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)…
ne diverse digital design methodologies and the use of different tools such as Autodesk Maya, Rhinoceros and Grasshopper.
Building up technical skills will provide the attendees with a solid platform from which to start rethinking and exploring innovative architectural ideas in collaboration with the team and the tutors.
URBAN FIELDS
Phase I
In the first part of the workshop attendees will be looking at field conditions and how to generate and design such fields that can help structure a possible urban condition in Florence.
We will be exploring dynamic systems, geometric systems and network theories to generate and design an abstract field condi- tion that extends the urban experience of the city onto the vertical dimensions of towers. Simple operations that would span variations from an initial state will give rise to high level of com- plexity.
The goal of this exercise is to create a rich and diversified intel- ligible urban space that can be later on subjected to local inter- ventions and zooming in to locally enhance each design.
AGENT - BODIES POLYMORPHISM
Phase II
The second part of the workshop will build upon first phase; par- ticipants will select one archetype (high rise tower) as a study model for further development.
Besides engaging with multi agent algorithms design strategies, attendees will address strategic utilisation of structurally and environmentally generated morphologies to design coherent and highly differentiated tower exo-skeletons.
Tutors will introduce agent-bodies polymorphism in order to explore the generation of structural aware and capable geom- etries through agent based formation of non-linear hierarchies and emergent patterns. These agent-bodies will operate in a complex spatial manner to form structure, partitions or enclo- sure and will operate across scales, creating a poly-scalar level of detail.
Attendees will speculate how autonomous systems can cre- ate new structures and intelligent distribution of structural elements, about new collaborative strategies of construction and the performativity they will evoke (performance, effects, responsiveness, interaction).
Fees
Early registration (before 1st June)
Students 390€ - Professionals 440€
Late registration (after 1st June)
Students 490€ - Professionals 540€
More info and Applications
https://www.ax-om.com/edu/polymorphism/
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