V6 Wish: Router tool

Hello all, if this tool exists, please let me know, and I apologize for posting something that is already built in.

BUT, I think it would be really sweet to have a command that basically functions like a router.

I don’t know if this would be possible, but you could make a profile curve, select the edge you want to route, and use it like a fillet or chamfer to make the edge profile match your profile curve.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

–Matt

I’m not sure but look like the Sweep1R, am I wrong?

Plain fillets and chamfers are already builtin commands. For “routering” an arbitrary profile curve, the sweep1 command followed by boolean split should get the job done. Care must be taken to make sure the profile curve extends beyond the edges of the object being routered and the surface which results from the sweep also extends beyond the object at both of surface’s ends.

That’s basically what I was getting at, except it would combine sweet 1 rail and a boolean split. That way you wouldn’t have the extra steps of making oversizing your curve and using two separate commands. It would be one of those things that could speed up a workflow by using one command instead of two. I think it could make for cleaner builds too, especially on complex curves.

Your point is well taken. I suspect that some checking would need to be done to ensure that the arbitrary curve meets the requirements for a fancy chamfer, but then Rhino could take care of the rest of the requirements to make the trim just as it does for an ordinary chamfer or fillet. Perhaps a way could be found to store pre-defined profiles in a library just like real routers are stored in a toolbox.

Now you are talking about a really nice feature MG. I like the idea of pick your reverse ogee and let er rip! I do that sort of thing often but manually and the idea of a nice little router bit box to open and pick your profile (which could be hyperlinked to a web page from a supplier) and chuck it up into the script and pick the edges you want run. Perhaps it could be tuned to even create the 3d shape as when the bit is stopped. That would just involve doing a 90 degree revolve at the point where the travel down the route line is stopped. A negative function could be used to cut matching copes for stile and rail type operations. You got me thinking now! Thanks for the inspiration.

I’m making macros for woodworking. Simulating saws, routers, etc…

Just get router bit profiles, set up a simulation table, fence, etc…Boolean difference things.

What mcneel would do is make a plugin for woodworking. But you can make it in a week.

You know, like a compound miter saw. Rotates 90 degrees, cuts up to 12 inches, has a 1/8 inch kerf, which gets Boolean differenced. Figure out the angles, do layouts, material lists, etc…Figure out router bit heights, fence distance, etc…

Great idea! That’s exactly what I was asking for many moons ago - since then I have frequently come across situations where I needed an uneven fillet or chamfer. A fillet where the curve is not a simple circle with one radius, but an ellipse with the radius at surface no 1 larger than the radius at surface no 2. Same for the chamfer - not a 45/45° angle, but a 60/30° or 75/15° or whatever…
But the elliptic fillet would be my No 1 priority.

Jeffrey

Whats your output for your models? I’m just curious as to which specific industry and type of machinery besides casting, injection molding, and 3d printing that these types of fillets may be possible? Would a 5 axis cnc be capable of machining these types of fillets? What about any 4 or even 3 axis cnc’s? I would assume obviously that higher end 4-5 axis cnc mills for jewlery could achieve this, but wonder about metal’s machinery cnc’s. I do not own any metals machinery as of yet, and do not know a whole lot about commercial large expensive custom mills used by larger machine shops.

What you are describing, I am picturing as a regular filet that does not extend the whole length of the fillet, and would have a smooth curve (which is a fragment of a larger radious circle or ellipsoid) that shows up on the flat fillet. So a rectangle with a curve somewhere in the rectangle curving from top to bottom, and somewhere before the halfway point of the rectangles (face) edge.

I am just trying to picture a little bit what you are describing. and from what I can figure out, it does not seem that faceting equiptment would be able to make such facets. Or if it were possible on a standard faceting lap, I’m just not picturing enough spheres within spheres within spheres with ellipsoids! Starting from an ellipsoid shape, and faceting such on the other hand could produce an ellipsoid face on top and bottom.

ANyways, I could see how it may be possible on a 5 axis cnc for metals. What about 3 or 4 axis, with different bits?

I can’t think why a simple sweep 1 add and join won’t work for most things. Define the plate, add the profile.

I have a 4 axis router and for 2-1/2D work I don’t even bother with solids, I just work with curves.

Coping can be done nicely with wire cut.

Variable fillets and blends are (at least in most of my cases) operations that will be done with parallel machining, whether in 3 or 4 axis mode. Much as I would handle a 3 or 4D sculpture. As such they require a 3D surface for toolpathing. In such a case I might use various radius ball mills, flat mills, profile mills. Whatever gets the part off the machine as quickly as possible.

I guess my observation is that except for customer presentations and continuous Z operations (Z moves while everything else does), I just don’t bother much with 3D models.