Another Beta...Finally got that Guilloche software going

[Burkhardt]

I had posted my original experiments with the guilloche generator in another thread but the software has morphed into something more complex over time. So, if somebody wants to play with the current Beta version, it is HERE. Operates so far only in Demo mode until I have the license distribution method set up.

To give an idea about what it can do right now, see sample screen pics below. For any possible pattern, it can high resolution bitmap output for use in Vcarve (e.g. flat-bottom vcarve or inlays) or generate g-code directly to execute with a v-bit (direct vcarve only without flat bottom). I thought about dxf output but that would lose all depth information and does not look promising. For now it can do circular, spiral, linear and radial guilloche work. At some point I would like to do rotational indexer output but need to find a way to specify non-cylindrical shapes. Most columns or pens have conical or barrel type shapes, after all.

[Burkhardt]

Few more pics:

[scottp55]

Haven't even read the instructions/ NOT my favorite which got saved who knows where/only used the "save Bitmap" option/ and rushed through it after a 16 hour day......................BUT THIS IS NEAT!!!!!
Thanks Gert!!!

[tri4sale]

Very cool.

One thing I noticed that feels like a bug but may just be a design feature.

Running program, I use keyboard to move thru fields by hitting TAB. If I make any change to a value, the next time I hit tab, instead of going to next field, it jumps down to "Save Settings" I then either have to hit TAB a ton of times to get back to the next field or use the mouse to move to next field. I'm old school with keyboard use and can move thru a screen like that a lot faster with tab vs having to use the mouse to move to next field.

[Brady Watson]

Noble effort so far. If you had high quality vector output, as stand alone GUI or Vectric gadget, I'd probably buy it.

Bitmap output only is a deal breaker for me. No BMP to vector trace tool will match the quality of direct vector output.

-B

[JimmyD]

I am so pleased that you did this. I just downloaded and will be trying it out early next week as I'm just about to leave town. It looks great, I can't wait for the rotary indexer version.

Jim

[Burkhardt]

Very cool. One thing I noticed that feels like a bug but may just be a design feature. Running program, I use keyboard to move thru fields by hitting TAB. If I make any change to a value, the next time I hit tab, instead of going to next field, it jumps down to "Save Settings" I then either have to hit TAB a ton of times to get back to the next field or use the mouse to move to next field. I'm old school with keyboard use and can move thru a screen like that a lot faster with tab vs having to use the mouse to move to next field.

Ha...well, it is not a bug but not a desired behavior either. Normally you can Tab through the boxes and buttons reasonably sequentially. But the program checks for all edits of the boxes that change the graphics every 2 seconds and when such a change happens it writes back all values to the boxes for proper formatting. That resets the tab sequence. Got to think if I can improve that without losing convenient input.

Noble effort so far. If you had high quality vector output, as stand alone GUI or Vectric gadget, I'd probably buy it. Bitmap output only is a deal breaker for me. No BMP to vector trace tool will match the quality of direct vector output. -B

Brady, thanks for the input. That is a thing that has baffled me so far. It would be easy to generate a .dxf center trace vector and for constant width carving that would do the job. But some of the more interesting pattern use variable line width/carve depth and that creates very complex outlines when the traces overlap. Honestly, making vectors for the overlapping outlines exceeds my programming abilities. For now I worked around it with the bitmap output and I found when using resolutions of 2000+ pixels the tracing algorithm of VcarvePro gives results that look really good to me (small and mid-size applications). I have not tried very large carvings, which may need toolpath smoothing in VcarvePro.

I am so pleased that you did this. I just downloaded and will be trying it out early next week as I'm just about to leave town. It looks great, I can't wait for the rotary indexer version. Jim

While I want to do the indexer version I don't know where to start. Maybe a text file with a few diameter coordinates (along the axis and radius) ? The I could apply a B-Spline through the defined points. However, I guess I would need to generate a surfacing tool path first with a ballnose bit. Otherwise the likelihood to get the required accuracy for the pattern is small. Getting complicated but I will think about it.

[Joe Porter]

Well anyway....It looks good to me and I will buy it when it comes out...joe

[genek]

Mr. Burkhardt: These would make great designs for Trivets... You may want to tell your customers that they would make a beautiful trivet... Fast easy money.

[Burkhardt]

Mr. Burkhardt: These would make great designs for Trivets... You may want to tell your customers that they would make a beautiful trivet... Fast easy money.

Thanks, interesting application idea. While I am not in the production business, I will try that for demonstration (and because it is useful...).