GCODE generation for XY axes only

Hi wonderful people,

Lately, I've been working on a personal project for some fun and function.



The idea is to create a really small X + Y machine that can repeat a sequence of movements, has a small form factor, and that can run from a battery. It makes tiny drawings.

For this, I have salvaged:
- 2x laptop cd/dvd drives to create both the X and Y axes
- 6600mAh USB powerbank
- Ramps 1.4 + SD-card and LCD screen with rotary encoder

The small drives come with tiny endstops. I will use endstops on one side only and calculate the max dimensions by trial and error. So before 'printing', the carriage will always go to home first.

Now the design and firmware are no problem. I can probably just modify Marlin to run everything and I will set the drivers to their lowest power output so they don't burn the small stepper motors that come with the cd/dvd drives.

What I am looking for is software to generate GCODE from a single line vector file.
Imagine making a drawing without lifting the pen or pencil up from a sheet of paper, first drawing the outline, and then filling it in, then moving to the next 'island' that needs to be drawn, etc etc. For example, having the machine draw characters from a text one by one, only leaving a thin line in between those characters.

If it's hard to do, I can tear apart some Inkscape plugins, but before I start doing that, I thought I might save time by approaching the community to see if something like that already exists.

Love,
Marinus

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

Probably easier to make an HPGL to Gcode translator then print to file using a plotter driver ... Ah, here you go , someone has already done it:

[www.thingiverse.com]

Or this:

[sourceforge.net]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/2017 02:40PM by Zedsquared.

... yes, made several HPGL-converters for different systems - the last is a "familiy" of G-code importers for gieCAPS (derived from Printrun/Pronterface) for different vector formats, including HPGL.

With a "one-button"-macro in Corel it's as simple, as import or draw any possible geometry in Corel, press the button for the Corel-HPGL-exporter-macro -- then press the "import HPGL-macro" in gieCAPS ... and voilá! - it's like magic

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Quote
VDX
it's like magic...

Nice, but is it Open Source?

... the program gieCAPS is, but not the different importer-plugins, which are separate compiled and called/executed EXE's

The export macro from Corel is simply recorded with common settings, so no problem to make it on your own ... and there should be several Open-Source HPGL-converter projects around, so bases for DIY exists ...

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Quote
Zedsquared
Probably easier to make an HPGL to Gcode translator then print to file using a plotter driver ... Ah, here you go , someone has already done it:

[www.thingiverse.com]

Or this:

[sourceforge.net]

Awesome, thanks for this. I should've mentioned I use a Mac. I've also discovered 'Unicorn' for Inkscape, but it doesn't show up in my Inkscape when I open it up.. I will have to put some more time into this.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/