both my plotter/cutter and wide format printer. I had been running the plotter from my main work laptop - a Win10 machine via the plotters USB port. As it turns out you can't get Win XP drivers for this USB connection so I needed another solution.
I tried to use the plotters DB25 serial port connection using an old DB9 to DB25 modem cable I had in my collection = no luck the plotter wouldn't talk. A bit more research and it turns out these plotters need a 'null modem' cross over cable to operate. I found a pic of the correct wiring online and made up my own with some cable and connectors from the local electronics hobby shop.
With this hooked up and using Hyperterminal I was able to fire some codes to the plotter directly and get a response back - winning!
At this point I got my original code working with the 'net use' redirect from LPT1 to COM1.
HOWEVER - being that the plotter was now on a COM port there are a few more interesting things you can do with it - one is being able to read the paper size/cut area from the printer.
So what I needed to to was find a way to send and receive data to/from the plotter using the serial port.
A bit of research into .NET's serial port interface and using a bunch of small pieces of test code I have manged to completely re-jig this driver.
Upgrades include:
- Direct Serial Port comms using Null Modem cable (a USB to serial adaptor + null modem should also work)
- Plot area read from the plotter - a rectangle the size of the plot area is placed on a separate layer and coloured red
- Testing to see if selected plotting curves are both closed and inside of the cutting area - with errors shown and exiting if they are not right.
- After plot 'parking' of the plot head at the end of the cut items + an adjustable offset (currently requires manual resetting of origin on the plotter before for next cut)
Great thing is it is now 100% running within Rhino Python - no DOS command line calls = no flashing up of the CMD wind. Also no temp files needed on the HDD and no limit to number of curves that can be plotted - tested with 200 or so with no issues.
Overall very happy with whole project - have learnt a LOT about Python and .NET interfacing AND ended up with a very handy/useful tool.
Cheers
DK
# This code is a WIP # It plots directly to a DGI Plotter# via the serial port
import System.IO.Ports as Portsimport rhinoscriptsyntax as rsimport time
#Some setup valuescom_port = 'COM1' #change to match plotter port baud_rate = 9600 #change to match plotter settingplotter_step = .025 #mmfinsh_offset = 10 #mm
#Delete old cutting area and cut objectsif rs.IsLayer('Cutting Area'): rs.PurgeLayer('Cutting Area')if rs.IsLayer('Cutting Objects'): rs.PurgeLayer('Cut Objects')
#Setup Serial PortMyport = Ports.SerialPort(com_port)Port_Write = Ports.SerialPort.WriteMyport.BaudRate = baud_rateMyport.ReadTimeout=5000 #5 secsMyport.Close()Myport.Open()
#Setup PlotterPort_Write(Myport, 'PU;PA0,0;IN;\n')Port_Write(Myport, 'SP1;\n')Port_Write(Myport, 'PA;\n')time.sleep(2)
#Read the Paper size from PlotterPort_Write(Myport, 'OH;') #HPGL read limits codetime.sleep(2)
return1 = ''papersize = ''count = 0char_in_buffer = 0chars_in_buffer = Ports.SerialPort.BytesToRead.GetValue(Myport)
if chars_in_buffer == 0: print 'Plotter not ready' Myport.Close() exit()
while (count < chars_in_buffer): return1 = Myport.ReadChar() papersize = papersize + chr(return1) count = count + 1
papersize = papersize.split(",")rect1 = (float(papersize[2])*plotter_step)rect2 = (float(papersize[3])*plotter_step)
print 'Cutting area = ' + str(rect1) + 'x' + str(rect2)
#place cutting area curve on its own layer, make it red and lock itplane = rs.WorldXYPlane()cutting_area = rs.AddRectangle( plane, (rect1), (rect2))rs.AddLayer (name='Cutting Area', color=(255,0,0), visible=True, locked=True, parent=None)rs.ObjectLayer(cutting_area, 'Cutting Area')
#get plotting objects
allCurves = rs.GetObjects("Select curves to plot", rs.filter.curve)
#test to see if these are closed curves - exit if not
for curve in allCurves: test_closed = rs.IsCurveClosed(curve) if test_closed == 0: print "One or move of these curves are not closed" Myport.Close() exit()
#test to see if these are inside cutting area - exit if not
for curve in allCurves: test_inside = rs.PlanarClosedCurveContainment(curve, cutting_area)
if test_inside==0 or test_inside==1: print "One or more of these curves are outside of cut area" Myport.Close() exit()
#All ok - convert to points and send data to printer
rs.AddLayer (name='Cut Objects', color=(0,255,0), visible=False, locked=True, parent=None)
for curve in allCurves: Port_Write(Myport, 'PU;PA;SP1;\n') polyline = rs.ConvertCurveToPolyline(curve,angle_tolerance=5.0, tolerance=0.025, delete_input=False, min_edge_length=0, max_edge_length=0) points = rs.CurveEditPoints(polyline) rs.ObjectLayer(polyline, 'Cut Objects')
# PU to the first point x = points[0][0] y = points[0][1] Port_Write(Myport, 'PU' + str(int(x / plotter_step)) + ',' + str(int(y / plotter_step)) + ';\n') # PD to every subsequent point i = 1 while i < len(points): x = points[i][0] y = points[i][1] Port_Write(Myport, 'PD' + str(int(x / plotter_step)) + ',' + str(int(y / plotter_step)) + ';\n') i += 1
Port_Write(Myport,'PU;\n')
#find the far end of the cutbox = rs.BoundingBox(allCurves)far_end = str(box[1])far_end = far_end.split(",")far_end = far_end[0]far_end = float(far_end)/plotter_stepfar_end = (int(far_end))+ finsh_offsetfar_end = str(far_end)print (far_end)
#return plotter home and close portPort_Write(Myport, 'PU;PA' + far_end + ',0;IN;\n')Port_Write(Myport, 'SP1;\n')Port_Write(Myport, 'PA;\n')Myport.Close()time.sleep(10)…
me screenshots of the Grasshopper's outputs after install.Same the 3 times I've retried : install 0.9.0006 / revert to 0.8.0066 that is still running ok ...
I've visited related places of the forum to get hints and it seems I am the only one to experiment the trouble!
at :problem-loading-grasshopper-with-rhino5-and-updating-scriptor : grasshopper-0-9-0005-available-for-downloadand from : grasshopper-0-9-0006-available-for-download, zipped downloaded gha's, no more duplicates found, but nothing that could resolve the failure of 0.9.0006 loading itself...
at : loading-error-unable-to-load-dll-rhcommon-c I run with latest vcredist_x86.EXE ...I am so exited to discover all those great improvements like vector fields stuff ...Thanks for help !…
(Boundary Representation]. Thus a Brep is 2 things: the underlying "guide" surface and "regions" that do the massacre.
2. As delivered and if you chose the equivalent boolean some Delaunay faces are removed from the mesh IF their center (the projection in an automated made "min" plane) is contained (is inside) to a giiven hole. Now ... the anchors ARE not the white points ... they are their projections on the terrain (the red ones). Thus proper springs "pull" the white points towards the red ones.
3. Max span is a term used in that ugly part of life (the real-life) and indeed refers to some distance between mount points. For instance the Golden Gate has a max span of 1280 m. Span means money and big span ... er ... means lot's of money (even on trusses, considerably less so in tensile membranes).
5. Coding is like riding properly a proper Ducati (avoid the 999 at any cost): easy provided that you can ride it. Lethal in any other situation. But the good (or bad) news are that girls don't ride that type of bikes.
6. This makes me entirely off-topic > Oops > anything that I do/think points directly or indirectly (in most of the threads in this Forum) towards real-life AEC thingies. I never (ever) think within an Academic/Theoretical framework. BTW: Avoid social networks > or say hello to Skynet (or lobotomy).
7. You are very kind.…
ist.
In other words, I'm looking for the GH equivalent of
Dim x As New List(Of List(Of List(Of Double)))
For example, I might have an outer list of 10 items each containing 20 lists with 30 items inside each 2nd tier list.
Say the outgoing gh_Structure is:
Dim outgoing_Struc as new gh_structure(of gh_number)
I can't seem to figure out how I might use the "append" method to GH_Structure to insert items to specific paths to create a list of a list.
The additional complexity is that I want to customize the indices of the outgoing list. Instead of the outer most list running straight from 0 to 9, I might want to have its indices non-sequential as {0}, {2}, {5}, {11} for example. This helps in using the "Tree Item" component downstream as these specific non-sequential indices refer to something specific upstream.
For example, with custom indices, I can pull a specific sublist by using index {11;3} which may not exists if the indices ran sequentially.
I guess the more general questions is whether anybody has pointers on creating nested trees in a custom component with specific indices? It appears that GH_Path has a "DebuggerDisplay" property which masks the internal continuously running index but this is a read only property.
Any pointers would be helpful
Thanks.…
Added by kermin chok at 1:37am on December 10, 2013
to Daniel Pikers' Tutorial mesh relaxation tutorials we are already pretty far.
The Idea of our design is a hanging structure suspendend in a gap between buildings, where you can find places to rest, read or even to sleep. You can find privacy in the cocoons, that are connecting the planes with each other.
As structure we have a net in mind, that is tighter in the area of the cocoons and more transparent in the common areas, but we really don't know whats the right way to get to this point.
In the end of the project we need a printable geometry. We start our boxy design in Sketchup, and remesh it in Rhino. After that we feed it in our kangaroo definition.
1. A nurbs surface could give us more freedom (for postprocessing in tsplines) to form meshes with shorter and longer edges, representing our net. But I see now easy way to get a surface out of the relaxed kangaroo mesh.
2. Working with the kangaroo mesh could also work fine, if we'd find a way to control the edge length of the mesh (for example 20 cm in the common area and 5 in the privates) with an attractor point. Remeshing with Daniel's Plankton Plugin sadly doesn't work, I always get the "runaway faces circulator"-error.
3. It woud be great to convert the mesh to a hexagonal mesh, but I don't know any possibility to remesh an existing one...
You see, we're full of questions, but I really hope to get some help here :)
Agostino & Johanna
…
nfusing.
Problem 01: the requested in-put of 'CroSecs' from 'OptiCroSec' component, based on introduction of itself, "a list of preferable structural thickness", and the algorithm will automatically find the sufficient number as the beam thickness. BUT, when I plugged 3 ranges, 1 to 15 CM, 2 to 15 CM, 5 to 15CM, the algorithm will always choose the finest number as the beam thickness, which turns out the beam thickness is, 1CM, 2CM, 5CM. 5CM in reality 'maybe' correct, but I just cannot image 1 and 2 CM beam will work. That`s very confusing.
Problem 02: the 'MaxDisp' from 'OptiCroSec' component, no matter how I slide the number, shape will remain still always. what is the fucntion of this input, should it be like a control to deformation of the shape?
Thanks in advance for any insight you can give!!
I attached 2 images to show the problem 01, and in the file rhino and gh, i marked out the problem part with red panels.
Best wishes,
Lei
…
o it would cause troubles with unfolding and fabricating... that's why I used Extrude point component- it will give you similar result, but all surfaces are planar.. you can control extrusion direction with a tip point in rhino...
2)I changed tagging so every tube has 8 points form list A and 8 points from list B... first number of tag is a number of point within one tube... last number of the tag is order of tubes (I draw a little picture in GH, hope you'll understand)...I think original way of tagging wasn't really usefull.. but you can change tagging by yourself...
3) the definition is really messy, sorry about that, but it's just quite complicated task...
4)if you find some incorrect order of tagging, use the slider that controls Shift List component ... it will shift tagging..
5) if you won't be using this definition or find some better way, pleeeease don't tell me - I'll jump out the window :D ... it took me whole day to make it work :D
6)I can't guarantee you anything- I hope it works, but if not - at least I tried... so check everything (especially order of tags and points) twice before you fabricate it.. or print few tubes and make them paper first..
7)there is a part of original definition, that is not useful anymore.. I left it there, but you can delete it (I called it "UNUSED PARTS OF ORIGINAL FILE")
..good luck
Dimitri…
sophy though, I have a rudimentary grasp of the Ancient Greeks and modern schools of thought such as Existentialism and Pragmatism, but there is certainly no depth in my understanding. However here the same rule applies. You can quote philosophy all you want, but unless you understand that which you're channelling you can be -at best- accidentally correct.
According to you, these are all vital characteristics:
Aesthetic judgement
Intuition about spatial effectiveness
Knowledge of construction materials & assembly systems
Consideration of performance-driven design properties
Mad synthesizing skillz
[1] and [2] are pretty much worthless, especially when we're dealing with students. Aesthetic judgement is not something that can be wrong or right. You can hone your aesthetic skills but you cannot cultivate better tastes. Intuition is also problematic. It's basically a stand-in for argumentation. Instead of saying "these buildings have to have 20 meters apart because of wind/sound/human perception/human psychology/light/shadow/etc. etc" is a far stronger statement than "these buildings have to have 20 meters apart because of my feelings". Who are you to be trusted? If you have a long and distinguished career backing you up, maybe your opinions carry some weight, but until that point you'd better be prepared to justify your decisions with cold hard logic and data.
[3] is certainly important for certain jobs in construction, but it can be argued that implementation details are not necessarily central to a design. One can design a good computer interface without having to be able to program, and certainly without being familiar with all the idiosyncrasies of a particular programming language. Conversely, one can design an excellent space without knowing exactly how strong certain atomic bonds are. If what you design is physically impossible, then obviously something has to change, but it doesn't mean that the design as an abstract idea was bad. Of course on the other hand one can argue that designing impossible things is not doing anyone any favours. I'm not exactly certain where I stand on this issue, probably comfortably in the middle; YES, students need to learn about what can be build in the physical world, but NO that is not part of design training.
I'm not quite sure what [4] means.
[5] is true for a lot of professions, not just Architects. I would concede that architects probably have more to take into account than most designers and that it is indeed an important skill to have.
I would say that -especially for students, who have little experience- an incredibly important skill to be able to ask yourself "why am I doing this?" about pretty much every decision you make. Basically you need to get very comfortable applying the Socratic method to everything you do.
--
David Rutten
david@mcneel.com
Tirol, Austria…
Added by David Rutten at 11:03am on August 14, 2013
ctor. I do not dispose of any IGH_Goo instances, mostly because I have no idea when an instance is truly no longer needed. If any of your fields need to be disposed, you may have to implement a destructor, but I have no experience with this.
2) should I pass those classes to other parameters by DA(0, MotherClass.Duplicate?) or it is already there by GH_Goo ?
IGH_Goo is not duplicated by default. If you use DA.GetData() and ask for IGH_Goo types, you'll get a reference to the same instance as exists. Thus, if you take in an instance of your type, modify and output it, you should duplicate it yourself. But you only need to do this if you change the state of an instance.
MyGooType data = null;
if (!DA.GetData(0, ref data)) return;
data = data.Duplicate() as MyGooType;
data.Property = newValue;
DA.SetData(0, data);
3) should I create ChildClass and MotherClass in SolveInstance, or create it once as a component's field and then change theirs properties and pass it to DA (as duplicate ?)....
It's almost always better to use variables with the lowest possible scope. So method variables are preferred to class variables, class variables are preferred to static variables.
4) if I create those classes in SolveInstance, is it necessary to Dispose them there ?
NO! Do not dispose of instances that are passed on to output parameters. Disposing objects typically makes them invalid, so if you share instances with anyone else, you should not dispose them or the other code may well crash. However I don't think your types need to be disposable so this is a moot point now.
In general, if you're dealing with disposable types, and the instances aren't shared, then you dispose them as quickly as possible. But if they are shared it's a lot more complicated.
5) finally - maybe it would be better if MotherClass inherits the ChildClass ?
Maybe. Not necessarily. Depends on the classes. …
Added by David Rutten at 12:08pm on December 31, 2014