But first, a big thank you to @AlexRhodes for last night’s class on the CNC Router! I learned some things. I met some great people. I enjoyed myself. (@AlexRhodes, please get that email out. Even with the flawed tutorial. I’m ready to chip!)
VCarve can be customized using a “Gadget”. They are just Lua scripts placed in a special directory with an eye-catcher in the top line. There is information available here… http://gadgets.vectric.com/developerinfo.html
My suggestion is to include the Vectric Gadget SDK with the VCarve software. The Gadget SDK can be downloaded from the bottom of that webpage. The SDK consists of samples and documentation; VCarve itself is not actually modified.
I tried installing the SDK for my account. The Jump Server did not like that at all.
The Jump server is locked down so that only a few of us in Infrastructure have admin rights on it. No one else should be able to install any software on their own.
As far as modifying VCarve via SDK or anything else, Alex had me lock down the config files so no one else could modify them - because people kept messing with the settings and it would affect everyone. We did the same with FeatureCAM.
Yeah, we had some gadgets (gears, border outline tool, and a few others), but I am not sure the SDK would work well. I remember having put Lua scripts in Program Files\VCarve, but there might be other options that would work from non admins.
I will try installing the SDK sometime soon and see how it works out.
When you get access, this is the project you want to avoid. Create your own simple files per @AlexRhodes specs given in the class , and for now Z-Zero from the top of the material in vcarve.
Also, if you itching to test, I can send you an updated copy of the instructions for the CNC test, just need an email. I don’t thing they have been updated on the CNC site yet. @Kentamanos
Has the “email” been sent out that includes all the info we need for the test? Or is that what your document is?
Also, can someone post the external address for the Remote Desktop Server?
Thanks.
This is the revised version I did for the woodshop, this is what you will use to take your test for machine setup. You still have to create your files in vcarve. a profile, vcarve, and a pocket.
The vectric software tutorials will get you started.
I played around with the SDK a while back. I wish they had picked Python or something else over Lua, but maybe that’s because I’ve never written any WoW addons (which seem to account for 95% of all Lua code in the world ).
Sort of. That makes R&D a bit tricky. I can imagine some poor sole new to VCurve clicking that then having five hours of work flushed down the toilet because the script is half-finished. I’m not a fan of rules but this situation cries out for a few. When I have time I’ll hunt for a private Gadgets directory. Hopefully the folks at Vectric included such a location. In which case we probably won’t need no stinkin rules.
Delivery is a breeze. Just plop the code into the appropriate place and … voilà … everyone is up-to-date.
I’ll have to check my language. I occasionally include nasty cuss in my comments.
Flip a coin for me. I like Python for the most part but having to indent actually makes me angry. I just started on Lua. So far I have not found any aggravating quirks. Give it time.
Thanks.
It does not look like the teeth are involutes. You could try adding that.
I agree. For now I’ll default to our hypothetical “Rule # 2” (after Rule #1 about being excellent to others): Don’t do anything to make us make more rules
Honestly I think “artwork” gadgets are pretty harmless. The only thing I’d worry about are potentially toolpath gadgets, but I haven’t dug too deeply into those.
I protested that for a long time but got over it a while back. There are too many good editors/IDEs out there that make it MOSTLY a non issue, and honestly the 2.x vs 3.x thing is a bigger issue for me as far as library availability. I like the amount of cool libraries for Python in general, and I’m guessing the amount of cool libraries for Lua out there are pretty small (short of interop’ing to other languages or libraries for World of Warcraft only…hehe).
Don’t get me wrong, Lua is not a horrible language. I first encountered it reading articles about one of my all time favorite games, Grim Fandango. It’s just language selection is typically more about the standard framework, libraries, and ecosystems around them more than the language themselves.
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