I would love a way to push straight from OpenSCAD to Kiri:Moto without the STL export/import
Does the STL export drop information? I’m not finding the export to be difficult and it’s nice using the Web based http://openscad.net/. Kinda crazy that I can do all this on a Chromebook.
Only thing so far that I’m going to have to play with is how the various Kiri CAM options interact with my lower left X-Carve origin. At the moment I’m trying it with setting the worktable size to match my stock X,Y, keeping Z origin to top, and will jog my endmill from machine origin to 1/2 the stock size in X and Y to position it in the middle. Seems like it should work, but some of the CAM options push the bit out pretty far past the edges of the stock. This seems to keep it contrained:
Facing: off
Roughing: enabled with 1mm stock left
Finishing: just linear_x and linear_y “on”
Output: pocket-only “on”
Here’s the STL file.
nas_979.stl (24.3 KB)
There is not loss of information. Just an optimization of the workflow.
I tend to use “origin center” which makes this easier. But you can select the part (green) and hit the “P” key to set an absolute part position (x,y). Then you can add the padding for the perimeter cuts.
Yeah, I saw you had mentioned the “P” above. Hadn’t thought about using it with padding though. It’ll be a case of just figuring out the workflow that works best. No big deal. 
This looks to be an amazing tool. I’m running into an issue while I’m checking it out: I can’t select any objects. I double-checked the help page so make sure I’m doing the expected behavior. The viewport can be moved with the mouse. Just no selection.
I can’t stress enough how impressive this effort is!
I’d almost forgotten about this! Last time I tried, it wouldn’t work with my older version of Firefox. An OS upgrade recently gives me the latest Firefox and Kiri:Moto now works.
Good to see it supports Linuxcnc, I’ll give it a try. Hopefully support for metric as well?
Just when I was about to drop the money on Meshcam. Beautiful! I’ve been playing with this all night.
Now bearing in mind i have very little 3d experience, I have a few questions.
The first of which is to do with defining stock. That doesn’t seem possible in this application? I’m primarily using this for multi-laminate guitar necks, so this one is fairly crucial for me. I figured z top offset would allow me to adjust for this on the z axis, aka the neck is to be 21mm, the stock is 22, so a z offset of 1 means there is a mm of stock to remove from the surface? The toolpath doesn’t seem to reflect this so i’m unsure.
The second is to do with the origin, it seems regardless of what i tick or don’t, the toolpaths shows the job always begins in the centre of my workspace, then moves to the object. Is there any easy way when moving the object I can define 0,0 as my x and y co-ordinates instead of going by eye?
Third, and this one seems unlikely, but meshcam has an option to not mill an area. I would like to model the neck up until the headstock, and carve the rest by hand, so in meshcam i could select the area i didn’t want it to mill and it would just leave it be. Is there a way such a feature could be mimicked in moto?
As i said, my only CAM/3d experience until this point has been a 2 week trial of meshcam, but any and all insight would be much appreciated!
@RonP that’s odd. a single-click on the object should select it and turn it green. you can also try ctrl-a or command-a to select all.
@GeoffSteer it’s all metric by default. the only place english is supported is as an option for CNC tool dimensions.
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@BrendanCoutts At present, there is no stock definition. If you don’t want origin center, then uncheck “origin center” under “output” and the lower left of the device are will become origin. then you can select the part and hit the “P” key to set an absolute position (0,0) or offset to provide some padding around it for milling.
The ability to more precisely define stock, exclude or define milling areas area all in the works. Thanks for your patience.
You are correct, of course. Apparently I was dealing with a color-blind issue.
I been given an STL file to carve so thought I’d generate the g-code with kiri:moto. It loads and slices OK but I can’t export the g-code. No error messages.
In case the file was too complex , I created a simple block with a couple of holes in it and got the same result, or the same lack of result.
Running kiri:moto in Firefox 47 under Linux (Ubuntu 16.04)
testkiri.stl (47.4 KB)
That’s an incredibly simple STL and slices fine for me. I’m guessing there’s something else going on with your setup. Can you open the Javascript console and try again? You should get any generated errors there.
When you say you can’t export, what, exactly happens?
Nothing happens. I can slice it, I can preview it but if I select Export, nothing happens at all.
If I load a new item and slect Export, then slicing is done sbut no dialog to save the g-code.
that’s incredibly odd. and you’ve selected a device? nothing in the javascript console at all? when you slice, do you see the slice layers (black lines?)
All the tool path lines appear.
In the java console. I get -
TypeError: m.tools[t.tool] is undefined
or
not well-formed
when I select Export.
I have added some metric tools and deleted the default imperial ones.
There was no tool #1, mine started at 2, so I created new tool at position #1, I selected it as the roughing tool and reran the Export and it worked.
Another try with one of my defined tools and it doesn’t work.
Only get an export dialog with the tool I created at position 1.
ok, thanks for the report. i’ll try to recreate by editing my tools similarly. did you click the ‘save’ button after your final changes?
I’ve replicated the problem and will fix in the next release. thanks again.
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A few tests today shows that as long as I have a tool #1defined , kiri:moto works perfectly.
I haven’t tried to actually cut using the generated g-code but it looks good in Camotics.
If I get my 3d printer sorted out today, I’ll see how it goes in FDM mode.