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Right now I’m doing a fairly large carve, multi depth and I’d like to know what happens to the paths once they are generated in Easel. Are they stored on my computer or do I still need my internet connected even after the generation? My carve has been going 4 1/2 hours and Easel says I’m at 7% complete, although that might be I think, optimistic. I’d like to ensure if I pause the carve, I can pick up where it left off. When my laptop sits for idle for awhile, sometimes I lose the internet, but if the paths are stored in memory I’m assuming this wouldn’t be an issue. Plus, without thinking, I started the carve knowing full well we’ve got a windstorm coming in. If it looks like I might lose power, I’d like to know I can pause and resume later.
If my math is right and thing proceed at the same rate you are looking at 64 hours to complete the part. That is crazy, can you post a screen shot of the part you are machining.
Dave
Ariel, WA
1000X1800 running mach3
Tormach 770 running Path Pilot
The good news is that you don’t need internet to keep sending gcode. You can disconnect completely once you’ve loaded easel and the project. Generating the paths and sending them is all done locally in the browser.
As for pausing and restarting later you’re kind of out of luck since we don’t have such a feature built in.
Another option is to generate your gcode and download it (Machine -> Advanced -> Generate G-Code -> Export) then run it through a simulator such as OpenSCAM (its not a scam, i promise) and simulating the gcode up to the point that it stopped/was paused. You should be able to find the line it stopped on. Then you can open the file up in a text editor and delete all the lines you’ve already run, up to the line you want to start at, but you need to keep header info like G20/G21, S#####, etc. Then you should be able to send that new file to the machine with universal gcode sender, picking up where it left off.
We also have a GCode sender feature in the works for Easel, which could make the above process a bit easier.
Also, you could save yourself a lot of time by using our roughing/detail feature. Setting the roughing bit to 1/4" and the detail to 1/8" or 1/16". It’s still in early access, but I’ve granted you access.
I’ve been reading up on that, but haven’t got my 1/4 inch bits yet so I hadn’t asked for access. Guess this project was a bit ambitious before getting that feature, huh? Guess I’ll be ordering my bits today! Since I’ve got you on the line, I’m using a 1/8" end mill double straight flute. Your website says they’re good for wood and plastics, but the 1/4" of the same configuration only says plastics, why is this? I’m carving pine and have found the straight flute gives a cleaner edge and bottom cut.
but the 1/4" of the same configuration only says plastics, why is this?
I’m not sure. I’ll ask our product team guys and see if they have an answer. I’d image its fine for wood though if you are looking at the straight flute bits. The upcuts are less ideal, generally, for wood or plastic. I’d stick to straight or downcut bits for those materials. Since its a 1/4" bit though, it will probably handle the wood just fine, and assuming you are doing a roughing and detail pass any roughness created by the 1/4" bit will get cleaned up in the detail phase.
Does the logo or the 12 stand proud. I would think that either way with a better CAM program this should take a couple of hours at most.
There is something wrong here.
What is the overall size of the job.
Dave
Ariel, WA
1000X1800 running Mach3
Tormach 770 running Path Pilot
the logo stands proud, the oval is the next layer and the 12 is the deepest, but the logo is also a bit over an 1/8 deeper than the face. So right now we’re still cutting the oval to the depth that the logo starts. The overall size of the design (carved area) is 24x12 on a board 36x16x3/4. After the carve I plan on finishing this with a multi-layer, multi-color photo-luminescent epoxy fill.
I’m new to all this, so Easel is all I’ve tried so far. I figured from previous carves I’ve done that this would take awhile, but I had no idea it would be this bad, as Easel doesn’t give me estimated carve time, or does it? This is the largest carve I’ve done to date, the previous longest was close to four hours, about 4x18, but only a single depth.
Can you export a DXF or DWG file of the piece. If you can Email me the file at dmsohl at tds dot net
Also include the depth of each of the layers from Z zero.
I’ll run it though one of my CAM programs and see what the time is. I will use Gwizard to tell me what the best feeds and speeds are.
So apparently the status bar is not entirely accurate… OK, not even close. Early on in the carve it looked like it was going to take about 64 hours, but it wound up being just short of 29 1/2. it will be interesting to see how much more efficient the two stage cut will be.
Here’s the finished carve. The next step after sanding will be to pour multiple layers of epoxy resin, in multiple colors and with photo-luminescent pigments…
