Arclight Auto Tracer - Will it work with other brands of cnc tables?

[adbuch]

I am interested in using the Auto Tracer on a non-Arclight machine. I have a PlasmaCAM DHC2, a CNC Router Parts Pro4848 running with Mach3, and an Avid CNC Pro2448 running with the Centroid Acorn controller. I have not been able to find any information online as to exactly how the Arclight Auto Tracer interface works. It obviously traces a pattern and creates the corresponding vector file in dxf format. My question is how it interfaces with the cnc controller to drive the motors to do the actual trace. I will appreciate any of your input.
Thanks,
David Buchhauser

[Arclight Dynamics Tech]

The auto tracer runs off of SheetCAMs Scanything software. I am not sure what systems it is compatible with but you can find out more on the SheetCAM website. https://www.sheetcam.com/Scanything/index

[adbuch]

Just a follow-up. I received excellent advise from Les Newell of Sheetcam and now have my Auto Tracer working perfectly.
David

[sonbakler]

Now thats cool! Went to Arclight website for more info and found this video. Super cool option

[adbuch]

Trick Tools sells the Arclight Dynamics Auto Tracer add-on kit (as shown in the Arclight video above) for $350 plus shipping. An alternative is to purchase the Scanything software for from Les for around $50 and purchase the camera and lamp (as shown in my video above) for around $125. So total cost under $200. Mach3 is required to run the Scanything software.
David

https://www.sheetcam.com/Scanything/index

scanything.jpg

[cutnweld]

How did you get it to work? Mine gummed the computer up so bad it quit working, maybe because I had a long USB cable? Got scared of it tho and never tried again. It would follow a drawn line on a piece of paper then all of a sudden take off into the rhubarb and say line lost. Tried turning the speed down to a crawl, fiddled with light settings, no go for me.

[adbuch]

The first camera I tried (pen camera from Amazon) gave very poor results and I was about ready to give up.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0066 ... UTF8&psc=1

Supereyes digital camera.jpg

Then Les Newell gave me some recommendations for a good camera with additional lighting. Here is my current camera and lamp.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R4 ... UTF8&psc=1

Varifocal Lens USP camera.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZR ... UTF8&psc=1

Ring Lamp.jpg

Les also provided some excellent suggestions for setting up and calibrating the camera/software. You can read his suggestions here.

David

https://forum.sheetcam.com/viewtopic.php?t=8205
https://forum.sheetcam.com/viewtopic.ph ... 5&start=15

Scanything setup questions.jpg

[adbuch]

maybe because I had a long USB cable? Got scared of it tho and never tried again. It would follow a drawn line on a piece of paper then all of a sudden take off into the rhubarb and say line lost. Tried turning the speed down to a crawl, fiddled with light settings, no go for me.

I started off with a shorter USB cable (about 6 ft.) for my initial testing. Once I got everything dialed in, I switched to a longer 16 ft. active USB cable so I could run it thru the cable tracks on my cnc router. I have found that Scanything works better when tracing faster - as opposed to very slow. It is also very important to have a good lighting source. I can trace templates, black lines, metal parts, wrenches, blocks of wood - just about anything you can think of. The accuracy of the resulting dxf files is very good. I can trace a round 6" diameter metal disc (1/8" thick) and achieve accuracy of within a few thousandths of the actual part dimension. This is a great setup. You probably just need to get a better camera with good lighting.
David

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P8 ... UTF8&psc=1

powered USB cable.jpg

[adbuch]

Here is the Scanything auto tracer tracing a wrench and a large plasma cut metal washer. Very good accuracy.
David
https://youtu.be/2O7PQdEWUyY

tracing wrench.jpg

scanything slow scan - about 50 percent.jpg

round disc 1.jpg

round disc 2.jpg

[DavesMachineShop]

Just a follow-up. I received excellent advise from Les Newell of Sheetcam and now have my Auto Tracer working perfectly.
David

Hello Dave, i was just trying reach out to you as i have a STV CNC Plasma table that i would like to get an auto tracer added to and i dont really know where to start or what product to purchase that will get the same results it sounds like you had. i did leave a message for you with my phone number if you could respond here or give me a call id appreciate it.

thanks so much!

[adbuch]

Hi Dave,
I did not receive a PM from you. Here is the Scanything webpage.

https://www.sheetcam.com/Scanything/index

It will work with Mach 3, Eding CNC, or LinuxCNC. I am running mine with Mach3 with an Ethernet adapter and it works fine.
What control software does your table use?
David

[DavesMachineShop]

thanks, it uses my plasma.

[DavesMachineShop]

sorry i left a vm on your phone as i clicked contact and it took me to your webpage with cars so thats how i got your phone number

[adbuch]

sorry i left a vm on your phone as i clicked contact and it took me to your webpage with cars so thats how i got your phone number

OK. Thanks!
David