Probe file

[carve_1]

I probed a small hand carving and have a sbp. file that the shopbot control software will simulate. But it would not load into aspire. I reprobed the carving to save as a DXF file, but it would not load into aspire either. I contacted Frank at Shopbot support,, he told me to run the SBP file through the converter in Shopbot3,, and then it should load.
I have had no luck at all,,, when I run the SBP file through the converter, the picture on the screen looks like a bar code,,
Can anyone help ?
Thank you on advance, Charles

[rcnewcomb]

I recommend that you send the DXF file to the Vectric support team. (support at vectric dot com)

I could have a look as well. My e-mail is on my profile.

[carve_1]

Thank you Randall,
I tried to send the file to the email address in your profile, but it was returned undeliverable.

[myxpykalix]

If i remember correctly when you probe a 3d object you have to save it as a point cloud then do a conversion on it. I think your probem is that you are saving a 3d probed file in a 2d dxf format.
I don't have the control software program installed on this computer so i can't go look at the steps. The problem i believe is in the format you save your info in not what program you are trying to open it in.

[rcnewcomb]

Darn spam filter...

[carve_1]

Thanks Jack,

You may be right,, When I open the copy machine progam, the first folder asks me if I want to make a 3D copy or a 2d outline of an object. In the second folder I choose to use the Shopbot touch probe or a mechanical wire. The third folder gives me three formats to save the file in,, a Shopbot SBP file, a DXF file of points, or a Polyline DXF file.
I think I probed a Shopbot SBP file and a DXF file of points. I have not tried the Polyline DXF file ( is this the point cloud file ) ?

[myxpykalix]

like i said i haven't done this in a long time but the "dxf file of points" will be your point cloud. That is what you would want to use if you were probing a full 3d object.
The polyline dxf file is probably what you would use if you were just outlining your object. When creating a polyline it is basically just a straight line, or series of straight lines with points at intersections.

[bill.young]

Charles,

It's hard to tell much without seeing your file and knowing more details, but...

* What version of the ShopBot control software are you running? There have been improvements in the newer versions of the Copy Machine to make them more compatible with importing into Vectric products.

* When you say you ran it through the convertor in the ShopBot software, did you use the "Probe to Surface" tool in the Virtual Tools folder? Did it create a surface or give any errors?

* The dxf output options won't help you much unless you are going to import into a CAD program like Rhino. The 3d sbp file is the one that'll be the most useful if you're working with the ShopBot and Vectric software.

* If the probe to surface Virtual Tool created a surface from your file but Aspire won't open it, then I would follow Randall's suggestion and see what the Vectric guys have to say.

Not much help I'm afraid,
Bill

[carve_1]

That sounds logical to me.
I am embarrased that I missed the simplicity of the format titles, but this is my first attempt at the Copy Machine function , and I was excessively cautious to avoid bending my probe.
I am not sure,now, which DXF format I saved it to,, so I will try again.

[carve_1]

Bill, good point,, let me get the info you want.

[carve_1]

Bill,
I am using version 3.5.5

I will down load the latest control version and try again.

[carve_1]

Bill,
I installed the latest control version and explored the copy machine function a bit,,, it is a little differant.

I ran the original SBP file through the "probe to surface tanslator", and it shows a picture of a bar code, not my carving. It did not give any errors.
I originaly probed the carving on my table with the Y axis dominate, does this make a differance? I used the utility in the tool box that flips the x and y values in a file to aid the "Probe to surface translator,, still shows a bar code.
Should I reprobe te carving with the new version of control software?

[carve_1]

Well,,, I installed the latest control version,, did a few value settings when the new software requested it,, and began a new probe file using x as the dominent axis.
My new problem is this,,, the probe scans the x and y axis as it should within the box size I typed in,, but the z axis will contact the carving, climb over it as it should, but does not return to z zero when it clears the carving.
Each time it climbs the carving, the stylis will crest the carving and desend only what looks to be the "Surface Tolerance Value".

[johnnieb47]

Have been working with our shopbot for a couple of months and finally had a project that needed to be digitized. Fabricating a boat part. The end user needs the exact opposite of the part he provided. We have the part for the left side of the boat but need to duplicate the part for the right side of the boat.

Used the digital probe and "copy machine" to create my sbp file and converted the sbp to a dxf for importing into rhino. When I open the file in rhino, i get an object with the 4500 lines of plunge depths, not a copy of the part I scanned. I know I can mirror the part and that solves some of my problem flipping the part from the left to the right but how do I convert what I have from my probe file to an actual cut file? Do I need to reprobe my part with the polyline dxf file?

I have called tech support and they mentioned using the spline function in rhino and then snap to the grid but I can figure out how to do this.

I appreciate any help that can be provided. Thanks for your time.

John B.

[ssflyer]

John,

There are 2 ways to convert the file from the SB3 console - one is the File Conversion utility (FC) and the other is the Probe to Surface Translator (TB) If you use the TB command and save as a DXF Surface, you should be able to simply import it to Aspire and use the Mirror tool.

Ron

[ssflyer]

Oops - Sorry John,

I was just on the Vectric forum for Aspire. What software do you have to generate 3D toolpaths with? If you have PartWorks3D, then simply load the DXF file into it, and select "Mirror X" or Mirror Y" depending on which way you need it mirrored, and generate the toolpath from there!

Hope this helps,
Ron

[johnnieb47]

Thanks for your help, I will give this a try and let you know if it works. Take care, John

[johnnieb47]

hey ron, thanks for your post. unfortunately, we dont have partswork 3D but we do have visual mill. we have successfully flipped the toolpath and saved it in rhino but are trying to get the rhino file back to shopbot for cutting our prototype. we can open the file in visual mill, as well, but not sure on how to get the tool path created and moved back to a file format that shopbot will recognize and or convert. i have the file and would send it to anyone that might be able to help or point us in the right direction. appreciate any and all help, thanks, john