Faking ShopBot 3

[WoodMarvels.com]

I pushed out my CNC videos to get acquainted with how things look on video, getting comfortable and experience under my belt and now I'd like to start making something far more professional in a show format. One of the segments I'd like to show is the ShopBot 3 software as the model is being cut but I have only one camera... so I can't video the cutting process and the software at the same time.

Is there a way to run a fake production run in ShopBot 3 so that everything is 100% accurate BUT without having to be connected to an actual shopbot?

Jon

[gerryv]

You can use screencast software to capture and record what is happening on your monitor. I think you can then even add information to the capture after the fact but not entirely sure on that part.

[WoodMarvels.com]

Very true Gerald but I record at 1080p @ 50mb/s and no screen capture can ever do this (1GB/minute). I want everything to be at the same resolution. So have the camera dead-on in a dark room while the camera is recording the "virtual" cutting process.

Jon

[adrianm]

Fraps (www.fraps.com (http://www.fraps.com)) can record at that resolution no problem.

You do need to be running Aero on the desktop for it to work though and have it set to monitor Aero in the settings.

[gerryv]

Interesting comment. I'm in the process of setting up a studio/workshop to record at 1080p/60fps so I'll need to review the specs on the (Mac) screencast software programs I'm looking at. Thanks :-)

Don't want to refocus your thread though so I refer others back to your original Q.

[zeykr]

Run an air cut the second time and tape the screen then?

[myxpykalix]

Hello Jon,
I had worked in movie and television production previously and there should be video editing software that would accomplish what you want to do.

Basically what you want to do is a split screen edit where you synch up the screen of the file running the code to the resulting machine movements.

This is not so necessary to be frame accurate with code running vs video.

Most all my editing experience was done on analog machines and not digital but with digital it would be far easier to edit. I would suggest you look into some of the Ulead video editing programs that would give you the ability to include video effects to do what you want.

However, in my opinion I think it is production efforts that is not necessary. If you think about it, or if you take the average video screen resolution of 720x480 then cut that in half for the side showing the code running along with the size of the numbers and fonts used on the screen would make it mostly unreadable.
If you want to show the code being run in concert with the machine cutting I would suggest simple full screen cut edits back and forth. I highly doubt that anyone other then the extreme shopbot technogeek is going to want to watch a bunch of line code go by.

The only time the code means anything to me is when i am trying to figure out where the code crashed or where i can resume it back again.

What i think would be better production value for you is, depending on how you split your toolpathing up (inside cuts, outside cuts, 3d cuts.) I would prefer to see and hear a commentary by you as we are watching for example, a inside toolpaths cutting video where you might be explaining what size tool you are using and why, how you may need to manually sand down a part to make the gears mesh or other instructional information.

additional thought- in video editing you can do what is called a push/pull from the bottom of the screen and concentrate your camera just on the line of code that is currently being run and show that at the bottom reserving the the top for the full video.
that would take only about one 6th of the screen at the bottom leaving the rest for full viewing.


I applaud your wanting to make this a slick production and where you will want to concentrate your efforts is in the instructional audio overlay that explains to me why the toolpaths are set up the way they are and how it ultimately makes your cutting files work.

You have my email address and if i can help you further with technical info just email me and i'll continue this off forum for you.:D