came across openscad, seeing a model on thingiverse, pulled it apart, and wrote a little program that solved a problem that I had been puzzling over for years (just a mental exercise, nothing more). Once I know the limits of scad, I may try and interface it to a gui, so that I do not have to poke around in the scad file if i just want to change a few values. I've not got as far as thinking much about that, and I expect that has already been done. I'm not sure if an openscad program can be packaged up/compiled/whatever, so that a user can't modify it. Thanks, Best wishes, Ray On 27/07/2020 16:56, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: > It sounds like a rethinking of the design process to take advantage of > parametric CAD might be a time-saving exercise. > > Using functions and loops to create complex shapes and fill patterns > might be easier compared to fixing disjointed polygons. > Would it make any sense to generate a large fill pattern and import > only the outline and then use a boolean function to trim the fill to > only be retained inside the polygon. > > https://openhome.cc/eGossip/OpenSCAD/BooleanOperationsHull.html > https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/snapshot.html > https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/CSG_Modelling#intersection > > Never tested this and others might point out flaws in my logic. > > I hope that this helps. > > > > On 2020-07-27 11:04 a.m., Ray West wrote: >> Hi Carsten, >> >> On 27/07/2020 15:17, arnholm@arnholm.org wrote: >>> Hatch filling would not help I think. >> >> I can hatch fill a shape. If it is not complete, the hatch leaks out. >> By judicious resizing, and placing sections of the shape on the >> screen, it can hatch to boundary and to screen edge, so can narrow >> down the region of the gap/s. It can be quicker than zooming in and >> micro stepping around the boundary. Also, it can hatch fill as a >> boundary is drawn, and then remove the hatching, leaving a watertight >> boundary. All a bit clunky, but it gets the job done. >> >> A number of my dxf files are not shapes, just lines, tool paths and >> the like. I guess they won't load either. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > -- > Ron Wheeler > Artifact Software > 438-345-3369 > rwheeler@artifact-software.com > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org

I am not sure why you would want to send an OpenSCAD model to a customer unless you *want* them to modify it. I would think that you would just send the output not the model. I have only done 3D printing and for that I output the stl file which is read in by another software (Cura) that figures out the actual paths of the extruder which are fed to the 3D printer. http://forum.openscad.org/Is-OpenSCAD-to-CNC-possible-td22175.html might get you started. A bit of Google searching might get you a viable tool chain to go from model to metal. As you can see, you can get a lot of help here as well. Ron On 2020-07-27 12:58 p.m., Ray West wrote: > > Hi Ron, > > That is what I've been doing. For certain more or less standard items, > like pocketing holes on a grid, flanges, etc., I've created programs > to create the gcode directly. The user  (me) sets the diameters, tool > sizes, speeds, whatever, and ends up with the gcode text file, which > is fed directly into the milling machine. This was written in c#, but > I got fed up with the complexity introduced by microsoft, poor help, > and annual updates of  visual studio. > > I recently came across openscad, seeing a model on thingiverse, pulled > it apart, and wrote a little program that solved a problem that I had > been puzzling over for years (just a mental exercise, nothing more). > Once I know the limits of scad, I may try and interface it to a gui, > so that I do not have to poke around in the scad file if i just want > to change a few values. I've not got as far as thinking much about > that, and I expect that has already been done. I'm not sure if an > openscad program can be packaged up/compiled/whatever, so that a user > can't modify it. > > Thanks, > > Best wishes, > > Ray > > On 27/07/2020 16:56, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: > >> It sounds like a rethinking of the design process to take advantage >> of parametric CAD might be a time-saving exercise. >> >> Using functions and loops to create complex shapes and fill patterns >> might be easier compared to fixing disjointed polygons. >> Would it make any sense to generate a large fill pattern and import >> only the outline and then use a boolean function to trim the fill to >> only be retained inside the polygon. >> >> https://openhome.cc/eGossip/OpenSCAD/BooleanOperationsHull.html >> https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/snapshot.html >> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/CSG_Modelling#intersection >> >> Never tested this and others might point out flaws in my logic. >> >> I hope that this helps. >> >> >> >> On 2020-07-27 11:04 a.m., Ray West wrote: >>> Hi Carsten, >>> >>> On 27/07/2020 15:17, arnholm@arnholm.org wrote: >>>> Hatch filling would not help I think. >>> >>> I can hatch fill a shape. If it is not complete, the hatch leaks >>> out. By judicious resizing, and placing sections of the shape on the >>> screen, it can hatch to boundary and to screen edge, so can narrow >>> down the region of the gap/s. It can be quicker than zooming in and >>> micro stepping around the boundary. Also, it can hatch fill as a >>> boundary is drawn, and then remove the hatching, leaving a >>> watertight boundary. All a bit clunky, but it gets the job done. >>> >>> A number of my dxf files are not shapes, just lines, tool paths and >>> the like. I guess they won't load either. >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >> >> -- >> Ron Wheeler >> Artifact Software >> 438-345-3369 >> rwheeler@artifact-software.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org -- Ron Wheeler Artifact Software 438-345-3369 rwheeler@artifact-software.com

Hi Ron, I do not want to send an open scad to a customer, unless I know they can safely modify it. I am hoping to use open scad as a part of a solution. Since the cnc software can read in stl files, and produce Gcode from them (similar to, but not the same as Cura) then openscad can be used to produce them. With a gui front end to scad, then it can replace my existing method of programmatically generating Gcode. Fwiw, 6 years ago I was programmatically generating gcode for 3d printing, using a purpose built hotend in a bridgeport type mill as the printer. It was very slow, but the resolution was excellent! I've recently looked again at filament 3d printing - the progress in the last 6 years has been quite impressive, but it is still a slow process for larger items. There are limitations in machining from an stl file, generally little control in path direction, etc., but quite doable for some items where utmost precision is not required. Best wishes, Ray On 27/07/2020 18:23, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: > I am not sure why you would want to send an OpenSCAD model to a > customer unless you *want* them to modify it. > I would think that you would just send the output not the model. > > I have only done 3D printing and for that I output the stl file which > is read in by another software (Cura) that figures out the actual > paths of the extruder which are fed to the 3D printer. > > > http://forum.openscad.org/Is-OpenSCAD-to-CNC-possible-td22175.html > might get you started. > > A bit of Google searching might get you a viable tool chain to go from > model to metal. > > As you can see, you can get a lot of help here as well. > > Ron > > On 2020-07-27 12:58 p.m., Ray West wrote: >> >> Hi Ron, >> >> That is what I've been doing. For certain more or less standard >> items, like pocketing holes on a grid, flanges, etc., I've created >> programs to create the gcode directly. The user (me) sets the >> diameters, tool sizes, speeds, whatever, and ends up with the gcode >> text file, which is fed directly into the milling machine. This was >> written in c#, but I got fed up with the complexity introduced by >> microsoft, poor help, and annual updates of  visual studio. >> >> I recently came across openscad, seeing a model on thingiverse, >> pulled it apart, and wrote a little program that solved a problem >> that I had been puzzling over for years (just a mental exercise, >> nothing more). Once I know the limits of scad, I may try and >> interface it to a gui, so that I do not have to poke around in the >> scad file if i just want to change a few values. I've not got as far >> as thinking much about that, and I expect that has already been done. >> I'm not sure if an openscad program can be packaged >> up/compiled/whatever, so that a user can't modify it. >> >> Thanks, >> >> Best wishes, >> >> Ray >> >> On 27/07/2020 16:56, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: >> >>> It sounds like a rethinking of the design process to take advantage >>> of parametric CAD might be a time-saving exercise. >>> >>> Using functions and loops to create complex shapes and fill patterns >>> might be easier compared to fixing disjointed polygons. >>> Would it make any sense to generate a large fill pattern and import >>> only the outline and then use a boolean function to trim the fill to >>> only be retained inside the polygon. >>> >>> https://openhome.cc/eGossip/OpenSCAD/BooleanOperationsHull.html >>> https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/snapshot.html >>> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/CSG_Modelling#intersection >>> >>> Never tested this and others might point out flaws in my logic. >>> >>> I hope that this helps. >>> >>> >>> >>> On 2020-07-27 11:04 a.m., Ray West wrote: >>>> Hi Carsten, >>>> >>>> On 27/07/2020 15:17, arnholm@arnholm.org wrote: >>>>> Hatch filling would not help I think. >>>> >>>> I can hatch fill a shape. If it is not complete, the hatch leaks >>>> out. By judicious resizing, and placing sections of the shape on >>>> the screen, it can hatch to boundary and to screen edge, so can >>>> narrow down the region of the gap/s. It can be quicker than zooming >>>> in and micro stepping around the boundary. Also, it can hatch fill >>>> as a boundary is drawn, and then remove the hatching, leaving a >>>> watertight boundary. All a bit clunky, but it gets the job done. >>>> >>>> A number of my dxf files are not shapes, just lines, tool paths and >>>> the like. I guess they won't load either. >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >>> >>> -- >>> Ron Wheeler >>> Artifact Software >>> 438-345-3369 >>> rwheeler@artifact-software.com >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > -- > Ron Wheeler > Artifact Software > 438-345-3369 > rwheeler@artifact-software.com > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org

I first started doing openscad because of the Thingiverse customiser. The ability to give the customer to adjust some parameters is rather awesome, really On Mon, Jul 27, 2020 at 3:06 PM Ray West <raywest@raywest.com> wrote: > > Hi Ron, > > I do not want to send an open scad to a customer, unless I know they can safely modify it. I am hoping to use open scad as a part of a solution. Since the cnc software can read in stl files, and produce Gcode from them (similar to, but not the same as Cura) then openscad can be used to produce them. With a gui front end to scad, then it can replace my existing method of programmatically generating Gcode. Fwiw, 6 years ago I was programmatically generating gcode for 3d printing, using a purpose built hotend in a bridgeport type mill as the printer. It was very slow, but the resolution was excellent! I've recently looked again at filament 3d printing - the progress in the last 6 years has been quite impressive, but it is still a slow process for larger items. There are limitations in machining from an stl file, generally little control in path direction, etc., but quite doable for some items where utmost precision is not required. > > Best wishes, > > > Ray > > > On 27/07/2020 18:23, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: > > I am not sure why you would want to send an OpenSCAD model to a customer unless you want them to modify it. > I would think that you would just send the output not the model. > > I have only done 3D printing and for that I output the stl file which is read in by another software (Cura) that figures out the actual paths of the extruder which are fed to the 3D printer. > > > http://forum.openscad.org/Is-OpenSCAD-to-CNC-possible-td22175.html might get you started. > > A bit of Google searching might get you a viable tool chain to go from model to metal. > > As you can see, you can get a lot of help here as well. > > Ron > > On 2020-07-27 12:58 p.m., Ray West wrote: > > Hi Ron, > > That is what I've been doing. For certain more or less standard items, like pocketing holes on a grid, flanges, etc., I've created programs to create the gcode directly. The user (me) sets the diameters, tool sizes, speeds, whatever, and ends up with the gcode text file, which is fed directly into the milling machine. This was written in c#, but I got fed up with the complexity introduced by microsoft, poor help, and annual updates of visual studio. > > I recently came across openscad, seeing a model on thingiverse, pulled it apart, and wrote a little program that solved a problem that I had been puzzling over for years (just a mental exercise, nothing more). Once I know the limits of scad, I may try and interface it to a gui, so that I do not have to poke around in the scad file if i just want to change a few values. I've not got as far as thinking much about that, and I expect that has already been done. I'm not sure if an openscad program can be packaged up/compiled/whatever, so that a user can't modify it. > > Thanks, > > Best wishes, > > Ray > > On 27/07/2020 16:56, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: > > It sounds like a rethinking of the design process to take advantage of parametric CAD might be a time-saving exercise. > > Using functions and loops to create complex shapes and fill patterns might be easier compared to fixing disjointed polygons. > Would it make any sense to generate a large fill pattern and import only the outline and then use a boolean function to trim the fill to only be retained inside the polygon. > > https://openhome.cc/eGossip/OpenSCAD/BooleanOperationsHull.html > https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/snapshot.html > https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/CSG_Modelling#intersection > > Never tested this and others might point out flaws in my logic. > > I hope that this helps. > > > > On 2020-07-27 11:04 a.m., Ray West wrote: > > Hi Carsten, > > On 27/07/2020 15:17, arnholm@arnholm.org wrote: > > Hatch filling would not help I think. > > > I can hatch fill a shape. If it is not complete, the hatch leaks out. By judicious resizing, and placing sections of the shape on the screen, it can hatch to boundary and to screen edge, so can narrow down the region of the gap/s. It can be quicker than zooming in and micro stepping around the boundary. Also, it can hatch fill as a boundary is drawn, and then remove the hatching, leaving a watertight boundary. All a bit clunky, but it gets the job done. > > A number of my dxf files are not shapes, just lines, tool paths and the like. I guess they won't load either. > > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > -- > Ron Wheeler > Artifact Software > 438-345-3369 > rwheeler@artifact-software.com > > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > > -- > Ron Wheeler > Artifact Software > 438-345-3369 > rwheeler@artifact-software.com > > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org

Without knowing the type of models that you are generating, it is hard to be sure that my suggestions are worthwhile. Given that caveat and my willingness to be embarrassed by people who actually know what they are doing, I will make the following comments. It would seem that in some cases, it may be possible to produce OpenSCAD scripts that would allow customers to enter some parameters and have the scripts generate the ultimate object. In some cases, the customer would not have to touch the lower level scripts and in the best cases, the customer would only have to set some number of parameters and invoke your scripts to produce the object that they desire. OpenSCAD would allow them to visualize the object and take any relevant measurements to verify that their parameters are generating the correct model. I think that some of the responses to this thread give ideas that are worth pursuing about the process to take an OpenSCAD model and run it through other programs that create the correct tool paths and CNC instructions to produce the desired output. This seems to the ignorant (me), that worrying about tool paths and other CNC concerns can be left to the end of the process. My opinion is that CNC is a more complex problem than 3D printing but paths, directions and tool choices are all decisions that people have been able to make for many years and it is not impossible for software to make the same choices. The first step may be to produce a sufficiently accurate model about what you want to make and later on worry about how to make it. If this can be done, customers are going to be much more productive by focusing on what they know and leaving the technical details to the tool chain. My ignorance gives a certain amount of confidence regarding possible solutions, but regardless, I hope that this helps. Ron On 2020-07-27 3:06 p.m., Ray West wrote: > > Hi Ron, > > I do not want to send an open scad to a customer, unless I know they > can safely modify it. I am hoping to use open scad as a part of a > solution. Since the cnc software can read in stl files, and produce > Gcode from them (similar to, but not the same as Cura) then openscad > can be used to produce them. With a gui front end to scad, then it can > replace my existing method of programmatically generating Gcode. Fwiw, > 6 years ago I was programmatically generating gcode for 3d printing, > using a purpose built hotend in a bridgeport type mill as the printer. > It was very slow, but the resolution was excellent! I've recently > looked again at filament 3d printing - the progress in the last 6 > years has been quite impressive, but it is still a slow process for > larger items. There are limitations in machining from an stl file, > generally little control in path direction, etc., but quite doable for > some items where utmost precision is not required. > > Best wishes, > > > Ray > > > On 27/07/2020 18:23, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: >> I am not sure why you would want to send an OpenSCAD model to a >> customer unless you *want* them to modify it. >> I would think that you would just send the output not the model. >> >> I have only done 3D printing and for that I output the stl file which >> is read in by another software (Cura) that figures out the actual >> paths of the extruder which are fed to the 3D printer. >> >> >> http://forum.openscad.org/Is-OpenSCAD-to-CNC-possible-td22175.html >> might get you started. >> >> A bit of Google searching might get you a viable tool chain to go >> from model to metal. >> >> As you can see, you can get a lot of help here as well. >> >> Ron >> >> On 2020-07-27 12:58 p.m., Ray West wrote: >>> >>> Hi Ron, >>> >>> That is what I've been doing. For certain more or less standard >>> items, like pocketing holes on a grid, flanges, etc., I've created >>> programs to create the gcode directly. The user  (me) sets the >>> diameters, tool sizes, speeds, whatever, and ends up with the gcode >>> text file, which is fed directly into the milling machine. This was >>> written in c#, but I got fed up with the complexity introduced by >>> microsoft, poor help, and annual updates of  visual studio. >>> >>> I recently came across openscad, seeing a model on thingiverse, >>> pulled it apart, and wrote a little program that solved a problem >>> that I had been puzzling over for years (just a mental exercise, >>> nothing more). Once I know the limits of scad, I may try and >>> interface it to a gui, so that I do not have to poke around in the >>> scad file if i just want to change a few values. I've not got as far >>> as thinking much about that, and I expect that has already been >>> done. I'm not sure if an openscad program can be packaged >>> up/compiled/whatever, so that a user can't modify it. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >>> Best wishes, >>> >>> Ray >>> >>> On 27/07/2020 16:56, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: >>> >>>> It sounds like a rethinking of the design process to take advantage >>>> of parametric CAD might be a time-saving exercise. >>>> >>>> Using functions and loops to create complex shapes and fill >>>> patterns might be easier compared to fixing disjointed polygons. >>>> Would it make any sense to generate a large fill pattern and import >>>> only the outline and then use a boolean function to trim the fill >>>> to only be retained inside the polygon. >>>> >>>> https://openhome.cc/eGossip/OpenSCAD/BooleanOperationsHull.html >>>> https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/snapshot.html >>>> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/CSG_Modelling#intersection >>>> >>>> Never tested this and others might point out flaws in my logic. >>>> >>>> I hope that this helps. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On 2020-07-27 11:04 a.m., Ray West wrote: >>>>> Hi Carsten, >>>>> >>>>> On 27/07/2020 15:17, arnholm@arnholm.org wrote: >>>>>> Hatch filling would not help I think. >>>>> >>>>> I can hatch fill a shape. If it is not complete, the hatch leaks >>>>> out. By judicious resizing, and placing sections of the shape on >>>>> the screen, it can hatch to boundary and to screen edge, so can >>>>> narrow down the region of the gap/s. It can be quicker than >>>>> zooming in and micro stepping around the boundary. Also, it can >>>>> hatch fill as a boundary is drawn, and then remove the hatching, >>>>> leaving a watertight boundary. All a bit clunky, but it gets the >>>>> job done. >>>>> >>>>> A number of my dxf files are not shapes, just lines, tool paths >>>>> and the like. I guess they won't load either. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>>>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>>>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Ron Wheeler >>>> Artifact Software >>>> 438-345-3369 >>>> rwheeler@artifact-software.com >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >> >> -- >> Ron Wheeler >> Artifact Software >> 438-345-3369 >> rwheeler@artifact-software.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org -- Ron Wheeler Artifact Software 438-345-3369 rwheeler@artifact-software.com

Hi Ron, Any suggestion is worthwhile. If it doesn't help me, it may well help someone else. Not much point in lurking on fora. If everyone did that, it would be very dull. High end cnc machining (which I am in no way involved in) is far, far more involved than 3dprinting, although high end 3d printing (Renishaw for turbine blades, etc) has some complexity. I do not have paying business customers, having given up my day job some years ago. I have customers, in the sense they use what I supply them, and they come and dig my garden in return, say. A far better method. Best wishes, Ray On 28/07/2020 03:24, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: > Without knowing the type of models that you are generating, it is hard > to be sure that my suggestions are worthwhile. > > Given that caveat and my willingness to be embarrassed by people who > actually know what they are doing, I will make the following comments. > > It would seem that in some cases, it may be possible to produce > OpenSCAD scripts that would allow customers to enter some parameters > and have the scripts generate the ultimate object. > In some cases, the customer would not have to touch the lower level > scripts and in the best cases, the customer would only have to set > some number of parameters and invoke your scripts to produce the > object that they desire. OpenSCAD would allow them to visualize the > object and take any relevant measurements to verify that their > parameters are generating the correct model. > > I think that some of the responses to this thread give ideas that are > worth pursuing about the process to take an OpenSCAD model and run it > through other programs that create the correct tool paths and CNC > instructions to produce the desired output. > > This seems to the ignorant (me), that worrying about tool paths and > other CNC concerns can be left to the end of the process. > My opinion is that CNC is a more complex problem than 3D printing but > paths, directions and tool choices are all decisions that people have > been able to make for many years and it is not impossible for software > to make the same choices. > > The first step may be to produce a sufficiently accurate model about > what you want to make and later on worry about how to make it. > If this can be done, customers are going to be much more productive by > focusing on what they know and leaving the technical details to the > tool chain. > > My ignorance gives a certain amount of confidence regarding possible > solutions, but regardless, I hope that this helps. > > Ron > > On 2020-07-27 3:06 p.m., Ray West wrote: >> >> Hi Ron, >> >> I do not want to send an open scad to a customer, unless I know they >> can safely modify it. I am hoping to use open scad as a part of a >> solution. Since the cnc software can read in stl files, and produce >> Gcode from them (similar to, but not the same as Cura) then openscad >> can be used to produce them. With a gui front end to scad, then it >> can replace my existing method of programmatically generating Gcode. >> Fwiw, 6 years ago I was programmatically generating gcode for 3d >> printing, using a purpose built hotend in a bridgeport type mill as >> the printer. It was very slow, but the resolution was excellent! I've >> recently looked again at filament 3d printing - the progress in the >> last 6 years has been quite impressive, but it is still a slow >> process for larger items. There are limitations in machining from an >> stl file, generally little control in path direction, etc., but quite >> doable for some items where utmost precision is not required. >> >> Best wishes, >> >> >> Ray >> >> >> On 27/07/2020 18:23, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: >>> I am not sure why you would want to send an OpenSCAD model to a >>> customer unless you *want* them to modify it. >>> I would think that you would just send the output not the model. >>> >>> I have only done 3D printing and for that I output the stl file >>> which is read in by another software (Cura) that figures out the >>> actual paths of the extruder which are fed to the 3D printer. >>> >>> >>> http://forum.openscad.org/Is-OpenSCAD-to-CNC-possible-td22175.html >>> might get you started. >>> >>> A bit of Google searching might get you a viable tool chain to go >>> from model to metal. >>> >>> As you can see, you can get a lot of help here as well. >>> >>> Ron >>> >>> On 2020-07-27 12:58 p.m., Ray West wrote: >>>> >>>> Hi Ron, >>>> >>>> That is what I've been doing. For certain more or less standard >>>> items, like pocketing holes on a grid, flanges, etc., I've created >>>> programs to create the gcode directly. The user  (me) sets the >>>> diameters, tool sizes, speeds, whatever, and ends up with the gcode >>>> text file, which is fed directly into the milling machine. This was >>>> written in c#, but I got fed up with the complexity introduced by >>>> microsoft, poor help, and annual updates of  visual studio. >>>> >>>> I recently came across openscad, seeing a model on thingiverse, >>>> pulled it apart, and wrote a little program that solved a problem >>>> that I had been puzzling over for years (just a mental exercise, >>>> nothing more). Once I know the limits of scad, I may try and >>>> interface it to a gui, so that I do not have to poke around in the >>>> scad file if i just want to change a few values. I've not got as >>>> far as thinking much about that, and I expect that has already been >>>> done. I'm not sure if an openscad program can be packaged >>>> up/compiled/whatever, so that a user can't modify it. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> >>>> Best wishes, >>>> >>>> Ray >>>> >>>> On 27/07/2020 16:56, Ron Wheeler via Discuss wrote: >>>> >>>>> It sounds like a rethinking of the design process to take >>>>> advantage of parametric CAD might be a time-saving exercise. >>>>> >>>>> Using functions and loops to create complex shapes and fill >>>>> patterns might be easier compared to fixing disjointed polygons. >>>>> Would it make any sense to generate a large fill pattern and >>>>> import only the outline and then use a boolean function to trim >>>>> the fill to only be retained inside the polygon. >>>>> >>>>> https://openhome.cc/eGossip/OpenSCAD/BooleanOperationsHull.html >>>>> https://www.openscad.org/cheatsheet/snapshot.html >>>>> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/CSG_Modelling#intersection >>>>> >>>>> Never tested this and others might point out flaws in my logic. >>>>> >>>>> I hope that this helps. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On 2020-07-27 11:04 a.m., Ray West wrote: >>>>>> Hi Carsten, >>>>>> >>>>>> On 27/07/2020 15:17, arnholm@arnholm.org wrote: >>>>>>> Hatch filling would not help I think. >>>>>> >>>>>> I can hatch fill a shape. If it is not complete, the hatch leaks >>>>>> out. By judicious resizing, and placing sections of the shape on >>>>>> the screen, it can hatch to boundary and to screen edge, so can >>>>>> narrow down the region of the gap/s. It can be quicker than >>>>>> zooming in and micro stepping around the boundary. Also, it can >>>>>> hatch fill as a boundary is drawn, and then remove the hatching, >>>>>> leaving a watertight boundary. All a bit clunky, but it gets the >>>>>> job done. >>>>>> >>>>>> A number of my dxf files are not shapes, just lines, tool paths >>>>>> and the like. I guess they won't load either. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>>>>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>>>>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Ron Wheeler >>>>> Artifact Software >>>>> 438-345-3369 >>>>> rwheeler@artifact-software.com >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>>>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>>>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >>> >>> -- >>> Ron Wheeler >>> Artifact Software >>> 438-345-3369 >>> rwheeler@artifact-software.com >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >>> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> Discuss@lists.openscad.org >> http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org > > -- > Ron Wheeler > Artifact Software > 438-345-3369 > rwheeler@artifact-software.com > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > Discuss@lists.openscad.org > http://lists.openscad.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.openscad.org