Tweaky:

  lol, you know, when I wrote Mach3, it was the result of wanting something personally to
engrave photos. The responce was so overwhelming I ended up making very few photos's over
the intervening years as Mach was built up. Ive learned to live vicariously through the
artistry of others.
 
  So it pleases me no end to see your success with it, your photos are definitely better than any
Ive output.

  Keep up the great photo work, nice to see impact is coming along and that Auggie can at
least get you started with experimenting in it..

Art

 

Thanks Art for the kind words. I thought my post would make you smile. 

Back in the day, I started out with Mach2 then moved on to Mach3 – although I have Mach4 set-up and ready to go (using the Warp9 ESS) I am now having my doubts that I will ever use it for any serious work. Currently, Mach3 still rules. Somehow, I need to get more free time so I can get stuck into learning the protocol and application of Auggie scripting then who knows the direction of the future.

Tweakie.

Tweakie:

   I see Mach3 as the hobbyist package ( I use M3 on my workshop router still.), I have M4 setup for testing,
but I dont run it much as its pretty pure on its own, its a pro level no nonsense CNC controller.Doesnt need much
help from someone like myself.
     Auggie is for experimentation and easy access to hardware not typically supported
like a laser, and so will suit the very few of us who like to work at a lower level of access to hardware.
  Its from such things that idea get developed though, and it wouldn't surprise me if someday packages like
Mach4 support PWM as an output.  When it does its because of things like Auggie and persons like you who
play and do such nice work. I see the ESS has added PWM, so with the Pokeys and ESS now having a pwm option
it may just be a matter of time till the more pro end of software supports it, and thus more controllers. Its a circular
loop of chicken and egg.  The ability to control a PWM signal from the position within a data set virtual to the
tool location is something thats handy in a few area's, not just lasers.

{
( My suggestion for the archive..in case the M4 writers read this   )

  I think all CNC controllers should have some sort of command that attaches a datafile to a pwm signal with a
rectangular dimension settings. Like Attach( "Mydata.dat, XSize,YSize, BYTE_COLOR); The PWM would then reflect
at all G1 moves the value within that file (0-100%)  based on type of data,in this case 3 byte color data. 

}

  I always found if you offer it, people will adopt it if its a good idea. As you've mentioned before, the engraving plugin
at first was greeted with a yawn when I wrote it, but over time its been popular with a lot of people judging by the
size of this thread.

Art

Hi Art,

I still get many emails and questions about the original plugin and 8 bit image reproduction (from folks all over the world).
Although the plugin is easy enough to use it is not always that easy to achieve good results. The overall set-up is perhaps a bit too complex.
On the other hand, with Auggie (and of course the 57CNC) it is very easy to get good 8 bit image results first time.
I agree, the M3 enable then ON with feed-rate moves and OFF with rapid moves combined with a system to allow changes in the PWM duty cycle without breaking the CV chain is definitely the way forward. I think this method of control is by far the simplest and as you have said, would equally apply to many different systems, not just laser.

Tweakie.

Very nice photos you engrave there Tweakie!

I have a 15W Chinese laser diode machine (450nm), but can't engrave any photos on wood. The laser mainly curves the wood, but not burns it to different shades of gray. Only have ever tried soft wood (pine), could be that on harder wood it would work better, I don't know.

Dan

Hi Dan,

I don't really know if hard woods perform better or not, certainly a lack of the hard growth rings (often found in pine) is preferable. I think you just have to try different woods and see.

Just thinking out loud...
The original Mach3 plugin was only able to provide a maximum 50% pulse duty cycle so lower powered lasers could struggle to achieve the best results. Auggie has adjustable PWM pulse duty cycle (0% to 100%) so I am confident that good results could be achieved with as small as a 150 mW diode laser (although feed-rate may be painfully slow).

As we have already said Auggie is free software but it requires the 57CNC which incidentally is also an excellent motion controller for use with Mach4.

Tweakie.

Hi Dan,

If it helps...
I know nothing about wood but as a comparison, the image in post #1001 is on plywood which was purchased as Birch Ply and the image in post #1003 in on what Ger21 suspects is Beech.

Tweakie.

Hi Tweakie,

Just tried on some plywood and at least got something that looked like the original photo. But it's still far from the work you do. I am getting the feeling that the more denser the wood and the finer the surface, the better result you'll be getting.

Dan

Hi Dan:

  I find its wood and focus. Being in focus sometimes hurts you, sometimes helps. Try just a bit off focus to try to
create a grey scale effect from power... In focus sometimes can just remove wood cleanly with no burn..

Art

Hi Art,

That's an interesting suggestion. Thanks. I didn't think that way. Will experiment with this.

Dan