openbuilds_acro:workflow_-_how_to

Openbuilds Acro workflow

Openbuilds Acro workflow

Prepare your drawing

Check the dimensions of your document in the vector drawing program (Inkscape or Illustrator)
- max width: 82cm (820mm)
- max height: 125cm (1250mm)
Prepare your drawing and export as SVG.
Optimize for plotter (Axidraw plotter extension tool, or do it manually by grouping sections of the drawing in layers)
In Inkscape: Object > Object to path. The path icon should be visible instead of a circle

Formlab todo: Add simplify steps * remove double lines * interpret fills * …

Turn on the Pen Plotter


	Check if the USB cable from the plotter controller to the computer is connected.
	Check if the plotter controller is switched on.
	Press the “ON” button on the remote. This turns on the power socket to the machine, giving everything electricity.
	On the computer, open the 'OpenBuilds CONTROL' application.

If the menu doesn't list any good ports, close any applications that might have a serial connection and check if the USB cable to the plotter controller is connected. If that didn't work, restart the computer.|

	The unlock alarm flickers. Click on it do disable the safety lock.
	Click on 'Pen Up'
	Click on 'Home All' (This will move the head to the left front corner to calibrate its origin point).

The machine is now safe and ready to use.

Calibrate the servo


	Open 'OpenBuilds CONTROL' and click 'Wizards & Tools'. Select 'Calibrate Servo Pen Up/Down'.
	Install the pen in the holder.
	Pen up: drag the slider carefully. Try to have the tip of the pen hover just high enough over the paper. Write down the value and click continue.
	Pen down: drag the slider carefully. The pen should rest on the page now. Look from the side and make sure the servo horn is not touching the pen holder anymore, but you'd also want it to stay close by as you want to minimize servo movements. Write down the value and click continue. Then click Save & Apply

Place the paper and define work area


image needed	Place the paper on the bed of the pen plotter.
	Use easily removable tape (like Tesa light-blue or Tesa yellow) to fix the page to the bed. Only a few short sections of tape are necessary. Try to keep the page reasonably flat. No tape at all might work well too.
	With OpenBuilds CONTROL, move the pen to the left bottom corner of the page. Use the arrows on screen, or the ones on your keyboard
	Click `setzero`

Click Pen Up.
Move the pen to the top right corner of the page.
Write down the values at 'X' (Width of the page) and 'Y' (height of the page).
Open a new document in Inkscape and give:
- For the width: use the value of 'X'.
- For the height: use the value of 'Y'.
Import the SVG drawing into this document and position it how you like.
Export this as an SVG file. This will be the file you'll be plotting.

Generate Gcode


	Go to svg2gcode. If the website is down use a local version. This works only on the computer in Formlab itself. The local webserver needs to be started first. Ask Elias for Help.
	Load the plotter settings Download this settings-file (v2.1) and unzip it. On the svg2gcode-website, click 'Settings', then 'Import/Export'. Select the JSON-file you just downloaded and click Save
	Enter the new servo positions: Click 'Settings again' At the 'Tool On Sequence' (pen down) section, change the number behind the M3S value to the one you wrote down for Pen Down * For example: M3S166
	At the 'Tool Off Sequence' (pen up) section, change the number behind the M3S value to the one you wrote down for Pen UP For example: M3S180 Click Save
	Select a vector file (SVG)
	Click 'Generate Gcode'. The website downloads the gcode file to your computer.

Load the Gcode


	In Openbuilds CONTROL, click 'Open Gcode'.
	Select the Gcode file that was downloaded by the svg2gcode website.
image needed	Click on the Gcode editor-tab and scroll all the way down and remove the line containing 'M2'. This gcode command results in a glitch that puts the pen back on the paper after the whole plot has finished. It's better that the pen stays up after plotting. No need to save the gcode file. The changes are already active.
image needed	To prevent a CRASH: click on the '3D-view' tab and double check the dimensions on the X and Y axis. Pan: right mouse button Zoom scroll wheel Y axis: no higher than 1250mm X axis: no wider than 820mm

Start the plot


Image needed	Make sure the pen is in the UP-position
	Click 'Run Job' (or space bar) to start plotting. Click 'Pause Job' (or space bar) to pause. Click 'Abort' (or escape) to stop plotting.
	If it's a short job, flip the auto shutoff switch at the back of the plotter to the disarmed state. The machine will stay on after finishing.
	If it's a long job that will run past the Formlab closing time, then flip the switch to 'Armed'. Then the plotter will shut itself down after the plot has completed.

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