Zahnrad Kopf
Diamond
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2010
- Location
- Tropic of Milwaukee
Have a onesey part that I need to engrave numbers that change, in intervals along the surface. Essentially, it is a Venier Scale / Degree Ring. I only want to engrave the degree increment at every 5° So, 5, 10, 15, 20, etc... through 360°. The Vernier's hash marks was the easy part. However, the number part is giving me pause. For whatever reason, I'm not seeing an easy way to do this in CAM.
Even modeling all those degree markings would be time consuming. I could create 72 different WCSs but that just sounds stupid and convoluted. And I'd still have to do all the numbers...
This screams macro, to me. But I don't know how to accomplish it. On the one hand, it's incremental numbers like serialization. Just change to increments of 5. Then I confuse myself by considering how to make it aware enough to be single, double, or triple digits where appropriate.
I suppose that the actual degree indexing on the rotary axis is simple enough with calling incremental 5° A-axis moves in between each engraving cycle, but I keep vacillating on exactly how to affect one and then the other. Or to do each in their own subprograms, called by the main?
Ugh.
Anyone ever do something like this?
For reference, here's the Vernier Scale, set up in the machine.
Even modeling all those degree markings would be time consuming. I could create 72 different WCSs but that just sounds stupid and convoluted. And I'd still have to do all the numbers...
This screams macro, to me. But I don't know how to accomplish it. On the one hand, it's incremental numbers like serialization. Just change to increments of 5. Then I confuse myself by considering how to make it aware enough to be single, double, or triple digits where appropriate.
I suppose that the actual degree indexing on the rotary axis is simple enough with calling incremental 5° A-axis moves in between each engraving cycle, but I keep vacillating on exactly how to affect one and then the other. Or to do each in their own subprograms, called by the main?
Ugh.
Anyone ever do something like this?
For reference, here's the Vernier Scale, set up in the machine.