Some lines not read by APS ETHOS (laser cutting program)

[MrIronDream]

Greetings

I've been preparing a model to be laser cut through our university using a program we believe was by Aps Ethos to prepare for laser cutting.

Trouble is, some of the lines aren't being read by the Ethos software. The majority of the missing lines appear to be a brick hatching, though I think there may have been some solid lines not showing up too.

(I can't confirm this because I don't have access to the software - the uni's 'techies' do that and I'm currently away)

We tried making sure all the lines were on the same layer because apparently this can change things, but that made no difference. As far as I could tell all of the missing instances were marked to be engraved, not cut - although note that some other features that were to be engraved showed up fine. 

Can anybody suggest what was going wrong?

I have attached an image showing the template we were experiencing problems with for reference

Thanks,

MID

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Can anybody suggest what was going wrong?

I would read the documentation of the interface to the "other software" ... what drawing format are you allowed to write (I guess it is DXF, but what release of DXF) and also what objects are allowed (lines, 2d-polylines, 3d-polylines, lw-polylines, curved/splined polylines, arcs, circles, what about z-values) .... and then compare the list of allowed objects with that you have in your drawing.

Good luck, - alfred -

[MrIronDream]

Hi Alfred

Thanks for the response

Unfortunately I cannot find a way to access any kind of documentation for
the third party software. As I mentioned before we were running this
through my university, and you can't appear to download the software or
even log in to the website without a product key.

The product is sold in physical form through many vendors, doubtless with a
manual enclosed. On their website I'm not so sure...

It's possible you can download one, but only once accessing their
'downloads' section, which you require the product key to access.



I don't know much about how laser cutting programs read autoCAD lines, but
perhaps someone else can suggest if hatching posses a property which would
cause them to be read as 'invisible' or simple not recognised.


Thanks again,
MID

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> I cannot find a way to access any kind of documentation [...]

>> we were running this through my university

If your university has a license of that software they should have the manual.

An alternative option might be to start with test drawings, create a drawing with 4 lines building a rectangle, one drawing with 2d-polyines building a rectangle, one drawing using a lw-polyline as rectangle and see which of the drawings can be imported correctly.

At least: I guess for laser cutting you just need edges, a hatch is more an areal filling then an edge like object so I doubt that hatches will work.

Good luck, - alfred -

[justshutup]

---

@MrIronDream wrote:

Greetings

I've been preparing a model to be laser cut through our university using a program we believe was by Aps Ethos to prepare for laser cutting.

Trouble is, some of the lines aren't being read by the Ethos software. The majority of the missing lines appear to be a brick hatching, though I think there may have been some solid lines not showing up too.

(I can't confirm this because I don't have access to the software - the uni's 'techies' do that and I'm currently away)

We tried making sure all the lines were on the same layer because apparently this can change things, but that made no difference. As far as I could tell all of the missing instances were marked to be engraved, not cut - although note that some other features that were to be engraved showed up fine. 

Can anybody suggest what was going wrong?

I have attached an image showing the template we were experiencing problems with for reference

Thanks,

MID

---

A quick google search turns up APS Ethos as an embroidery software.

Which brand, specifically, is the laser?

[MrIronDream]

Oh,  and i forgot to mention that we have successfully engraved hatching from AutoCAD using the same software on a previous project


Sent from my Galaxy Fame on Three

[Patchy]

Explode the hatch and see.