To many lines in this file

[calgrdnr]

I am trying to make my first Lithophane on a 2001 48x96 shopbot software version 3.4.27, I get this error

You have to many lines in this file! ( limit =1000000) is there a way to increase this limit ?


I have tried both PVC and Aspire to get this to work toolpath ranges from 47-54 meg

please advise .. I need to cut this ASAP before Vegas Vectric User meeting.

thanks Kent

[tmerrill]

Kent,

Just gave you a few ideas on the Vectric forum - you can use the Tile Toolpath feature or modify your post processor and add the Tape Splitting command.

Tim

[calgrdnr]

Tim

Tag your it :)

where would I find info on the tape splitting feature ? I searched shopbot and got your reply to my OP :)

[tmerrill]

It is explained in the Post Processor Editing guide on the Vectric forum:

http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6213

Also had a couple of other ideas and posted them on the Vectric site.

Tim

[bleeth]

What size is your Litho and what is your cutting strategy and bit size? That is a lot of lines and will take a very long time to cut.
Download current SB3 software-Maybe it takes more code lines.

[tmerrill]

He can't upgrade to the latest ShopBot software unless the 4G upgrade is installed.

If the Programming Handbook for the OpenSBP Language is correct there is a software limit of 1 million lines.

Tim

[bleeth]

Correct regarding 4G Tim. Thanks for the qualification. Still interested in size of Litho and toolpath settings/bit. I've cut some pretty large full reliefs in the older software without coming near that limit.

[tmerrill]

Interesting, I just created a sbp file with 1080000 lines and the latest version of the ShopBot Previewer accepted it without error. The results of the simulation looked as expected.

I guess it will take ShopBot to tell us what limitations currently exist, if any.

Tim

[Gary Campbell]

Tim...
The million line restriction has been removed in newer versions of the software. It will however, be forever present in the 3.4.xx versions. Yet another reason to upgrade.

[calgrdnr]

Thanks for all the information and help guys.
Looks like I need to upgrade the controller :) I new I was going to be doing this when I bought it. Just haven't figured out which way I want to go .


Dave I use a 30degree vbit that I tell the software it is a 0.03125 ballnose,
I have cut quite a few with this method but was using Mach3 as my controller on my Joes2006 CNC. It would of cut this file in 4 hours or so. 5x7 size

I cropped and manipulated the Photo to enlarge the faces and remove the background details so I could use larger bit 0.0625 increased the size to 9x7 software with old settings scale at 1.4 predicted 02:39:29
It actually took 6 hours will have to adjust the scale to 3+

The control PC is only a 1,2 gig with 256 mb memory . I will swap it out today with 2.4gig and at least 1gig memory. hopefully I can get some speed with that until I upgrade .

Thanks again for all the help

Kent

[bleeth]

No prob Kent. I have done that size Litho with 1/8" ballnose and 5% stepover in 1/4" Corian leaving a pretty thin back (like .015-.02) at high whites and just enough shaved off the top (same as bottom) to be sure I didn't leave flat areas and people rave about the look. You can still see the hair on their head looking like hair, etc. Cuts a lot faster!

I'm always glad to help those who express their appreciation. There have been too many of the other kind lately but that's off topic!

[calgrdnr]

Here is a link to some lithophanes I have done.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17611327@N04/4437305888/in/set-72157621823140977/

Most with the Vbit method I have used up to 1/8 for the 8x10 size

I make all he lithophaness with the one pass ie no roughing pass

[bleeth]

Very Nice Kent.
Hypothetically, regardless of the machine, a part with the same design, feed, speed, and bit should take the same amount of time. The only issue would be if one controller was able to handle the larger amount of code as opposed to another.
It would be interesting to take one of the designs you did previously in Mach, output it for SB with no modifications and verify the results.

Should you go the 4-g upgrade enabling you to upgrade your SB software as well, you will find smoother cutting results.

[calgrdnr]

You are correct

Hypothetically, regardless of the machine, a part with the same design, feed, speed, and bit should take the same amount of time

If all was equal. I am sure the steel Shopbot is bit heavier then the MDF Joes2006 build. I was able to get it to accelerate at a good clip .

I have just changed over the controller PC to a P4 2.8 with 1 gig memory.
This should eliminate that as an issue . I am now going to go thru Brady Watson's.

How to tune your tool for maximum performance. ( Thanks Tim for the link )

I will have to use Marilyn M as my test piece ..Most of the Lithophanes I cut are of the 1 million line limit.

I know I will be upgrading the Shopbot just haven't decided which route to take.

Kent

[calgrdnr]

I used the following information from this link provided By Tim

http://www.shopbotblog.com/index.php/2008/03/a-ramping-the-vr-command-and-how-to-tune-your-tool-for-maximum-performance/

What a world of difference. I have the Shopbot really dancing nice and smooth for my lithophane ..

I don't think the settings would work for other projects. Are all these values saved in same file ?
I would like to make different setups for different cutting parameters i.e.
2d,3d. lithophanes


Thanks again for all the assistance... it feels good to be back in the groove so to speak :)


Kent

[Brady Watson]

The number of lines you can cut is governed by how much RAM you have on the computer. You can add more RAM or use the File Splitter utility in ShopBot Labs (http://www.shopbottools.com/LabFiles/FileSplitter.htm) to break larger files into more manageable bits.

Kent,
If you read towards the bottom of the article, it tells you how to use the US command to save your configurations.

-B

[Gary Campbell]

Kent...
There is also more information on saving machine configurations in my latest column here: http://www.shopbotblog.com/index.php/2011/09/the-5-minute-software-fix/