145 lines
5.0 KiB
ReStructuredText
145 lines
5.0 KiB
ReStructuredText
==============
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Using Boxes.py
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==============
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.. toctree::
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:maxdepth: 2
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Boxes.py is made of a library that is not visible to the user and
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multiple generators -- each having its own set of parameters and
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creating a drawing for it own type of object. These generators are
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divided up into different groups to make it easier to find them:
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* Boxes
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* Boxes with flex
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* Trays and Drawer Inserts
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* Shelves
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* Parts and Samples
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* Misc
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* Unstable
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The parameters for each generators also come in groups.
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Units of meassurement
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---------------------
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In general all measurements are in Millimeters (mm). There is no
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option to change the units of measurement and there is no plan to add
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such a option.
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A second way to define lengths is as multiple of the material
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thickness which is one of the standard parameters described
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below. This allows features to retain their proportions even if some
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parts depend on the material thickness.
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The description texts should state the unit of each argument -
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please open a ticket if the units are missing somewhere.
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.. _default-args:
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Default arguments
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-----------------
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In the web interface this is the bottom group right before the
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``Render`` button. These are basically all technical settings that
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have little to do with the object being rendered but more with the
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material used and the way the drawing and the material is processed.
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The settings are
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thickness
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.........
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The thickness of the material used. This value is used at many places
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to define the sizes of features like finger joints, hinges, ... It is
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very important to get the value right - especially if there are
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fingers that need to fit into some holes. Be aware that many materials
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may differ from their nominal value. You should **always measure the
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thickness** for every sheet unless you have a very reliable supply
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that is known to stick very closly to specifications. For (ply) wood
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even a 100th of a milimeter makes a notable difference in how stiff
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the fit is. Harder more brittle materials may be even more picky.
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burn
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....
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The burn correction aka kerf is the distance the laser has to keep
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from the edge of the parts. If the laser would cut right on the edge
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it would cut away the outside perimeter of the part. So the burn value is
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basically the radius of the laser - or half the width of the laser cut.
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The value of the burn parameter depends on your laser cutter, the
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material cut and the thickness of the material. In addition it depends
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on whether you want the parts to be over or under sized. Materials
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that are spongy like wood can be cut oversized (larger burn value) to
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they can be press fitted with some force and may be assembled without
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glue. Brittle materials (like Acrylic) need to be cut undersized to
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leave a gap for glue.
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**Note:** The way the burn param works is a bit counter intuitive. Bigger
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burn values make a tighter fit. Smaller values make a looser fit.
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Small changes in the burn param can make a notable difference. Typical
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steps for adjustment are 0.01 or even 0.005mm to choose between
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different amounts of force needed to press plywood together.
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format
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......
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Boxes.py is able to create multiple formats. For most of them it
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requires ``ps2edit``. Without ``ps2edit`` only ``SVG``
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and ``postscript`` (ps) is supported. Otherwise you can also
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select
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* ai
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* dxf
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* gcode
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* pdf
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* plt
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Other formats supported by ``ps2edit`` can be added easily. Please
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open a ticket on GitHub if you need one.
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tabs
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....
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Tabs are small bridges between the parts and surrounding material that
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keep the part from falling out. In theory their width should be
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affected by the burn parameter. But it is more practical to have both
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independent so you can tune them separately. Most parts and generators
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support this features but there may be some that don't.
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For plywood values of 0.2 to 0.3mm still allow getting the parts out
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by hand (Depending on you laser cutter and the exact material). With
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little more you will need a knife to cut them loose.
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debug
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.....
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Most regular users won't need this option.
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It adds some construction lines that are helpful for
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developing new generators. Only few pieces actually support the
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parameter. The most notable being finger holes that show the border of
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the piece they belong to. This helps checking whether the finger holes
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are placed correctly.
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reference
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.........
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Converting vector graphics is error prone. Many formats have very
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weird ideas how their internal units translates to real world
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dimmensions. If reference is set to non zero Boxes.py renders a rectangle of
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the given length. It can be used to check if the drawing is still at
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the right scale or may give clues on how to scale it back to the right
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proportions.
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Edge Type parameters
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--------------------
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All but the simplest edge types have a number of settings controlling
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how exactly they should look. Generators are encouraged to offer these
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settings to the user. In the web interface they are folded up. In the
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command line interfacce they are grouped together. Users should be
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aware that not all settings are practical to change. For now Boxes.py
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does not allow hiding some settings.
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