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Help request from a Windows user¿


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Help!

I am looking for the equivalent location in windows.  I am writing a script that accesses the drive to read and write files. But I do not want to leave windows users out. To keep things tidy, I want to use the "FormZ folder" that is already there (at least on a Mac)

Mac:  

User:

~/documents/formZ Folder

 

Full Path

/Volumes/HardDrive/Users/User/Documents/formZ Folder

 

Cheers!

¢his £und

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Outstanding!  Thank you!!!

Interestingly, from where it counts it is identical to the Mac.  As, python has a function to locate the current user directory.

Hopefully I can wrap this one up soon, at least as far as I can currently take it. I am running into some limitations as the API currently sits.

 

Thank you again and be well!

¢hris £und

 

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Sadly, it is not.  I am still waiting on some infill functionality. Currently, from what I can tell, there is no functionality for materials.  There are a few that show in the documentation, but they appear to not work.  Or, since the documentation isn't filled in for these, I may just be misunderstanding how to use them.

I know they are working on stuff though.  So, we will see.

 

There was a posting a while back that said they re-instated FSL in 9.2.1 (I think it was)  But they haven't, as far as I know updated FSL itself. So, I am in the same position there.  As they updated formZ to not be so dependent on Renderzone, FSL has not kept pace.  Which, as far as I am concerned, makes sense.  In my opinion, they should be moving forward with Python.

 

¢£

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I am doing more and more machining these days.    To explain what I am currently working on:  

It builds screws/bolts (sans the nuts) and more importantly, it figures out and builds the drill hole sizes for taps, close fit holes, free fit holes, and counter bore/sink holes should you need them.  It will make the depth adjustments for the tip of the drill bit based on the angle of the bit. (for different materials being drilled.)

The screws it builds are dummies really, as I see no need to build the threads or to replicated the screw/bolt tool that fZ already has.

For the most part, it is all built with tables (.csv files)  and where the tables are missing data, then I do the calculations.  It will allow project that is built in english to use metric screws and visa versa.  (as that is something I need in my own work these days.  All my machine tooling is in imperial and many of the components are metric.)

 

So, to say it shorter...  I got tired of looking up the hole sizes for my screws from tap and drill charts.

 

I am still working around a lot of limitations of the API, but it is becoming functional at least.

 

Right now, it is being built for Cap Head Screws.  But other types should be able to be added. For the most part, by just building the data table for that screw type.  Some code would have to be built so that the shape of the screw and drill holes (probably just the counter sink/bore shape.)

Cool thing is, if a user has hardware and or tooling that the script currently doesn't have, the user can just add the data to the tables and the script will accept it.

That is to say.  for the screws themselves, I have already built a list from all the Cap Head screws I could find. (see second image) But, if the user has a specialty one that I have not included, all they have to do is update the table with what they have and the script will make the adjustments.  The lengths of the shank and thread are manually put in at this time as the API doesn't allow me to update the fields based on the context of other fields...  (but the tables are ready)

 

Real world data----

There are 1091 drill bits  (of both ISO and Imperial)

Over 300 Tap sizes.  (both ISO and Imperial)

and 122 Cap Head Screw sizes/thread sizes. (both ISO and Imperial)  The sizes of everything are accurate down to the Allen key size.

Other screw types to come.

 

Ultimately, I hope to integrate this into formZs components engine as well as the Draft/Layout app. (no scripting in either currently.)

 

image shows the Cap Head Screw mockup that the script built as well as the drills for the holes the screw will need.  Tap hole size, Free Fit for the shank and the Bore hole to flush sink the head.   Currently, you have to manually boolean subtract the drill objects from your project material(not shown)

image.thumb.png.9a1216a8516b3864b1a93f17cc3f760b.png

image.thumb.png.5e4b78299c3e5b92af8aec4cd7323663.png                   

image.png.03935beb3481a04d9c8b64744796f85e.png

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  • 2 weeks later...

Justin,

 

There certainly are a lot of things the SDK is capable of, however, I have to admit... I do run into a lot of detours and frankly, walls.  However, on the positive, the latest version 9.2.2 had some changes in it that I specifically asked for. Without these changes, the current script would not be possible at all.

Please don't take this to mean I have some sort of "in"... but more that the changes/additions that I asked for, made sense. 

Point being, development is still happening. Which, makes it worth my time to keep at it. Too, I have asked for many many more changes and additions.  I am holding high hopes they will come sooner rather than later.  This script will be "functional" but could be soooo much better.  I am hoping for component scripting and access to the object attributes.  Despite all that is missing, I am still thrilled that I can work with it now.


To your point; Yes, I too think that a scripting market place and or sharing place will help the platform. There are really an unlimited number of things the software is technically capable of doing.  And many of these are little nuances, that the user base as a whole doesn't need.  In this case, ADS should not be bothered writing.  They are better off sticking to the broader vision and getting things done that have a wider appeal.  Leave the little ditties to people like myself.

BTW, I will just give this script away, full source code as well. Anybody willing to look at the code will find out quickly that it is rather brute force and nothing elegant about it.   I do want to encourage others to get into this as well.  I want to see what others will come up with. 

 

Another feature I really want, is to have access to NURBS data and attributes.  I want to control the controls directly with code. I have several ideas in this category alone.  formZs NURBS are nice and precise, but at the expense of being efficient and play nice with the designer.

 

Cheers!

 

¢£

 

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