Keep multiple layers together when nesting

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jamesjconnell
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Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by jamesjconnell » Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:21 pm

Windows 10
QCAD/CAM 3.27

New to QCAD and the forum so please excuse me if I'm asking simple questions.

I have parts that will have primary cutouts (full routes) as well as partial routes (for dado cuts, ect). I don't plan on doing the tool pathing in QCAD, just the nesting and some polyline creation from broken lines, ect. Right now I'm separating the different route types to different layers and I'd ideally like to keep it that way as that is the ideal input method for the software that I will use to do the tool pathing. What I'm trying to figure out is if there is a way to group (or block) the different layers so that they don't get treated like separate parts and they stay together through the nesting process and components stay on the appropriate layers.

I've tried combining them in a block and then nesting the block but that has produced some weird results. For one thing it's nesting everything at an angle for some reason even though doing the same nesting settings on the un-blocked parts produces a nest that is parallel to the sheet edges. I'm doing 4 rotations. The second issue is that even though the component layers of each parts are staying together as I want them to the way the components are distributed on the layers doesn't make any sense. For instance on an item that has a full route and a partial route, if I hide the full route layer I can only see the partial route layers lines (expected) but then hiding the partial route layer hides both the lines from the full route and the partial route.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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andrew
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by andrew » Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:23 pm

Please attach drawing files and screenshots (see forum rules above in the red box), thanks.

jamesjconnell
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by jamesjconnell » Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:35 pm

Sorry here are some screen caps and a DXF
Attachments
Full Visible.PNG
Full Visible.PNG (77.11 KiB) Viewed 5084 times
Partial Visiable.PNG
Partial Visiable.PNG (82.58 KiB) Viewed 5084 times
All Visable.PNG
All Visable.PNG (107.69 KiB) Viewed 5084 times
NestingTest_1.dxf
(105.72 KiB) Downloaded 310 times

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Husky
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by Husky » Fri Feb 25, 2022 9:14 am

jamesjconnell wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:21 pm
... the way the components are distributed on the layers doesn't make any sense. For instance on an item that has a full route and a partial route, if I hide the full route layer I can only see the partial route layers lines (expected) but then hiding the partial route layer hides both the lines from the full route and the partial route.
I agree and I don;t think that is expected behavior! I think that is a bug ...

FYI: Normally you can nest parts like this one no matter on what layer they are designed on or if they are built out of blocks, polylines or even just lines and arcs etc. It will be nested like the original selection. In this case the red shape taches the yellowy shape and for some reason this will break the nesting functionality. Detach the shapes and it will work. I recommend to file a bugreport below: https://www.qcad.org/bugtracker

Thank you for reporting this issue!
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CVH
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by CVH » Fri Feb 25, 2022 10:34 am

IMHO:
Cyan is on Layer 0
Yellow is on Layer 'Part'
Red is on Layer '0.25 Route'
Block References are also placed on Layer '0.25 Route'

With the application preference Showing Freeze:
Hiding or freezing Layer 'Part' acts on yellow.
Hiding Layer '0.25 Route' acts only on red.
Freezing Layer '0.25 Route' acts on Blocks, both yellow and red.

Without that preference one can opt if hiding means freezing.

Regards,
CVH

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andrew
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by andrew » Fri Feb 25, 2022 2:29 pm

jamesjconnell wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:21 pm
For one thing it's nesting everything at an angle for some reason even though doing the same nesting settings on the un-blocked parts produces a nest that is parallel to the sheet edges.
For blocks with multiple contours inside, QCAD computes a hull prior to nesting. For such a hull, the automatic alignment does not work. Please switch off Edit > Application Preferences > CAM > Nesting > Align part angles to axis to avoid this.

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andrew
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by andrew » Fri Feb 25, 2022 3:16 pm

Without using blocks, the detection of the red contour as island of the yellow contour fails. The red contour is not completely inside the yellow contour because of shared edge. These contours are considered to be intersecting and treated separately. This will likely be improved for the next version for this particular use case.

jamesjconnell
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by jamesjconnell » Tue Mar 01, 2022 8:01 pm

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. Plenty for me to test and play around with. I'll also go ahead and submit a bug report in case this is a bug.

Is there a place to officially submit feature requests. Because if the inner island partial route sharing an edge with the outer part full route causes them to be treated as separate parts then it would be nice to get the system to treat them as one. This comes up a lot with rabbet joints which we use a regularly in our shop. Sometime we will even make the tool path for the rabbet hang outside the part route just to make sure that the material is fully trimmed off at the edge and there isn't stray pieces that need to be sanded away.

Thanks!

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ryancousins
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by ryancousins » Tue Mar 01, 2022 8:36 pm

Bug reports and feature requests can be posted here:

https://www.ribbonsoft.com/bugtracker/

KHE
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by KHE » Sat Apr 02, 2022 3:03 pm

I am running into the same issue for nesting. Nesting separates my parts as they are 'outside'. That would be a good feature request but I can find were to post the request. The above link goes to list but I am not seeing were to submit the request.
Also how do I insert a screen shot? I use Green shot lots but for some reason I can insert it here.

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andrew
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by andrew » Sat Apr 02, 2022 8:51 pm

KHE: Please attach your drawing or at least a screenshot, thanks.

How to Attach a File to a Post

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andrew
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Re: Keep multiple layers together when nesting

Post by andrew » Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:46 am

QCAD/CAM 3.27.2 has been released. It treats intersecting / overlapping shapes as one part.

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