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 (mailto: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 (mailto: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

[imserv@imsrv.com]

Larry, There is an optional module for Vector-cam that allows you to control and communicate from an external stand alone program. With this program you can create commands to robotically or remotely run the Vector system.

In a very simple example, you could sell rectangular sheets. Your customer would specify the width and length of the sheet, and enter it into your on-line database with his order.

You run a control program that reads the database and then causes Vector to create a toolpath that will draw on-screen and can be used to cut out the desired shape on the shopbot plasma machine. It also directs Vector to generate the .sbp file, export the cutting file to the correct directory, and starts and runs the Shopbot controller program to cut the part.

This option is called a DDE server and can be programmed with VBA, VB, VC, Powerbasic, Delphi, and just about any recent windows programming language.

Here is an example of some products that are manufactured with Shopbots in this manner:

http://www.signaturearch.com

Best Regards,

Fred Smith
IMService

[ron_cleaver]

Fred,

I looked for some additional information about the DDE server in the Vector 9 documentation, and on your web site. I didn't find anything.

Is there any reason to think it's not compatible with VB.NET.

Also, perhaps you could explain the advantages of using the DDE server versus writing .sbp files directly.

[imserv@imsrv.com]

If Microsoft maintains compatability back to the older DDE protocols, it should be OK. I don't have much control over what they do.... ;-) Excel, Word, Access were well integrated in Office 2000 through VBA. If the DDE server calls are still supported in VB.net, it should be OK.

The DDE server in Vector is a set of parametric functions (subroutine calls if you will) that can replace most of the functions within the Vector menus, or it can operate them interactively. That is to say there are actually 2 ways to do most things. You can draw a circle directly to the screen, or execute the Draw-Circle-Coordinate menu item, and pause, waiting for the user to click enter, allowing him to change parameters on the dialogue. Clicking enter draws the circle and returns control to the DDE server.

The advantage of using the DDE server is that it runs under Windows, and has a visual feedback on the Vector drawing screen. You can draw the part as well as the cutting paths, add text for annotation or customer order documentation,etc, save the drawing as well as the .SBP file for historical or backup purposes. You also gain access to all the CAM functions inside Vector. Offset curves, splines, Connect at Z, Pockets. An example that might be fairly easy to create is a standard nameplate layout. Enter the name in an external program and generate a cutting file that does that specific task in about 10 seconds. You could also automate it to input a list of names and layout an entire sheet with a different name in each tag.

DDE programs can be written in languages that have trained programmers available to create and maintain the code. It should be less expensive to develop and maintain commercial applications.

There has also been some success with using external macro and shell control programs to directly operate the Vector menu system externally. This is accomplished by writing keystrokes to the keyboard buffer with commands like "SendKeys". Vector has been successfully interfaced to voice command systems and to devices like the MicroScribe digitizing arms.

Combining this with the PLC-Point-Line-Circle, external geometry format is quite powerful too. Our Vfontz and Vcarvz programs utilize the PLC to import pre-calculated toolpaths into Vector which then creates the CNC programs.

[ron_cleaver]

If I wanted to get the Vector DDE server, is it possible to study the documentation first? Or is there an evaluation version?

How much does it cost?

[imserv@imsrv.com]

Contact me off list & I will send some information.

email address for inquiry is imserv@imsrv.com (mailto:imserv@imsrv.com)