[Plugin] 2.5D CAM Plugin 20121202

edgars

how instal CNC-profile plugin?

TIG

This is one of the few Plugins not available in the PluginStore.
If you download the ZIP file in the first post in this thread, you have three choices - listed from the easiest to the most difficult...

Use the SketchUcation Toolset submenu from within Sketchup to 'Install Archive' the downloaded ZIP [assumes you have already done the one-off download of the SketchUcation RBZ and manually installed it] - this SketchUcation AutoInstaller works for both RBZ and ZIP archives [after all an RBZ is simply a ZIP file renamed with another suffix!]
Rename the downloaded ZIP file with a .RBZ file-type suffix, this RBZ archive can the be installed using the Preferences > Extensions > Install... button. This sounds easy... BUT, you will need to set your Windows folder options to show all file-type suffixes, otherwise you could rename it XXX.rbz.zip rather than XXX.zip >>> XXX.rbz and it won't install !
Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file into a temporary folder, then manually move the entire contents of that folder into the SketchUp Plugins folder, ensuring that any files within subfolders remain intact, in the same relationship they had within the ZIP itself. This method is fraught with danger... and many fail because they do not manage this task successfully ! Leaving a mess to be cleaned up later... That is why the new RBZ format, and then the SketchUcation ZIP installer were invented...

wilsonbuilt78

Hi
This is a great plugin! I have installed it and its generating gcode. I am now attempting to edit it to write gcode correctly for my SCM router which uses Xilog. I have no programming experience.

My first problem is that the stock size that the script generates is incorrect(stock size is required in header of my particular router):

Line generated: ( Stock Size: 3.93700787401575 x 3.93700787401575 x 0.62992125984252 )
Should read: (100x100x16)

I am working in mm and have set the units in model info to mm.

Is there a simple fix to this problem?

Once I have completed editing the script to output correctly for my router I will make available on this forum for other users of SCM routers.

Best Regards
Stephen

driven

Sketchup.format_length( 3.93700787401575).to_f

returns 100.0 if model units are set to mm...

the script is not doing this, so it needs to be added, by the author or yourself...
do a search for Sketchup.format_length and you should find the easiest way to apply it for all the numbers...
john

kevplank

I'm running an older Mac with Sketchup Version 8. I loaded the files to my "Plugins" folder of sketchup but it doesn't appear in the drop down menu. ??? Is this just not compatible with this version?

Dave R

It is compatible with SU8. Check to make sure you have Full Read & Write permissions established for the Plugins folder. If not, change the permissions then try reinstalling the plugin. Also, before you install the plugin, make sure unzipping it hasn't wrecked the file structure. The best thing would be to rename the .zip file to .rbz and use Install Extension... from Preferences>Extensions>Install Extension.

kevplank

@dave r said:

It is compatible with SU8. Check to make sure you have Full Read & Write permissions established for the Plugins folder. If not, change the permissions then try reinstalling the plugin. Also, before you install the plugin, make sure unzipping it hasn't wrecked the file structure. The best thing would be to rename the .zip file to .rbz and use Install Extension... from Preferences>Extensions>Install Extension.

Thank you for the quick response!
I've tried everything you suggested but I'm running into a snag with the extension install.
I deleted the program out of the plugins folder and started all over again. Changed the .zip to .rbz and unpacked it. That all seemed to work just fine.
When I try to install the extension I get a message saying "SU was unable to install your extension for some unknown reason".
I also made sure I had "read and write" permissions and tried to re-install the pluggin the first way and nothing shows up in the menu bar of SU.
Part of the issue might be that when I go to the preferences>Extensions>Install Extension it doesn't allow me to go into the actual application contents folder. So I'm trying to install the extension from another folder. But I'm not sure that should matter.
I've tried both methods of installing into the contents>pluggin folder as well as doing everything I can think of with the extension install. Any other thoughts?

NEWS FLASH:
I was able to get everything installed perfectly on my iMac at my office. I happen to be running Mavericks on that computer with the latest version of SU and everything worked very well. I'm sure there are finer points to getting things to cut the way I want to, but I've already generated Gcode and ran it on my router with no issues. It's just this older version I seem to be having issues with now.

Screen shot 2014-12-12 at 8.55.05 AM.png

Dave R

@unknownuser said:

Changed the .zip to .rbz and unpacked it.

What does this mean? What did you do to "unpack it"?

Where did you save the .rbz file? It should be in someplace like a Downloads folder or maybe on your desktop.

kevplank

Like you suggested, I changed the .zip file to an .rbz. I'll try downloading to my desktop, but I had just downloaded it to a folder. The computer that I'm running Mavericks on worked just fine that way.
One side note of a question on another topic. I noticed that my tool path is operating basically one "level" of cut at a time. In other words it goes to each hole or machining location at one depth of cut and then goes back over the entire process again at the next depth of cut. I basically just want to cut some bolt patterns on a flat sheet with the current project. Seems like a lot of time is spent with the machine traveling from one hole to another rather than completing each hole before moving to the next. Is this something I'm not selecting properly in the process?

MgRasmussen

I'm just getting my CNC up and running, and I'd like to use this plugin, but I can't seem to get it to load in the new version, Sketchup 2015. I have unloaded it into the correct folder (per Sketchup's own instructions, but it still doesn't want to load).

Did try renaming the files from *.rb to *.rbz, but got an error when I tried to open the extension automatically using the Sketchup plugin installer.

Thoughts?

Dave R

You can't just rename the rb file to rbz and expect it to work. Change the .zip extension to .rbz and try installing that with Install Extension.

TIG

@mgrasmussen said:

I'm just getting my CNC up and running, and I'd like to use this plugin, but I can't seem to get it to load in the new version, Sketchup 2015. I have unloaded it into the correct folder (per Sketchup's own instructions, but it still doesn't want to load).

Did try renaming the files from *.rb to *.rbz, but got an error when I tried to open the extension automatically using the Sketchup plugin installer.

Thoughts?
This toolset comes in a ZIP, if you change the .zip ending into .rbz, then you can install it with the Preferences > Extensions > Install... button.
See this earlier post http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=541812#p541812
However, it is an old Plugin and might not be compatible with v2015...
Assuming it is installed properly try this in the Ruby Console:
load "CNC-profile.rb"
Plus <enter>
It should return 'true' OR errors ?

ely862me

I have no idea what this should mean.

Error: #<ArgumentError: wrong number of arguments (1 for 0)>
C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:86:in deactivate' C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:902:in select_tool'
C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:902:in block in <module:CNC>' SketchUp:1:in call'
C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC_Files/CNC_Profile_Defaults.txt

1

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method outer_loop' for nil:NilClass> C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:535:in block in outside_offset'
C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:468:in each' C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:468:in outside_offset'
C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:218:in mode' C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:79:in activate'
C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:902:in select_tool' C:/Users/Elisei/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/CNC-profile.rb:902:in block in module:CNC'
SketchUp:1:in `call'

Greatly appreciate any help.

TIG

@Elisei

Open the file ../Plugins/CNC-profile.rb in Notepad or Notepad++ and at line #86 change:
def deactivate
to
def deactivate**(view)**

Find line #535 and change:
vert = new_face.outer_loop.vertices
to
**if new_face;**vert = new_face.outer_loop.vertices**;else;vert = face.outer_loop.vertices;end**

Save it and restart SketchUp.
See if that helps...

ely862me

Seems like it is acting better but still no results.
I have attached the model I am working on and also the error in the ruby console.
Thank you !

Girld contour.skp

error.txt

TIG

Find line #701 and change:
vert = new_faces[0].vertices
to
**if new_faces[0];**vert = new_faces[0].vertices**;else;vert = face.outer_loop.vertices;end**
That part has a similar un-trapped call as before.
If there are no new face there are no vertices !

ely862me

Yep, that seems to have made it work. Thanks a lot !
There are some other errors appearing though.
And the written code it is a bit bizarre, instead of just two passes of 15 mm it does like 4.. I hoped by using this plugin to get rid of the other a lot more complicated software to write the code for me(at least for the simple parts). I am about to complete the build of my CNC and last time I tried to do some works with it and because of the lack of the experience and proper software I had to let it go until the next time.
I designed my router in Sketchup and that helped me a lot. Yet, if I would do it again, most likely I would change the design entirely- lots of parts seems now to be not well thought.

error 2.txt

TIG

Find lines #866-#869 in the RB file...
filename = UI.savepanel "Save Gcode File", "c:\\", "default.nc" #header outputfile = File.new( filename, "w" )
If you do not choose a file in the 'savepanel' the output fails badly.
Change the lines to read...
filename = UI.savepanel**(**"Save Gcode File", "c:\\", "default.nc"**)** #header **return nil unless filename;**outputfile = File.new( filename, "w" )
This exits the file writing method if you have canceled the 'savepanel' - i.e. filename==nil...

apochroma

Hi TIG

Seems great work to me. I give it a try this afternoon. Before, i was using SketchUcam.
Your software was not intended to make pockets?

That would be really great, if i could also cut pockets.

At the moment it cuts only inner parts the nearest distant to the geometry.
Do you still work at this plugin? Did you know, there are other guys working on a similar project?

http://www.phlatforum.com

Maybe sharing would be great? Otherwise, could you help me and tell me how i could make a pocket with your Plugin?
Kind regards
Claus

This should be a pocket

TIG

@Claus

This not 'my' plugin.
I simply stepped in to fix some issues it had...

Perhaps someone else can advise you on setting up 'pockets' ?