TouchDRO V3 Status Update - December 2021

[ycroosh]

Greetings,
Family is coming in an hour for the Christmas Eve dinner, but I figured I can slip in a quick project status update.
This week I wrapped up a big chunk of work related to the Saved Tool Offset Memory and dealing with tools offset in general. I ended up completely re-doing a lot of that functionality since I wasn't too happy with how it works in the current version (V2.5). Here are some of the things that are coming:


A simpler way to add a new tool to the Saved Tool Offset Memory.

The process on a mill is as follows:

1. Insert an existing tool (doesn't need to be the "reference" tool; any tool in the library works)
2. Click "Set Z Offset", select the tool from the list and apply its Z offset
3. Using a feeler gauge, touch the tool off to the surface of your table/vise/etc.
4. Zero out the Z-axis
5. Insert the new tool
6. Use the same feeler gauge to touch off the new too
7. Open the "Add New Tool" dialog, enter the name, diameter, flute count and press the "Sync" button next to the Z Offset

A more obvious way to set and visualize the direction of the tool radius compensation.

The dialog that is used to set the compensation now has graphical buttons that make it clear what the relationship between the cutter and the workpiece will be. Cutter diameter and offset is now shown in the graphical view as well and can be quickly changed from there.

Finally, the feature that I find myself using a lot is the new "Hold Position" function. It's very simple - pressing the button freezes the readout and then sets the position to that value when you press the button again. It makes swapping cutters so much faster though:
Touch-of the old cutter

1. Press "Hold"
2. Insert the new cutter
3. Touch it off
4. Press "Hold" again

Your Z is now set for the new cutter stick-out

These are just some of the highlights. A more detailed list is posted on Yuriy's Toys site. I would love to hear your feedback, either here or in the comments on the blog. If things go well, I hope to have this in "private Alpha" in February. If you are interested to become a willing crash test dummy try some of these features in Alpha, please let me know.

Best regards
Yuriy

 

[JFL4066]

It really looks great Yuriy!

 

[Schtimpy]

Dear Yuri,
I really like these changes, especially the graphical radius offset feature. I have always found the old method a tad confusing as to whether the offset is cutter relative to the work, or work relative to the cutter. The graphical feature solves this (my confusion).

Keep up the good work: the new version looks to be very impressive.
I would be happy to be a crash test dummy for the new release. I am currently running TouchDRO on 3 machines: Mill, lathe & most recently a shaper.

 

[Unlogic]

Same here, I'd also be willing to be a crash test dummy of the new version.

 

[Hard_ware]

Any chance of getting an Alpha release, I would really like to have the workspace for the lathe work with the x-z so I can have the tool offsets work and have the radius/ diameter function work as well. The W compound function would be awesome.
I can only beta test functions on a lathe with shahe and also with glass scales as I have both boards from you. I am about to start using lathe again and saving projects in a x-z workspace would be nice. Using a tool offset can be a trick way to shift the workspace a little to cut the inside profile. IE .050 back on the Z and -.050 on the X will give a .050 thick wall profile. I would like to make some videos of the lathe features. No chinese DRO can compete with these features. Imagine uploading a workspace profile anyone could download and cut. Makes project sharing just like a 3d printer file.
Next level features could be a output to a lathe stepper driver cpu to just confirm tool position. This would eliminate backlash, by knowing exactly where tool is and stepper controller could do its thing .