Optimizing the Fusion360 Post Processor for Maslow

[mrfugu]

Hey,

There are a ton of options (necessary, missing, unnecessary, etc) in the Fusion360 PostProcessor that we can configure, modify and otherwise make more useful for MaslowCNC, and inversely, with a program like Fusion360, designed for more advanced CNC machines, we can begin adding more complex functionality to MaslowCNC/Ground Control.

Here is the File: https://forums.maslowcnc.com/clicks/track?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcam.autodesk.com%2Fhsmposts%3Fp%3Dmaslowcnc&post_id=29894&topic_id=3565

its pretty ‘readable’ as far as Code goes, and there are numerous videos on youtube of people editing their Post Processors for various purposes. ( https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fusion+360+post+processor+editing )

Immediately, we should ensure that we’re taking full advantage of the available settings…

I see right off the bat, we can loosen the tolerances up to MaslowCNC scale:

capabilities = CAPABILITY_MILLING;
tolerance = spatial(0.002, MM);

minimumChordLength = spatial(0.01, MM);
minimumCircularRadius = spatial(0.01, MM);
maximumCircularRadius = spatial(1000, MM);
minimumCircularSweep = toRad(0.01);
maximumCircularSweep = toRad(90);
allowHelicalMoves = false;
allowedCircularPlanes = 1 << PLANE_XY;

I’d assume that moving the tolerances out a bit isn’t a terrible idea:

tolerance = spatial(0.01, MM);
minimumChordLength = spatial(0.1, MM);
minimumCircularRadius = spatial(0.1, MM);

also we’re a BIG machine (in the CNC world):

maximumCircularRadius = spatial(3000, MM)

(I’m guessing above, haven’t tested anything yet and YMMV… _

Moving further along, we find a mess of machine settings, thats awesome!

Immediately I see that adding ‘sequence numbers’ into GC would make it more capable to move/jog through machining steps… COOL!

Active Spindle, nice.
Work Offsets were discussed in another thread more generally…

There’s more to discuss, but we Fusion360 Malsovians should get together and share some ideas on the Post Processor. There is A LOT that can be done here to make workflow a lot smoother and accurate and bring MaslowCNC closer to a ‘proper’ CNC machine.

cheers,

[Jamtek]

@mrfugu

I think you made a very good point on tolerance. I am actually cutting out a P9S Stool that I imported into Fusion 360 and generated a tool path using the Maslow post processor as I type this. I am also using version 1.12 of GroundControl.

So, far I have encountered two issues, but I am pressing on.

The first issue I encountered was about half way through the pocketing operation the job was stopped in GroundControl and and error message popped up, stating that the sled position has not kept up with the commands.
I lowered the feed fate in GC from 800 to 600 mm, restarted the job and completed the pocketing operation successfully.

The second issue I am experiencing is with the profile operation. I am seeing a flood of error messages; "Opps! The gcode line has caused a calculation error, it will be replaced by: G1 X-... Y.... The good news is the GroundControl 1.12 job continues to run. The bad news is the sled is now moving at a super slow pace. A job that may have taken an hour to complete, is probably going to take the rest of the afternoon.

Oh, well live and learn. I will try tweaking the post processor per your recommendations and examine the gcode more thoroughly before running another job.

[Dru]

Regards
“The first issue I encountered was about half way through the pocketing operation the job was stopped in GroundControl and and error message popped up, stating that the sled position has not kept up with the commands.”
If it happens again could you press stop then run the motor test as i had the same problem , when i ran the motor test it came up with a faulty motor

[Jamtek]

Sorry to hear about your motor problem. I have not done a full calibration since originally setting up my machine with GC 1.10. I will probably run another complete calibration again, to see if I can tighten things up even more. I just did a complete tear down on my Z axis, since I was having the lock lever pop out at the worst of times.

I suspect one of my issues is that the G-code I produced is running at one hundred thousands of an inch accuracy, which is insane on a machine like the Maslow. I will chalk this up to a learning experience.

[Dru]

Before ill order a new motor ill roll back to 1.11 and rerun the motor test again

[Ambrose_Coulliette]

The link above is dead, and I have no clue how to get the post process to work for Fusion. below is my best attempt. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Jamtek]

What did you use for post? Here are some links to get started

Download link for the latest MaslowCNC post processor.

How to add a Post Processor to your Personal Posts in Fusion 360.

[Ambrose_Coulliette]

Thanks bunches. worked great! it will be a couple days before i can attempt the cut.

[Lois_Forcioli-Conti]

Hi there,
There is a message on the link for the postprocessor for Maslow on the autodesk website.
https://cam.autodesk.com/hsmposts?p=maslowcnc
Is it this one you used to create the gcode from fusion360

[Jamtek]

Yes, I have been using the Maslow post with good results.

[Jamtek]

FYI, AutoDesk has pushed out an updated version of the Maslow post processor today.

[Lois_Forcioli-Conti]

Nice thanks!

[Snapperhead]

Just DL’d this Post Processor for the Maslow, seems to have fixed me right up. This should be sticky so all Fusion 360 users can find it right at the top, not that there is a lot here yet.

[Jamtek]

@Snapperhead

I created a new wiki category for this in the forum.

Fusion 360 getting started and tips

Here are a few handy Fusion 360 links to get started. How to register for a start-up, personal, or student license for Fusion 360 Note: there are now a three free licence types for Fusion 360. When I renewed this year, I fell into the free personal licence type, which is fine for me, since most of what I do is for myself or pro bono to friends and and family. Download link for the latest MaslowCNC post processor Although never officially released, as of the year 2020 Autodesk continues …

Please feel free to contribute, the trick is to not reply to the wiki post, but to click on the pencil in the lower right corner of the top post to edit and add content.

[MStylesMS]

So glad to see this! I’m an avid user of Fusion 360 and hope to receive my Maslow kit in a few more weeks. Beyond the post processing settings above, is there anything else that is a “must have” for those of us who also use F360?

[mrfugu]

there’s a lot of things that could be done to optimize fusion for maslowcnc in general.

So far, in my own designs, I’ve set up some templates for different stock thicknesses, made a spreadsheet detailing the different CAM moves with Maslow centric settings (movement speeds, clearances etc. )

We’ve got a shared Maslow Folder in Fusion’s Cloud, linked from the Gitbhub Wiki pages, not sure if they’ve been updated recently.

I’ve been on and off my personal maslow related projects, taking a large amount of the summer and fall off, hoping to get more ‘on’ during the colder months now…

Keep looking around, there are a lot of threads on Fusion360 w/ Maslow, and we’re always looking for other folks to take up the mantle and move the flags a few notches down the line!

welcome!

[MeticulousMaynard]

@MStylesMS

is there anything else that is a “must have” for those of us who also use F360?

Not sure if you’ve seen the Nester and Dogbone Add-ins for Fusion 360 thread, but those add-ons can be a real time-saver.

Download links:

Dogbone: GitHub - DVE2000/Dogbone: A Fusion360 addin that creates dogbone joints for wood joinery.

Nester: GitHub - tapnair/NESTER: Simple script to lay parts out flat in Fusion 360

Also, may be wise to save common machining strategies as the default settings for cuts. Instead of setting each setting every time you make an operation, you can right click on any field and you will see two options, “Make Default” and “Make All Default”. I have used these features to set Maslow defaults for the operations I use the most.

Happy chip-making!

[MStylesMS]

This is a great reference, thanks!!!