Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

Hello all.
last days I order the KP3 probe and the upgrade digitizing software.

I have two questions to the system.
Is it possible to digitize with the 4th axle?
And can I program rough cut without an additional CAD/CAM Software?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Best regards
Mathias

Reverse Engineering with Centroid Touch Probe Digitizing

Two main Methods.

1.) Digitize and Cut. No CAD/CAM system needed.

2.) Digitize and export as cloud point file and import into CAD system, then create 3D model based on digitized data, export G code and cut.

each method has advantages depending on the scope of the project.

1.) Digitize and Cut. No CAD/CAM system needed.
With this method the ACTUAL Tool path is being directly created using Digitizing and the operator has to think in such terms and use good Digitizing strategies and practices.

Pros
- No CAD/CAM system needed
Cons
- Can not edit the shape of the digitized data
- Roughing passes are not automatically created (there are tricks to this depending on the application)
- The Digitizing Stylus has to be the same size as the cutter. Or the cutter has to be the same size as the digitizing stylus.
- Long Digitizing Times


2.) Digitize and export as cloud point file (DIG to CAD button) and import cloud data into a CAD system, then create 3D model based on that digitized data.

With this method Digitizing is used to record 3D data (typically minimum viable data set to define the shape) and then Tool Path is created with a CAM system.

Pros
- Unlimited control of model shape via CAD system (make improvements on the original)
- Unlimited Tool Pathing via CAD/CAM system. (rough cuts, finish, different cutters etc)
- Shorter Digitizing Time compared to Method 1

Cons
- learning curve and expense of a CAD/CAM system

Most users that regularly have Reverse Engineering projects invest in time and software and go with Method #2.

That being said i know of a customer that makes some pretty nice injection molds out of steel with .DIG files that he created using a hand shaped piece of maple (he is making fishing lures) and he uses the direct Digitize and Cut method. This method works for him and his application as he digitizes the part with two different Styli Diameters to create a Rough and Finish pass by digitizing with these two different size styli (.25 for rough and .125 for finish) and then uses tools that match.

The Mill operator manual covers the basic operation of the built in Digitizing cycles.

Another question about digitizing, I thought I ask here to keep the topic the same.

Below is a pic of a carbon fiber instrument panel I cut for a customer. It's made from 3mm carbon fiber.
I had to painstakingly measure and redraw the perimeter shape by hand using my own grid system and import that into AutoCAD to make my cut file. I want to learn digitizing and be able to digitize JUST THE PERIMETER of a panel like this one or similar. Again I just want to be able to move the probe around the perimeter and it give me 2D point cloud data, There will just be X and Y coordinates. There will be no need for Z axis data points as it's a 2D panel. I can very easily import that 2D point cloud data into Vcarve Pro and create vectors from the cloud points, that's the easy part.

My question is can the Centroid digitizing bundle probe the perimeter of a panel with this shape? I have read some of the Mill manual about digitizing and see the various types. Would I use "contour" or "wall following" to digitize something like this? This may be a contour cycle but I've done other panels with notches and other irregular shapes that may need wall following for those. Am I thinking correctly here?

I'm ready to buy a probe and try this for myself but want to make sure that what I want to do is possible before I jump into the deep end. I can swim but I'm scared of the unknown.

Does anyone have an actual 2D digitized file (.DIG) that they digitized and can share so I can open it in Vcarve Pro and create some vectors from it?

Everyone thinks digitizing is a no-effort solution to every problem. Digitizing solves one particular problem - that of duplicating 3D objects with shallow relief and fairly rectilinear profiles.

Given a part like this, I would clamp it to the mill table, use CSR to align one of the straight edges, and then set my WCS to the center of the part.

I would then use the hole probe routine to measure the center location and diameter of every hole and write it down. Then I'd probe TWO points using the single point probe routine on each straight section of the perimiter. Finally, using the single point probe routine, id probe 3 points on each curved section of the profile.

At this point you have all the data you need to accurately reproduce the shape in your favorite CAD/CAM system.

Thanks for the info but I don’t think I ever said that digitizing was a no effort solution. I know it takes effort and work on the operators part and I’m completely ok with that as I’ll have a perfectly accurate part when complete.This is my end goal and it’s worth the effort I’ll have to put in. My current method takes a lot of effort but it’s simply not as accurate. I wasn’t looking for the lazy man’s way, if I wanted that I wouldn’t own a CNC machine. I was simply asking if what I want to accomplish can be done with the Centroid software using one of the canned digitizing cycles.

I don’t need ANY of the interior instrument holes digitized, just the perimeter. I draw/add in all the various instrument holes after I have the panel in AutoCAD because those always get changed. I just need the perimeter as accurate as possible. That’s just one example and a very simple shape. They get a little more complex with notches and right angles in the perimeter.

The "Wall Following" digitize pattern will potentially do what you are asking for.

cncsnw wrote: ↑Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:52 pm The "Wall Following" digitize pattern will potentially do what you are asking for.

Great, thanks Marc. I was hoping that was the case. Even if I can combine a canned digitizing cycle with some manual single point cycles I'll be happy. Again, greater accuracy than my current full manual method is what I'm looking for. I'll dive back into the manual to read more and see if there are any videos on the subject as well to get a better handle on how to do this.

FYI
I bought the Centroid KP3 probe and pro software.
Nice probe for the money.
Some info I found out about how the Centroid probe software saves its files.
it saves in a Dig./TXT. file.
I was not able to import that directly into Vcarve pro.
I had to use this software to convert it into a DXF file.

https://www.delicad.com/en/rapiddxf.php

works great for me.
hope this might help somebody.

TRE wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 1:08 pm FYI
I bought the Centroid KP3 probe and pro software.
Nice probe for the money.
Some info I found out about how the Centroid probe software saves its files.
it saves in a Dig./TXT. file.
I was not able to import that directly into Vcarve pro.
I had to use this software to convert it into a DXF file.

https://www.delicad.com/en/rapiddxf.php

works great for me.
hope this might help somebody.

I’ve been trying to get RapidDxf to work and Phil has been very helpful but still no dice. About to give up on the whole digitizing feature, really disappointing.