I am having trouble downloading the control software on my MAC. When I click on the Icon my computer says"OpenbuildsCONTROL" cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified. Is ther a work around for this?? Thanks
Yip there is: - go to Security and Privacy in System Preferences - Allow OpenBuildsCONTROL (it should be waiting there for you with an Open Anyway button, if you installed the DMG)
Is it possible to babystep z axis from OpenBuilds Control while running a job? I'm not sure if its even possible with grbl, but at least on the Marlin firmware running my printer I can adjust the z axis while printing. It woudl be nice to have it to adjust for slight depth changes needed without running the whole code again at lower z height... if I make sense....
This is a respectful UI change request: Can we please get a dedicated "Tool Off" single action button, whatever the current tool is on, instead of a Tool Off menu? For example, the Tool On has a sub-menu, and makes sense, there are many other options within, mostly relative to full on, and different power levels. However, once the tool is on, having a single action button to turn off seems appropiate, rather than within the current submenu. The case use, at least for me, is that I have two separate machines, a small diy laser engraver, and a big CNC Lead. Each has a separate arduino config ($32 enable laser mode) so checking that to display the appropiate UI elements and labels for the Tool on and Tool off seems feasible. In both cases, there are times I need to turn off the current tool. Also, there seems to be enough horizontal space so as to have the coolant option in the top level, maybe as a toggle? cheers! S
I've been running this with vanilla GRBL 1.1 and I've had no problems, but I'm curious as to what changes were made to GRBL that the controller software can install.
So I was using a photo I have of my two daughters and trying to get the settings correct to laser the image on wood. I was using lightburn at first but also wanted to upload the image to Vcarve and try it in the their new laser module. I saved my work using the JTech post processor used with GRBL and loaded that into the Openbuilds control. When I was running the burn I noticed that the laser was much more intermittent almost like it was buffering as compared to lightburn which was very smooth running. The difference was a 30 min burn using lightburn and what would have been close to 2 hours using the Vcarve/Openbuilds control. Is what Jay Johnson says below true? Should I be using another control to send pictures to the laser like Picsender or Vtransfer when using Vcarve? I really don't want to learn another program to use. I really like the Openbuilds control.
Depends on - spec of the computer (faster = better) - you can disable overhead inducing features from the Troubleshooting Tab > Application Diagnostics to free up some resources - gcode specifics (optimised properly) - Grbl settings CONTROL uses the Character Counting Buffer recommended by Grbl, which keeps the Grbl Buffer full. So it should not underrun the buffer unless the PC itself cannot keep up
Hi, Im trying to write a javascript macro, Im not sure if what i want to do is possible or not. I want to do height mapping of my stock. The method I would like to use is by supplying a list of points to probe in a file, and then writing out the probed points to a new file. is this possible to do with a javascript macro? I cant work out how to open a file, and Ive got little experience with javascript and electron. Searching online they say to use - var fs = require('fs'); But that doesnt seem to work.. Is it possible?
Macros are meant for tiny little implementations of code like loops, probes, simpler stuff For what you want to do you can fork the code on github.com/OpenBuilds/OpenBuilds-CONTROL and work it into your fork Also note an existing community fork that does something like that: To be tested at some point, sounds like an awesome feature by petervanderwalt · Pull Request #110 · OpenBuilds/OpenBuilds-CONTROL
My confusion comes from why Lightburn is running smooth and with no issues but same file is causing the Openbuilds Control to bog down and run slow? Both programs are being ran from the same PC.
If I am not mistaken, Lightburn doesn't have DROs, 3D viewer etc (which you can disable in Troubleshooting > Application Diagnostics on CONTROL to get a apples-for-apples)
Would you like me to save the Gcode from Lightburn and from Vcarve/Openbuilds control and post those? How do you upload a Gcode file? I keep getting an error that the file doesn't have a accepted file extension. Should I save it in notepad?
So I have uploaded the two Gcode files. I decided to run a test between Lightburn and Vcarve/Openbuilds Control. In the test I ran the same photo through both Lightburn and the Openbuilds Control at 70ipm/45% power. Lightburn ran very smooth and finished the file in 12:38. I then applied the same perameters with Vcarve and used the JTECH PP to save the Gcode and then opened it in the Openbuilds control where it was so intermittent that I quit the burn after a few minutes. It would have taken a long time to complete. I then decided to open the Gcode saved from Vcarve in Lightburn and see if it would have the same intermittent characteristics it had with the Openbuild Control but was very smooth just like as if it was created in Lightburn. The file took 13:18 to complete. I then took the Gcode I created in Lightburn and opened it in the Openbuilds Control to see if it would run smooth but it ran very intermittent again. Is there to much for the Openbuilds Control to process when it comes to engraving photos or images? From this test it seems that if I create a project in Vcarve that includes a image or photo I should load it into lightburn and use that as the sender. I have uploaded a video of the laser. The first 30 seconds or so are of the Openbuilds Control and the last 30 seconds or so are Lightburn.
The GCODE from your v-carve file violates the best practice for Grbl 1.1 Laser Gcode (with Laser Mode $32) NB NB NB Have a read through gnea/grbl and then find a Grbl 1.1 compatible Post Laser Off moves should just be G0 The output below is Grbl 0.9 style with the laser on/off commands repeated all the time with a G1 used as the off move, its just wrong You do have $32=1 enabled right? (else machine will pause for each M3/4/5 command too) Also Yes, and refer my earlier advice around that: and even earlier This menu exists to "speed up" control by disabling eye-candy that you would prefer to live without. You can disable or enable features however you wish Regardless, different computers, different workflow preferences. You can use whatever Host you prefer, not forced to use CONTROL either. See docs:software:overview [OpenBuilds Documentation] - if Lightburn is your favourite (; go for it! Its the cool thing about an open source setup, no vendor lock-in Also, what is the specs of your computer?
I'm using the Post that Jtech has listed on their website to use with GRBL machines. Should I mention this to them? Yes I have $32=1 I tried to disable all those and it didn't change anything unfortunately Very True however, I really like the Openbuilds control and its my prefered program. Very user friendly and easy to use but if I have to use Lightburn for this I will.
That AMD E450 netbook CPU is slow ... PassMark - AMD E-450 APU - Price performance comparison That CPU is from 2011 (almost a decade ago)
Thanks Peter I wasnt sure if I was trying to do too much with the macros but good to know. I will check out the fork.
I'm hung up on why Lightburn can process the file with no interference but the Openbuilds Control is struggling? I'm running both with the same computer.
Different architectures (control does a lot more) As that PC doesnt have a fast enough CPU things go laggy. Lightburn has less going on so gets by with the limited resources
the big difference between the files is that the Vcarve one is FULL of M4/M5 pairs where as lightburn does not have that. The way that GRBL implements laser mode means that these separate poweron/power off codes are not needed for every line, they just slow everything down since they cause an actual motion stop at the end of the line segment. I suspect lightburn is filtering them out and this is what makes it so smooth. As a test you can open the vcarve file and search/replace all M4's and M5's with a blank, then place an M4 at the start (line 8) and an M5 at the end (just before the M2) and run that through CONTROL. EDIT: Peter is right, this won't work because it has G1 moves between the power cycles. Ergo, that post is just wrong for GRBL's laser mode. Do tell JTech to read the GRBL wiki (-:
Thanks guys! I really appreciate your time and sticking around and answering all my questions. Top notch!
Aha!!! thanks to the beauty of open source software (and your team for developing over html+js) I'm getting close to having it my way I haven't compiled anything, and have yet to figure out how to package this as an app, but the interface part is getting close to what I imagined.
Use Electron Builder: ./node_modules/.bin/electron-builder To build an installer under the dist directory Or just run it under Electron for testing: ./node_modules/.bin/electron . (space dot after electron to denote run electron against current directory)
What might cause the X/Y or Z to show movement of only .04 on the control when in fact the axis is moving 1"? I verified that the machine is moving 1" but the control is showing only a .04" movement. I just noticed this when firing up the machine tonight as I was setting up a jobs zero position. X/Y/Z would show .04 in the control window when the machine actually moves 1"
