Indexer Help Needed

[jimmya]

Randell,
Thanks for your help. I was getting what you got, but, I can not use the file. I'll come up with another one if I can find or make one.

Jimmy

[myxpykalix]

Have you tried this instructions?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sG7x210qgY
Jim McGrew unwraps his king model. The thing i might wonder about is whether you can unwrap this stl that you posted that is more sylindrical then something like his king.
I don't know how it would work on the square top.
Also there must be some confusion on the thickness settings for your model in order to wrap it around a center so that the object doesn't distort like he shows

Maybe jim could clear up your confusion...

[Brady Watson]

This model seemed to have its origin point in a weird place. The attached one unwraps fine.

-B

[jimmya]

Thanks Brady
I know how to change the origin point on something in Aspire (under Edit/Job, size and position) but can you explain to me where the origin point was in this model and how you changed it? In case i run into this issue again.

Thanks for your help!
Jimmy

[Brady Watson]

Pull it into Rhino, set it on the origin & export it as a binary STL.

-B

[jimmya]

Pull it into Rhino, set it on the origin & export it as a binary STL.

-B

Thank You Brady!!!!

[Brady Watson]

No problem Jimmy. Sometimes you have to run problematic 3D files through another program to clean them up...Many programs reorder things and fix attributes that get jumbled, just by pulling them in and spitting them back out again.

-B

[mservis]

I may not be the brightest apple on the tree, but I am ready to purchase a cnc router and a cnc lathe. but I looked at the indexer and from the very limited information available it is a lathe and is limited to turnings not designs on rounded stock. Please re direct me if I am wrong.

[steve]

Mary,
The indexer is not a CNC lathe, that's a different beast.
I would not have bought my machine if I couldn't have gotten the indexer with it. It does do turnings, and much more. Here are some examples.
Don't think of a shopbot as a tool that does certain things, if your open to it, the machine will challenge you to do things you can't imagine now. That's why I bought mine.

[myxpykalix]

Mary,
I'm sure you know a lathe spins in one direction and with hand tools you are limited basically to beads and coves. An indexer uses a stepper motor just like what moves the shopbot in the X and Y directions and the motors are omnidirectional.

With combinations of different bits you can make many different types of NONsymetrical designs on the indexer. Here are some things i've made.
You may want to tell us what you are interested in making so if someone has already done it we could post pictures to show it can be done.