Reverse engineering, anyone ? GH lacking proper tools

[akilli (Ethan Gross)]

So this still works for Rhino7? It only makes reference to 4 thru 6.

[magicteddy]

@maje90

I’m not him, but this is just a matter of copy-pasting the names on the component…

Thanks for crafting this, I was in a but of a rush yesterday.

@osuire Flexibility.GH plugin has pretty much all standard components upgraded with all parameters available from RhinoCommon. It has a full Patch component. It also comes with a ribbon full of awful icons. Make your choice .

Flexibility

[osuire]

@magicteddy

@osuire Flexibility.GH plugin has pretty much all standard components upgraded with all parameters available from RhinoCommon. It has a full Patch component. It also comes with a ribbon full of awful icons. Make your choice .

I choose the ugly icons, and not trying to fight with C#.
Thanks for this link !

[osuire]

@lander

That’s very interesting. I wonder if it can be used to place 4 points on a mesh and create a network surface that fits closely to the mesh. Hence, reverse engineering the mesh into nurbs

I suppose so, but with certain shapes, the geodesic curve can get funky / unpredictable.
Since I had already manually created my NURBS patches, I just created a definition that would project the isoparms on the mesh, and create Network surfaces from them.
Worked like a charm !

2222_PROG_Reverse-engineering.gh (18.0 KB)

Sorry, I can’t share the geometry itself as it is from a sculptor.

[martinsiegrist]

Can’t you create toolpaths from smoothened meshes?

[osuire]

@martinsiegrist

Can’t you create toolpaths from smoothened meshes?

My sculptor likes his subtle sharp lines.
You know, the kind of car bodywork creases that vanish on a surface.
Moreover, I’ve heard that FUSION 360 doesn’t like meshes so much and will cause trouble with certain toolpath strategies, but to be honest, I never tried.

[lander (CAD CAM CNC)]

@osuire

I just created a definition that would project the isoparms on the mesh, and create Network surfaces from them.
Worked like a charm !

That’s awesome! I’m kind of in disbelief that I’m seeing what I think I’m seeing

It almost looks as if you got Grasshopper to convert mesh to nurbs with really nice isocurve flow

@osuire

Sorry, I can’t share the geometry itself as it is from a sculptor.

That’s understandable, while I would really like to see this develop into the horizon of possibilities per say.

That video is amazing

I really need a solution like this.

Another really helpful aspect that needs to be solved imo is the ability to ‘align meshes’ from 3D scans.

[lander (CAD CAM CNC)]

@martinsiegrist

Can’t you create toolpaths

omg that would be so awesome too!

[lander (CAD CAM CNC)]

@osuire

FUSION 360 doesn’t like meshes

fusion 360 is cloud based, and that is a violation of security imo – based on principle.

so,

@martinsiegrist

Can’t you create toolpaths

using Grasshopper?

[martinsiegrist]

Many things are possible. I don’t own a CNC machine or robot but I’ve done some toolpath simulation and exported curves and lines for machining mostly wheel-wells on downhill skateboards.

5 axis milling automation

interesting, below is a 3-axis simulation I’ve done in Grasshopper

Converting a STEP file to G-code for CNC milling 3D surfaces

G-code depends so much on machine and tools used so unless you have your own machine, you need a really good reason to dive into this. I did some tool path simulation to evaluate different cutters for 3 axis milled longboard wheel wells but it was only a simulation. [14_12_31_jet_jc-1_03] [14_12_31_jet_jc-1_01] [14_12_31_jet_jc-1_02]

[lander (CAD CAM CNC)]

I currently operate a HAAS 750SS as my #1 priority. I’ve been dreaming about antiquating the CAM industry – to say the least.

I’m tired of MasterCAM resellers and CNC Software’s lack of development over the last 13+yrs. Not to mention the fact they were bought out by Sandvik etc.

I’ve been wondering if Grasshopper could be used to make toolpaths.

[martinsiegrist]

All the above was done in Grasshopper. Just don’t ask me how to generate g-code…

[osuire]

I find that there are cases where a custom-made toolpath made in GH are just fantastic, specially if you want to simulate the kinematics of the robot on the fly based on a parametric shape or pattern you want to mill : How to mill on a complex shape ? - YouTube
In this particular case, I was able to create a geometric law that changed the tool inclination to prevent the spindle from hitting the table (always a plus).
But honestly, for most “run-of-the-mill” (ha ha) paths, it would be extremely cumbersome to create them through a GH definition.

[sgreenawalt (Sky G)]

You can also do a lot of cool toolpath stuff by leveraging FlowAlongSrf as shown here:

KevCAM Part 3 – Polysurfaces, Rings, Script Shortcuts

[osuire]

@martinsiegrist

I’ve done some toolpath simulation

Really curious how you simulate the material being removed… I think most CAM use voxels.
If you are using sequential booleans, I suspect it is super-slow ?

[martinsiegrist]

Yes, sequential booleans and it is slow. I don’t need this so often so I don’t worry too much about the speed.

Check this topic:

Sweep 1 self intersection artifact - Grasshopper - McNeel Forum

There are a few examples, one of them uses Shrinkwrap…

[osuire]

@martinsiegrist

There are a few examples, one of them uses Shrinkwrap…

I’m amazed by the rendering of the wood veins…

[lander (CAD CAM CNC)]

@martinsiegrist

Just don’t ask me how to generate g-code…

I could probably help with that part. I know full well what the g-code aspect can be like.

Honestly, I’m willing to build entire CNC machines and all the logic to antiquate the g-code part completely as well.

But that’s of course another huge tangent. And when I do that part, I will probably follow some industry standards as to not completely blow everyone’s minds whom are already familiar with current ‘norms’.

Although, many industry standards are very deficient and so, most likely I would antiquate those problems eventually.

[lander (CAD CAM CNC)]

@osuire

I find that there are cases where a custom-made toolpath made in GH are just fantastic, specially if you want to simulate the kinematics of the robot on the fly based on a parametric shape or pattern you want to mill

I like the way you put this

A robot solution for CNC is also very important imo.

@osuire

I was able to create a geometric law that changed the tool inclination to prevent the spindle from hitting the table (always a plus).

That’s awesome …I like how that whole table rotates!

@osuire

honestly, for most “run-of-the-mill” (ha ha) paths, it would be extremely cumbersome to create them through a GH definition

I just think of them as ‘cartesian’ robots and the others as ‘articulation’ robots.

[lander (CAD CAM CNC)]

@osuire

Really curious how you simulate the material being removed… I think most CAM use voxels.
If you are using sequential booleans, I suspect it is super-slow ?

I’m also really curious about this! In my experience, I have to maintain large numbers of .stl files for different states of my CNC stock model management, and would rather use NURBS or something other than meshes.

I know that some simulation options do use voxels, but I’d also like to see more options for the user to either have better access to the voxels or some other format.

I guess I’m not a big fan of .stl meshes… mostly cause they can become very resource consuming without better modeling tools.