Windows/VB api?

[davidallen]

any chance of controlling the SB from Visual Basic?

I'd like to hook up a couple of cameras and control the cutter to follow a printed pattern that's been applied to wood. the software for the cameras won't work under DOS and I need faster control than 'file and shell'

da

[bwclark@centurytel.net]

David,

Why don't you either "scan" in the pattern and
cut it out or buy a hi res digital camera and
take a picture of the pattern and convert that to
a vectorized format.

I know some OLD oxy-acet cutter machines that had
an eye that would follow a line, but most of that
stuff is a step DOWN from the ShopBot controller.

Bruce Clark
bwclark@centurytel.net

[davidallen]

Bruce,

I'm now:
scanning,
converting to DXF,
drawing tool offsets,
setting the cut order of the offsets,
generating SBP part files,
modifying those part files to perform certain control operations,
running a sneaker net to move those modified file to the SB computer,
aligning a board square to the system,
then cutting.

what I'd like to do:
print an image,
glue it to a board with spray adhesive,
fix the board randomly on the table,
then cut.

da

[bwclark@centurytel.net]

David,

While it does sound like you are running through
hoops now, I promise that the printing/post up/
make sure there are no wrinkles ect would soon
consume WAY more time than the scan/vectorizing/
sneaker netting that you are doing now.

Look at it this way, printing the stuff out on a
computer will not save you time as you will still
need to scan/vectorize to get something for your
printer.

Now, if you are planning on drawing out all your
parts by hand, then I am almost 90% sure that your
present system will be quicker.

My suggestion (and it is only that) is to look at
ways to save time with your present setup. First
off, consider moving from a "sneaker net" to
something electronic. I have had excellent
results with Intel's Anypoint network cards. It
is a 10Mbit card that uses your existing telephone
line as network cable. The best part, you can
still use the phone (even while sending/receiving
files through the network).

Next, about the scan/vector conversion. I am not
sure what program you are using, how you are
converting your files or even what type of image
you are scanning, but you might look into more
automated software. For example, Adobe Streamline
will scan and vectorize artwork and it even
supports a "batch" conversion to prescanned
artwork files. This might go a long way to
reducing your work load.

For lining up boards, you might install some
raised wood strips one the side of your table so
that the boards can butt up against a known
origin--assuming you are using know size sheets
of material.

If you are doing a lot of cutouts or processing a
lot of sheet material, you might invest in a
vacuum table. This speeds clamping and provides
unobstructed cutting.

Anyways, these are just suggestions. For more
specifics, drop me an email.

Bruce Clark
bwclark@centurytel.net

[Ted Hall, ShopBot]

Hi David,

In terms of operating your ShopBot from VB, you can't really carry out individual stepper motor steps from VB (it's not fast enough), but you can certainly run the ShopBot Software from VB. Many of the functions you describe could be programmed in your own software in VB, and then as a last step the Part File or individual commands could be passed to ShopBot using the command string and fast-open parameters (see Programming Handbook for details). Using this technique, a File or Command can be in action in less than a second. This means that your VB program effectively becomes a front end for your ShopBot (action passes through the ShopBot Software ... but you can just consider this a driver ... even shrinking the Window very small if you prefer).

[The new versions of the software which we will probably post tomorrow are even more Windows enabled with new icons on which you can just drop Part Files for quick cutting or previewing.]

[douglas.hahn@volvo.com]

Ted,

I just installed windows2000 pro on my laptop (just for woking when I travel!) and it no longer has dos will the new software be windows based?

Thanks for a great product

Douglas

[douglas]

Let me correct my previous statement, I was unable to find a DOS prompt as 98 had. I get some error messages but if I ignore them it seems to work ok.

Douglas

[jerry]

Douglas,

When running Windows 2k the "DOS Prompt" is now called a "Command Prompt" and usually located on the Accessories pull out.

When a DOS program is run under WIN 2k, a special process called ntvdm is created. This is a nt virtual dos machine so the DOS program running here thinks it is really running on DOS.

If you try to run you Shopbot controller from this process you will have very poor results because WIN2k is a truly multi-tasking OS not like win95, win98 and winME. Shopbot software really does not expect to be sharing the machine it is running on with other processes. I have run the Shopbot program under WIN2k and it does work, but it is does not have smooth feel that the old "DOS" OS would give.

If you want to talk more about this you can e-mail me .

---- jerry

[metalcad]

Any thoughts available on Visual Basic(Microsoft Access Data Base)as source for using shopbot software to create cutting files?

I am planning on purchasing a ShopBot plasma system within the next two or three months. I have been looking at the tools software and really like the possibilities of what I can do from the ease of programming. Since Shopbot is allowing me to bring up some material and run some sample parts I should be able to know relatively soon the quality of cut.

My immediate question is as follows: I will be entering all of my orders in Microsoft Access data base(Visual Basic)tables. My question is can I have the Shopbot Dos software use these tables when I program the cut files. If this is the case I would like to have some one show me how this can be done. I would plan on using some conditional statements in the ShopBot software to load in certain info based upon info in the table for each work order. If some can give me some guidance it would be a big time saver because it would eliminate a lot of individual part programming. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.


Larry W. Prewitt

[bill.young]

Larry,

My guess is that you can't read a database from within the ShopBot software, but I'll bet you can go the other way and use VB or VBA to write a macro to create ShopBot files from within Access. I wrote a macro a while back for a customer that wanted to create part files from data in an Excel spreadsheet and it worked really well.

Bill Young