***CNC Shaft/Butt Turning*** CueCutMill Free Version Available

[MVPCues]

I have posted the free/evaluation version of CueCutMill to my website.

http://mvpcues.com/cuecut.php

The program requires an older version of .NET drivers that most newer computers don't have installed. There is a link to those drivers on that page as well. Thus far, none of the CueBalance users have ever had a problem installing the drivers.

The evaluation version includes all screens and taper construction options, but allows actual GCode generation for straight dowels only. There is a fully fleshed out windows help file included in the installation. Just click on the question marks in the program or go to the Help menu.

The help file contains lots of details and suggestions, so it may be of actual help to give it a quick read through. I hope to release the licensed version for sale in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, any feedback or questions are welcome.

This is the 3 axis version for the CNC router guys. The 2 axis CNC lathe version will be forthcoming soon. I won't make a new thread for that, but I will post an update to this thread when that version is posted to my website. (I hope everyone was OK with this new thread since some may not have been constantly checking the other one.)

When the program is installed, a shortcut will appear on the desktop and a group will be added to the programs list in the start menu. You can choose to install the program to whatever folder you wish. The evaluation version and the licensed version shares the same data (all default settings, compound taper data, and shaft tapers). If anyone uses the free version to design shaft or butt tapers, they won't have to redo that work with the future licensed version. The 3 data files that are created the first time the user saves his settings (File menu) are saved in the same folder the application is installed to.

Thanks for all of the interest in the program.

 

[MVPCues]

If you are going to try out my program, please read through the help file to familiarize yourself with the program's options. Someone was not aware of the Rapid to Safe/Start option in the program. The default setting when the program is first installed is off/unchecked. Instead of turning that option on, someone manually changed a generated NC file by adding F100 commands to the non cutting moves (the to safe/starting positions) to arbitrarily speed those moves up. My program uses G00 commands for rapids, not G01 commands with very high feed rates. The F command is modal, so it does not appear on every G01 movement in GCode generated by my program. Arbitrarily changing a few movements by adding a very high F command is very risky.

I worked hard on the help file. Humor me. :smile:

 

[MVPCues]

There have been quite a few downloads. Only one person has reported trouble with installing the program. If anyone has any issues with installing the program, please don't hesitate to email or send me a PM.

 

[MVPCues]

I have received a few good suggestions to the program. I am not going to do constant updates to the free versions, so I thought I would post changes I will be making to the licensed versions here in case anyone runs into the same things or has the same thoughts.

1. I am going to allow unlimited compound butt tapers to be designed (just like shafts). This will offer an easy way to have a butt taper that includes a wrap channel, and a taper that doesn't.

2. Saving files with different extensions than .NC will be added.

3. I am going to add an open file menu item. This will use the system's default application to open a file. The idea here is some might want to open a GCode file while using CueCut to examine or edit the contents.

4. I will add an option to automatically open all generated files when created by the program. This might be helpful for users who are initially testing CueCut and want to look at the code when a file is created.

 

[MVPCues]

I have posted the two axis lathe free version to my website. The lathe longitudinal axis is Z. The cross slide axis is X. They cannot be changed in that program. The orientation of the headstock/tailstock (which direction = positive movement) can be changed. The orientation of the cross slide (again, which direction = positive momevement) can also be changed.

This version works with the Mid American machine. Read through the help file. Email/message if there are any questions about the lathe version.

 

[Busbee Cue]

I do not know how many guys have the Mid-American CNC setup but if you have this machine Kelly's program will be a very nice piece of software to have.

Kelly has put a lot of time into making a well thought out program that will save a lot of time making different profiles.

I would encourage anyone with the Mid-American machine to give Kelly's program a try. Kelly walked me through the setup of the software and went through the steps to do a straight taper and how to cut in both directions and with his program this took hardly no time at all.

After reading through the help files and getting more familiar with the program it was easy to see that his program will be a huge time saver with endless options.

 

[MVPCues]

Latest change:

When editing an existing shaft taper, changing the name overwrites the original one with a new name. This may not be what the user was trying to do. I will add an option when the taper name was changed to either overwrite the existing one with the new name, or create a new taper with the new name. This will be used a lot if an existing taper needs to be slightly modified to create additional ones rather than each new taper starting from scratch.

 

[dzcues]

Latest change:

When editing an existing shaft taper, changing the name overwrites the original one with a new name. This may not be what the user was trying to do. I will add an option when the taper name was changed to either overwrite the existing one with the new name, or create a new taper with the new name. This will be used a lot if an existing taper needs to be slightly modified to create additional ones rather than each new taper starting from scratch.

LOL, thanks, Kelly.

 

[MVPCues]

LOL, thanks, Kelly.

Uh huh...you should know this addition is taking me hours...so many hours...

 

[MVPCues]

Latest free versions posted that includes the additions listed above in this thread, plus a few other miscellaneous tweaks. Some of the lathe setup labels were changed for clarity. Help files updated as well.

 

[It's George]

Get this program for sale already. Some of us are anxiously awaiting!!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MVPCues]

Get this program for sale already. Some of us are anxiously awaiting!!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know. Me too. I had to work on some cues this weekend and spent some time with tech support. Within a week.

 

[MVPCues]

A user has convinced me that the specific parameters that were used to create a particular GCode file for a particular shape should be stored on the hard drive, along with the GCode, so they can be loaded into CueCut at a later date.

When I originally started developing CueCut, I considered its taper design screens, speed of use, and versatility to be its main strengths. Because of that I sort of made it a one way straight in terms of GCode generation. When considering running a previously generated CueCut program (a few days old...week old...month old...whatever), loading the parameters associated with the GCode file into CueCut to first review them, check the cutter diameter, check the direction of cut, feed rates, devices, etc., is too valuable to not add.

The different functions I'm adding, in the long run, is hopefully worth a delay now. I think this is easier than forcing users to install updates.

 

[MVPCues]

I am posting the licensed version of my program for purchase this Sunday. When I do that, I will make a new thread with full details.

The licensed version will require a USB dongle for it to run. If anyone will be eager to use the licensed version as soon as it is posted, they can send me a message about paying early so I can get the dongle mailed out USPS priority today/tomorrow to minimize the wait after the Sunday download.

 

[prospector]

I will pay early. Please advise price. I assume you prefer PayPal.
Ron Nelson