As you can see in my blog, quite close to the time I opened this site I was directed to Dan (http://www.marginallyclever.com) that makes quite a similar solution. he is writing a software for a robot that is moving pen with two fixed motors on the boards. his hardware is also based on Arduino.
I took his (great) work and edited it that it will match my setup and since, I am quite happy.
Versions of the Arduino code I wrote: (stored in Dan’s Git)
- 22 May 2013 – Link
The complete software can be downloaded from here (windows) or here (OSX), and if you want to digg go to GitHub here.
Producing the graphics may be an issue since the current software reads G-code (a language that manufacturing machines work with), and if you want it to make any picture you need to convert it into g-code first.
The conversion is performed in few steps:
- You have your desired graphics in a VECTOR file (not an image) – can be made by Inkscape.
- You convert it into .DXF format- kind of middle format between graphics to g-code. (also Inkscape)
- You load the DXF into a CAM software (I follow Dan’s recommendations and use Cambam)
- Using Cambam I generate the g-code file (.ngc) that is needed to the KeerBot for drawing
As you can see, the process is quite slow and clumsy, and I hope to find a way to make it simple.