1.1.1. Generic functions¶

In the Cnc25D Python package, you find functions that help you design parts to be made by a 3-axis CNC, to assemble those parts and to create DXF 2D plans of your design. In particular you get those functions:

• cnc_cut_outline takes as input a 2D polygon defined by a list of points and a CNC router_bit diameter and provides as output a millable 2D outline. Then, you just need to extrude this outline to get your 2.5D part.
• place_plank offers an alternative natural way to place a part in a cuboid assembly.
• export_to_dxf writes a DXF file with a projection of a cut of your design.
• export_xyz_to_dxf writes a DXF file with many projections of cuts of your design along the 3 axis, in a similar way as a medical 3D scanner.

DXF is 2D and is the most common design exchange file format. Usually, your CNC guy will need this file format to start his process flow. You can use LibreCAD to view and possibly to re-work your DXF files.

You can also output your design in the 3D STL format and use MeshLab to view and inspect your parts and design.

1.1.2. Design examples¶

The Cnc25D Python package comes also with some design examples, which are probably for most of the users the most useful things.

One good thing with Designing with Python script is that you get a 100% open-hardware design because all conception micro-steps are pieces of code and can be shared and hacked using the tools of the software development such as git.

An other advantage of Designing with Python is that parametric design is natural. So you don’t create an object but a family of objects with a set of parameters that individualize each manufactured object.

Designing with Python let you work in a similar way as software development. You write code, check the 3D result with the FreeCAD GUI, modify and expand the code and so on. This iterative work-flow is very efficient to capitalize work, reduce repetitive tasks, keep modification history, track bugs and co-work with people.

The complete list of Cnc25D Design is available in the section Cnc25D Designs.

Some realizations designed with Cnc25D:

• https://cubehero.com/physibles/charlyoleg/Box_Wood_Frame_N1
• https://cubehero.com/physibles/charlyoleg/Epicyclic_gearing_with_laser_cutter
• https://cubehero.com/physibles/charlyoleg/Epicyclic_gearing_with_3D_printer

1.2.1. Install Cnc25D on your system¶

This is the preferred method for most people.

• First, install FreeCAD (version 0.13 or newer), Python 2 and Tkinter (which is automatically installed with Python on Ubuntu).

• Then, install the Cnc25D package with the following commands. (The second command is because of a bug in the matplotlib dependency setup):

  > sudo pip install Cnc25D -U
  > sudo pip install matplotlib -U

• To create an design example, run the following commands:

  > cd directory/where/I/want/to/create/my/3D/parts
  > cnc25d_example_generator.py
  > python box_wood_frame_example.py

1.2.2. Install Cnc25D in a virtual environment¶

This method has currently some issues because of PyQt4.

• First, install FreeCAD on your system (not in a virtual environment). You need the version 0.13 or newer.

• Then, create the virtual environment and install the Cnc25D package within it:

  > cd directory/where/I/want/to/work
  > virtualenv env_for_cnc25d
  > source env_for_cnc25d/bin/activate
  > pip install Cnc25D -U
  > pip install matplotlib -U
  > desactive

• Workaround for PyQt4:

  > cp /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/sip.so env_for_cnc25d/lib/python2.7/site-packages/
  > cp -a /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/PyQt4 env_for_cnc25d/lib/python2.7/site-packages/

• To create an design example, run the following commands:

  > source env_for_cnc25d/bin/activate
  > cnc25d_example_generator.py
  > python box_wood_frame_example.py
  > deactivate

• You can also run the generated design example with freecad. But freecad doesn’t get the virtualenv python package path and doesn’t read the environment variable PYTHONPATH. So, you must add the path to the virtual python package explicitly:

  > source env_for_cnc25d/bin/activate
  > freecad -P env_for_cnc25d/lib/python2.7/site-packages box_wood_frame_example.py
  > deactivate

1.2.3. Work directly with the Cnc25D sources¶

Instead of installing the Cnc25D package, you clone the Cnc25D GitHub repository and work directly with it. This is the preferred method for the programmers:

> cd directory/where/I/want/to/work
> git clone https://github.com/charlyoleg/Cnc25D

Example of usage:

> cd Cnc25D/cnc25d
> python box_wood_frame.py

1.3.1. Use a design example¶

After installing Cnc25D, you get the executable cnc25d_example_generator.py. When you run this script, it asks you for each design example if you want to generate the script example. Answer ‘y’ or ‘yes’ if you want to get the script example. cnc25d_example_generator.py can generates the following Python script examples:

• box_wood_frame_example.py : The piece of furniture to pile up.
• cnc25d_api_example.py : This is not a design example, this shows how to use the API.

These scripts are the design examples. Edit one of these scripts, modify the parameter values, run the script. You get plenty of DXF and STL, that you can view with LibreCAD and MeshLab. You also get a txt file, that provides you a kind of report of your design. In summary, we run the following commands:

> cd directory/where/I/want/to/create/my/3D/parts
> cnc25d_example_generator.py
> vim box_wood_frame_example.py
> python box_wood_frame_example.py
> librecad bwf37_assembly_with_amplified_cut.dxf
> meshlab # import bwf36_assembly_with_amplified_cut.stl
> less bwf49_text_report.txt

This documentation contains one chapter per design examples that explains in particulary the parameter list.

1.3.2. Use a design example within FreeCAD¶

In the upper method, we have modified the design example script and then run it to get all the final design files. Even if we can iterate this method, this can be tedious as the generation of all the files requires time. So, probably we want to change a parameter value and just check the 3D result of the assembly. For this purpose, we use FreeCAD directly with one of those three methods:

> freecad box_wood_frame_example.py

FreeCAD Top Menu Macro > Macros ...
Within the pop-up window,
  in the field *Macro destination*, select the directory where is located your *design example script*.
  in the field *Macro name*, select your *design example script*.
  click on *Execute*

Launch FreeCAD from the directory where is located your *design example script*.
> cd directory/where/I/want/to/create/my/3D/parts
> freecad

Enable 'FreeCAD Top Menu View' > Views > 'Python Console'
Within the FreeCAD Python console, type:
> execfile("box_wood_frame_example.py")

1.3.3. Make your design script¶

If you are interested in the Cnc25D API and want to create your own design with, create a Python script with the following snippet:

# import the FreeCAD library
from cnc25d import cnc25d_api
cnc25d_api.importing_freecad()
import Part
from FreeCAD import Base

# use the cnc_cut_outline function
my_polygon = [
  [  0,  0,    5],
  [ 40,  0,    5],
  [ 40, 40,    5],
  [  0, 40,    5]]
my_part_face = Part.Face(Part.Wire(cnc25d_api.cnc_cut_outline(my_part_outline).Edges))
my_part_solid = my_part_face.extrude(Base.Vector(0,0,20))

# use the place_plank function
my_part_a = cnc25d_api.place_plank(my_part_solid.copy(), 40, 40, 20, 'i', 'xz', 0, 0, 0)

# export your design as DXF
cnc25d_api.export_to_dxf(my_part_solid, Base.Vector(0,0,1), 1.0, "my_part.dxf")
xy_slice_list = [ 0.1+4*i for i in range(9) ]
xz_slice_list = [ 0.1+4*i for i in range(9) ]
yz_slice_list = [ 0.1+2*i for i in range(9) ]
cnc25d_api.export_xyz_to_dxf(my_part_solid, 40, 40, 20, xy_slice_list, xz_slice_list, yz_slice_list, "my_part_scanned.dxf")

Further documentation at Cnc25D API Overview . Also look at the script example cnc25d_api_example.py that you can generate with the executable cnc25d_example_generator.py.

1.4.1. Underlying technologies¶

Cnc25D rely on those open-source technologies:

• OpenCASCADE, the technology used by FreeCAD. Cnc25D doesn’t use directly OpenCASCADE.
• FreeCAD, the new open-source CAD tool.
• Python, the popular programming language.

1.4.2. Source¶

The source code is available at https://github.com/charlyoleg/Cnc25D. Feel free to clone and hack it!

1.4.3. Python package¶

The Cnc25D package is available on PyPI.

1.4.4. Documentation¶

The Cnc25D release documentation is associated to the latest Cnc25D Python package release. The Cnc25D daily built documentation provides you the latest documentation updates.

If you have Sphinx installed on your system and you have downloaded the Cnc25D Github repository, you can generate locally the Html documentation with the following commands:

> cd Cnc25D/docs
> make html

With your browser open the local directory file:///.../Cnc25D/docs/_build/html.