What is the hierarchy or “order of operations” when Easel generates tool paths?
Is there anything different between Easel and Pro when it comes to this?
What are the features that you get with Pro? V-carve and now a couple different path rules?
I am beginning to get frustrated with the “capabilities” of Easel.
By this point I would expect that Easel (or at least Pro) would have the ability for the user to “choose” or “override” the order of operations to minimize carve time or do things in a more logical way.
I am wanting to carve a round ornament out of thin stock, and Easel decided to carve out the through cut circle before doing the middle relief carve so the work piece no longer had good stability and the middle carve will get ruined.
I I can look at the path order and see this flaw. It’d be nice if I could tell Easel to do the circle cut last.
In another carve, the tool paths go from one side to the other rather than doing operations nearby.
Has this kind of path optimization ever been discussed?
What if anything is currently under development with Easel? Should we all just forgo Easel and use an AutoDesk or other well established product?
You can handle this by separating the operations into different “workpieces” within Easel.
Easel is pretty darn good for a free program that makes it super easy to create CNC carved projects. It has some flaws, but so does Fusion 360. My students (12-14yr) can make ornaments like what you’re describing with little instruction. I teach them to use Autodesk Inventor and Fusion 360, but the CAM part of that isn’t something they can just think their way through. I have to drag them through that.
Toolpath optimization is something all CAM software should be trying to improve, and it is not a trivial programming feat.
Can you share the Easel project where it does the pocket before the profile? I think it usually gets that right.
Note: I use Fusion for most things, but when you just want to carve and don’t want to calculate the optimal load or the lead in feedrate, Easel is a pretty slick piece of work.
I guess I just have too high expectations in 2018.
When I was finishing up my BSME in 2000, we had to manually write the g-code. The software was only just getting to where it could generate decent paths. It was good at simulating (especially the mistakes) but not so much for generating.
To me, it is important to make your students learn how to write the code themselves. Even if it is just something simple. Too many people today “know” how to use things but don’t really know.
That is why I want a guide of some kind as to how Easel plans its paths. I want to know how it really works so that I can overcome its shortcomings and even to take advantage of things that might be “features”. I like many of the things that it does like the steps before carving. There are just some things that need to have options when there might need to be a different path to the final product.
Here is the project in question:
In AutoCAD: I drew circles, traced a picture with polylines, created text that I wmfout then wmfin in, and finally create a DXF.
I could export the g-code, rearrange the order of the paths in a text editor, and then import the modified g-code.
What would be cool is if the g-code generation would come up with “operations” that could be sorted by the user, see the simulation of the changes, then finalize the g-code.
Here’s Easel’s way of reordering the operation (albeit separate jobs).
That said, you’re right, it should not cut the profile before the pocket. I’d call that a bug and let Inventables support know about it.
Agreed if that’s what I was teaching them. We’re just lucky enough to have machines to make the cool things they design. The course is a little bit of CAD, Robotics, & Programming. I teach another course on electronics. in the electronics course, I’ve had a few kids design and build little CNC machines. They learn gcode.
So there is almost a built-in way to control order of operation within a single carve.
Have the g-code generated in the order of the workpieces.
Not only could I then have the circle cut guaranteed to be last, but I could alter the way the pocket is created to reduce the “jump over” from one side of the hope lettering to the other.
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