ProbeIt for UCCNC

[CL_MotoTech]

Everybody is well on my end! Our child goes back to school in a month and we are excited to say the least!

You are correct, I am on 1.10 (I think). I will update this evening. Of course I got the majority of my probing done, or close to done this time around. It took me a bit to get my head around the perimeter probing parameters, and I honestly don't think I really understand it truly still. That said, the DXF output I got seems to work (even with the crash/error). Hopefully I can figure out Fusion well enough to make some models from the data. I checked some of the DXF dimensions against the part in real life, and suffice it to say, the identifiable error appears to be less than I can measure. Amazing stuff!

The loop issues occurred during different attempts. You are correct that occasionally the routine would stop and I'd have to start it again, presumably as a result of my poor setup of the parameters. Once I got it working better, I managed like 70% of the part before it ended the loop. It did so seemingly naturally. That said, I'm just a dumb ape trying to do my best in the real world.

[CL_MotoTech]

After the upgrade things do seem to work better. I like that dial for the perimeter probing start angle. That works very well! I get a lot less messages from the software on perimeter probing, which is nice. For setting up work offsets the plugin is mint. My previous error (mentioned two or three pages back) with Z touch off boiled down to a bad tool length measurement in the tool table. Now it all works spot on.

I am struggling still with perimeter probing closing the loop fairly early often. It even occasionally happens on the first side of the part, this side is effectively parallel to X travel (it has a slight curve in Y). I also can't quite get it to follow the bolt hole bosses. It does some fine, others it either fails to make contact it will touch off, stop, and tell me the probe is active. I am afraid to up the probe distance any more as a couple of times it had touched and pushed the probe a bit further than comfortable. After this happens or the probe lost the part, generally I will set the probe start angle and restart the perimeter routine. Away it goes.

I also got one total crash of UCCNC while probing. Not sure what happened, it was just running the perimeter probe then Windows popped the crash window. It was after the perimeter probe started a second full loop. I.e. it past the real start point and I had it continue probing to see if I could close the gaps on the missing sections.

That said I think I can get enough data off the part to create the model I need, even without a continuous perimeter. I might have to start probing at a few different spots and combine data, but that should get me there. Even if I got a perfect run I suspect I'd still have to clean up the points some. I also know that large tip on my probe is causing some issues with tight corners. If I had a smaller diameter probe I could set the probe distance and back off lower, which on tight inside curves (note the tight inside curve on the exterior perimeter of the part in the photo) would mean it wouldn't touch on back off.

[eabrust]

Hey Chris,

Glad to hear there are some improvements in the ver. 2 for you. I'm still working out some bugs and what not and will have another version with some bug fixes in the near future. I'll also take a look at improving the 'auto stop' after a loop . Right now the biggest problem is it auto sets the 'start' point when ever you hit 'GO', and any pauses re-set the start point. Maybe I'll make it so the user positions for the start, then manually has to push a button that sets the start point, and it then won't clear until the user re-sets it. Thoughts?


I will probably try to make a demo video or two of how to 'copy' something like what you have there for the pump cover. Something like that, I would mix and match alot of the probing routines to put together the DXF data, and it will still require a little work at the computer. When you have alot of profile changes like your part, the smaller the probe tip and the smaller the 'stepover' the better.

As an example, I'd run the perimeter trace routines along the volute in the inside, and some of the outside. But where you say you are having trouble getting around the bolt bosses, I would not run the perimeter around those unless you can reduce the stepover more. What I'd do is pick up every bolt hole with a 'pocket' probe routine to find all the bolt holes/center lines, then the outside 'wrapstock' of the bolts is just offsetting a circle in cad and trimming to blend with the rest of the outside profile.


regards
Eric

[CL_MotoTech]

Thanks, Eric!

Good advice there on the modeling strategy. That makes a lot of sense. In fact, I had already probed the holes, so adding the bosses in CAD is simple as can be. There's no need for them to be an exact replication of the existing cover, so I really don't need to get worked up over it.

I am going to have in invest in a small stylus for this work in the future, but I think I can make do with my current one for now. Or perhaps I'll just get an M3 bolt and turn the head round? I don't particularly need a sphere for this type of perimeter work. Though I suppose it will induce some sort of sine error?

[gurusonwheels]

trying to figure out this surface probing .
looking at manual . got this far

"Define the GridMin/GridMax values for x and y to define the extents that bounds
your part and perimeter."

i have no idea what this means ....

what are you calling a grid ? and where do i get the values to put in the 4 boxes ?

and what is the grid stepover ?

[eabrust]

i have no idea what this means ....

what are you calling a grid ? and where do i get the values to put in the 4 boxes ?

and what is the grid stepover ?

Maybe this sketch will help a little. You can put your part anywhere on the table, set your x/y origin to zero where ever you want, but the xmin/xmax, ymin/ymax are for specifying a box around your part, to restrain the probing to. What you enter depends on how big the part is, and where you put it relative to your origin. You can figure it out by jogging and noting locations from the DROs as you jog around the part.

The 'Grid' refers to the points you are defining where to probe at a certain stepover (this is just a modified 'bed of nails' sort of routine, you're telling it how many points per square inch to take in a rectangular pattern grid). Stepover is a single value for x and y, says take probe points in rows/columns spaced by the 'stepover' value.

You can then take the 'grid' and modify/trim it via a 'perimeter' profile to tell it to probe only inside or outside the perimeter if you wish.

Play with the buttons, enter values, and look at what you get in the viewer, it will start to make sense.

I'll work on making the manual more descriptive, or possibly some how-to videos at some point.


regards
Eric

[eabrust]

ProbeIt for UCCNC has been updated to v. 2.011 and is available for download here: http://www.craftycnc.com/probeit-for-uccnc/

No new 'features', just some bug fixes and corrections.


Updates in V2.011:
4/4/2021
-Bugfixes & stability improvements
-Diameter mode now uses least-squares fit method for 'avg diameter' output
-Fixed issue where dxf layers control didn't work correctly after saving or clearing a dxf file
-Fixed issue where if plugin was 'enabled' but never 'shown', would cause error when UCCNC was being closed
-Added 'continue/cancel' option for proceeding with diameter mode probe operations
-Viewer and Status windows can minimize/restore as a group with main window (option to enable)
-Fixed issue w/ post/pocket shape control becoming non-active when selecting 'diameter mode'
-DXF and CSV record modes will re-enable after 'zero mode' probe


Suggestions & bug reports always welcome.


regards
Eric

[dhanger]

Eric-

I can't figure out how to control distance #2 on a corner probe. I use corner clearance to move the probe past the corner after probe #1, but then it moves some unknown distance past the corner for #2. I tried to do a corner yesterday that has a large radius (about 1") but the probe would only move about 1/2" and then just hits the corner radius. I was able to work around it by just doing 2 individual side probes but would be nice to just do the corner routine.

Thanks,
Dan

[eabrust]

Hi Dan,

The corner routine currently is just setup to just catch the second side, and isn't using the corner clearance distance. I'll look at changing, or adding an option to that routine in the future.

regards,
Eric

[ckoppenaal]

Hello,

I am interested in this plugin. This may be a silly question but is there any info on how make this coincide with a tool touch plate? So basically I want to use the probe to pick up Z and then use the tool touch plate to pick up tools that match the Z probe position? Sorry I am a basic (dumb) uccnc user so I kind of need everything spelled out for me to use it.