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The Shop => Software Tools => Topic started by: Dawai on October 12, 2014, 09:21:07 PM

Title: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Dawai on October 12, 2014, 09:21:07 PM
I spent the dollars, purchased a cambam license.. very happy so far.. It has produced both MM and inches code that worked on my machine here.  fixing to try it out on a flamecutter.

GOT to remember to close all the lines before you do toolpaths thou.. or it gets confused like a old blind tattoo artist which side of the lines to cut on..

Simple cad interface.. kinda like acad 9 or so???
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Joules on October 13, 2014, 04:09:05 AM
Yep, another CamBam user here.  I really like the software, most useful for me being able to close lines and change direction of cuts etc.  It does get confused with some dxf, but the manual editing hasn't let me down so far.
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: awemawson on October 13, 2014, 06:27:31 AM
Is it an expensive package, asks scrooge Andrew ?
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: lordedmond on October 13, 2014, 06:41:12 AM
Andrew to save you overworked fingers

http://sites.fastspring.com/hexray/product/cambam


Stuart
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: AdeV on October 13, 2014, 07:20:13 AM
I also use CamBam to drive my ancient wheezing Heidenhain TNC151 - works like a charm :)

Best piece of software I've bought in years.
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: awemawson on October 13, 2014, 07:26:01 AM
Doesn't look too expensive if it's as good as people say.

It's not obvious on first reading of Stuart's link whether the G code generator is tweakable to the vagaries of different machines. Does it use a configurable post processor of some form?
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Joules on October 13, 2014, 07:47:14 AM
Andrew,
            have a visit to the CamBam forum.  It is active and with a knowlegable user base.

http://www.cambam.co.uk/forum/

As far as I know you can pretty much develop your own post processor if you are so inclined.
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: awemawson on October 13, 2014, 08:42:30 AM
Quite a few names we know over on that forum !
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Swarfing on October 14, 2014, 08:09:18 PM
Another user here and always been pleased with it, run mine on linux.
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Dawai on December 21, 2014, 10:38:51 AM
YEAH, I have been trying to figure out how to "trick" cambam into doing knitting. in a gcode cycle-repeat.. (really).. from 3d clothing. I bought two needlebeds, 200 more machine knitting needles from Jolly ole ENGLAND..

(Honey-doo) My wife wants this first simple one to knit afghans, (seven feet wide).. and then I can copy this full cnc one she says..  http://hackaday.com/2014/02/20/openknit-the-open-source-knitting-machine/ (http://hackaday.com/2014/02/20/openknit-the-open-source-knitting-machine/)   Gerard is the guy who did this.. over Thar.. some-whar..  Sharp as a tack he is... 
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: JohnHaine on December 21, 2014, 04:24:34 PM
Probably a silly question but does it import from designspark properly?
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Swarfing on December 21, 2014, 07:09:17 PM
This thread just got my other half excited to think she could join the cnc revolution.

It actually scored me more points to spend more time in the garage  :D
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: vtsteam on December 21, 2014, 07:38:33 PM
That knitting machine is pretty cool -- and it uses 6 R/C servos, which I probably already have on hand. Too bad there aren't plans to make one without a 3D printer for the main part, which is plastic.

Very interesting :thumbup:
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Dawai on December 22, 2014, 06:48:47 AM
All the 3d files are github available in sketchup format. I downloaded them you can import them into cambam with a extension change.  Make yours in metal if you have the resources to do so. Plan on polishing the components thou.  Fuzzy yarn hangs on every rough uneven surface.

You can of course have the 3d parts printed online.. As I should have. I have spent months making my own 3dprinter to fit all my needs. If all else fails, throw time and money at it. I have not been bored, but not making headway much.

I am working out the bugs on the flat-bed afghan knitter. the carriage-cam plates that come with the ultimate sweater machine is crap. (due to the lead-lag feeding of the yarn and all the internal switching jamming) A better design would be a simple cam-plate with smooth flow, and a switching lead-lag yarn guide. (as is my current plan)

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/openknit/KgyJhvOa6Hc (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/openknit/KgyJhvOa6Hc)  The google forum Gerard posted, I have some of the information I have discovered posted there now.
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: vtsteam on December 22, 2014, 08:40:35 AM
Fun to think how the history of programming has come full circle now.

From Wikipedia:

Quote
The Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard, first demonstrated in 1801, that simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles with such complex patterns as brocade, damask and matelasse. The loom was controlled by a "chain of cards", a number of punched cards, laced together into a continuous sequence. Multiple rows of holes were punched on each card, with one complete card corresponding to one row of the design. Several such paper cards, generally white in color, can be seen in the images below. Chains, like the much later paper tape, allowed sequences of any length to be constructed, not limited by the size of a card.

re. 3D printing : oh, well if the component design is available in SketchUp, then it's pretty easy to mill or modify. SketchUCam, a free plugin for SU, will output G-code directly, also.
Title: Re: Just bought Cambam.. very delighted.
Post by: Dawai on December 23, 2014, 03:40:12 PM
https://github.com/g3rard/OpenKnit (https://github.com/g3rard/OpenKnit)
THE download place on github for the printer files, the sketchup stuff.. the other parts.. two machines are there, he is focused on a smaller portable machine right now..

I think the larger one needs some refinement.

I got things to do in the shop.