Believe me, if I’d have known I was being locked in with the Shopbot I would have looked at a different system. I’m not a fan of being completely locked in. I can understand the need for utilitizing specific codes, but the deal with not being able to utilize this (great, honestly it is!) software for other pieces as I grow is frustrating…all because Shopbot provided their “special edition” version of software only they support. If this is a project for someone, great. I think I will just end up shelling out the money to get what I really want. 
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since shopbot can accept g-code, just abandon their software and do everything
in software that works with any tool.
I understand the appeal of that argument when I’m the software engineer, but as a user that’s often unacceptable. Again, imagine it as svg vs ai/pdf/cdr. You can’t tell many graphics professionals to abandon their current software and just use svg.
I guess it all depends on the long-term market. If it’s just for tinkerers and makers wanting a first entry into CNC on a small budget… then that makes sense. If it’s any wider than that, it’ll start to fall apart.
well, you picked a tool that only supports one device and are complaining that
every other device on the market doesn’t go to extra effort to support your
tool.
meanwhile, that device supports the industry standard format.
We did see people forced to change word processors when wordperfect dropped in
popularity, no matter how much people loved wordperfect, Microsoft didn’t add
support to export to that format, they forced people to change their tool to one
that supported the ‘industry standard’ format.
now, if you do write a tool that translates from the shopbot specific CAD
software to industry standard g-code, a lot of people will love you.
But asking every device to add support for the shopbot language (which shopbot
can simply change if they want to break all these devices), is just not going to
happen.
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The translator may not be all that hard and could be as simple as a 1:1 mapping. I suggest hand translating a couple simple files, say a square and a circle (to see if you need arcs or line segments will do), then reassess.
Watch out for tool compensation, with luck you won’t need to do it yourself. Make a known size square. Does it cut on the centerline or properly offset by the bit radius which will considerably simplify the task
Kirk
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You seem to be taking some offense to what is essentially a feature discussion. I never complained that every other device needed to support my tool. I never asked every device to add support for the shopbot language (which shopbot would break their own machcines if they changed).
There was simply a post suggesting exploring supporting the format and I added support for that effort. As one of many Shopbot users, it would be a great benefit to me and would increase my use of the Maslow.
I picked a tool that produces a quality product reliably with a supported software toolchain of high quality that is not dependent on the kind souls working on open source. I did not choose based on a file format, and that’s how a lot of people choose. It’s just a market reality. Apple has twisted, cajoled, and bullied the market with their share, and people still flock to them because they are perceived to have a quality product. Should a peripheral vendor choose not to support anything Apple if it’s not an open standard? Depends on their target market, but likely not.
A CNC/3d printer/etc is essentially peripheral to your CAD/CAM software.
Again, it depends on the ultimate goal of the project…has it already achieved it by a successful Kickstarter delivering the functionality promised, or do they want to get this into more hands and more markets? If a translator can be written that works, that’s great - it plugs a hole, not seamlessly, but checks the box. Would all of these shopbot users be more likely to use a Maslow if they could jump right over? Sure. Would they start producing projects with it and promoting its use? Highly likely. So it’s not like Maslow doesn’t get something out of it.
An ‘industry standard’ is a worthy goal, but extending a hand to those on other platforms is goodwill that is also self-serving. I don’t see the sense in shooting the feature down on ideology alone.
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So as a Vcarve user x-carve works? That’s great will test this weekend!
Did this end up working?
So I actually end up using the g-code arc setting in Vcarve for Gcode. There was an update to the Maslow software that allowed that g-code formate to work. Hope that helps.
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can you show me a screenshot of the export you used in Vcarve? I tried, but the Ground Control will not accept the “.tap” file format that “G-Code Arcs” wants to save in. I have updated Ground Control and the Firmware on my Maslow.
the first thing to try is to just rename the file, there isn’t really a standard
extension for g-code files.
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You could try renaming the file with .nc instead of .tap or you could add .tap to the list of file extensions that GroundControl will accept. That setting is on the Settings/‘Ground Control Settings’ page, ‘Valid File Extensions’. Add a comma and .tap to the end of that list and your file should be available then.
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Success using “Intelicam GCode” as the post-processor. More experimenting needed testing GRBL options
hey ,
im a vcarve user also, i have my machine built and had some limited success with using the intelicam PP it seems that the curves come out really slow, i probably cant afford f360 and since flash is dead the “makercam” website wont work / isnt a great resource. just wondering if u had more success. im about ready to try to learn how to make a pp for vcarve out of frustration.
thanks
the most common problem with doing vcarve type work on the maslow is that the Z
axis is so slow.
you can build the meticulous Z axis (or similar) to increase the speed of the Z
motion, and usually that will make the maslow acceptably fast.
In addition, there is work being done on g-code optimizers and simplifiers that
can shrink the size of the g-code as well (at the cost of accuracy, but probably
not noticable in wood)
David Lang
Thanks david. I’m actually inquiring about this particular program “vetric vcarve pro” and the use of alternative non maslow specific post processors. Bar actually had some advice pertaining to it in another thread but I was hoping this user had more info
Bar’s advice
This fixes the z and x y travel “stall” by giving the g code a F1000 command.
I’m trying to learn.