EXCELLENT point Gary! That too would be a great addition.
One way to help with clutter is to create a layer just for Notes. You could call it… Notes.
That way you can hide it without moving it, and the layer name isn’t TOO mysterious.
But yeah, a notes section for the project would be way better.
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Again, you have to remember you put it in a layer. Out of sight out of mind as they say. In my case this would apply.
When I send a file over to the saw department, at work, to be burned out on our plasma table. All the information they need is in the file name. Job number, sheet number, item number, material thickness, material, and quantity. In that way, it doesn’t matter what software generated the file, or what machine is going to cut it out. Granted, the operator will still find a way to mess it up.
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On the other hand, MeshCAM did, if not still does, add material dimensions, and tooling in the first part of the Gcode, which Cutviewer would use for simulating your project.
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Ages ago, there was a lot of discussion about this sort of thing on the Shapeoko forum — I guess the question here would be what sort of notes do folks need and how do they want to interact w/ them?
We discussed this a bit previously at:
and as noted in that thread, the assembly manuals have included a page of these for a while now:
Since you’re asking, here is the three main items I would like. This let’s me give notes to future designer me, and present and future operator me.
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Even if it were a page with lines on it for the user to use as they see fit.
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Thanks @mhotchin I have had the same thoughts on being able to pass comments to the Gcode file. I do the design in my office and then send the files to the machine. embedded notes would allow me not to have to go back to the office. Project GCode files are stored on the raspberry Pi in the work area, It would be nice to bring them up and read the setup notes. Just 80 or 250 char per note/reminders. Overall project notes and maybe tool path notes would be nice.
I start some project 15 Mil off the bed and use a 25 mill sacrificial pad under the project so I don’t cut the spoiler board, (OCD), passing that setup info on would be nice.
I also design some project to use raw wood, which means it could very in thickness, the first part of the project is to prepare the thickness, the max and min thickness of the stock would be nice to know without going back to the office.
For me, and I’d imagine for others here, the concept of a “Project” is not necessarily only one GCODE file. My projects might have multiple GCODE files for different parts. Therefore, when you say “Project Notes”, I’m thinking notes about a PROJECT - even if it had a dozen GCODE / Design files! So, for me, this notes concept would benefit from a new construct - The “Project” that logically connects all of the artifacts needed for the job at hand - and would provide a single place to annotate/search/transmit/etc.
I don’t know if Carbide Create will get support for the concept of multi-file projects — for those, why not just put a projectname.txt file in the folder w/ the other files? (or whatever file extension matches your favourite note taking tool)
Hang on, new topic of discussion — projects beyond a single Carbide Create file:
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That might be a reasonable work-around…but the value in having CC support it extends to things beyond the obvious. With layers and embedded c2d files, we’re just starting to be able to do things like share common components between projects and integrate more tightly to CM. I can envision wanting to search across all my projects to see which use a particular shared component or SVG…or to see which projects produce specific components. I can also see us sharing projects, archiving projects, transmitting projects, etc. and having all of the artifacts managed together - as a logical unit. It’s very powerful.
Could I do it in other software? Sure…each of us can choose our favorite file management software and set up out own conventions and schemas — but then each of us has to invent it again and again…and nobody can share unless they stumble on the same conventions.
- Gary
How I take care of multiple Gcode/CC file is to create a folder to keep all files together. Notes in CC in my mind is only what is needed for the single file in CC at the time.
No sense in complicating this aspect.
After posting I see Will already mentioned the “folder” idea. Plain and simple, that’s how I like it.
The Folder idea is a winner!
How many revisions of an item do you make in CC? IF more than one, then keep the revisions NUMBERED/LETTERED and keep those in the Folder. For NOTES open a Worksheet as in the original post. You can make all kinds of notes in those, including the machine settings at the time - an d also a copy of the Master Gcode files.
If you do a lot of work you’ll be surprised over time how often you go back to at least review something you’ve done and all should be in that Project Folder! Plus, having the files there saves time - even if you need to modify the files and re-name the new version.
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The folder idea works for some. Some folks want to keep GCODE on a network share so that the CM in the shop has access to them. Some folks like to keep all their designs in a single folder. Other folks prefer to have image files in a separate place - particularly if they’re reused in multiple projects. Lately, I’ve been developing common embeddable c2d files for things I use in multiple projects - they stay in their own folder but are embedded within other projects. I guess the point is, people will have a different scheme depending on how they prefer to organize their files - the notion of a project can handle all of it, if it isn’t tied to the physical location of the files.
V7 will have a notes function. It requires a change to the file format so we can’t do it before V7.
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The way that I keep files together is Zip them with winzip, z7, etc. That way you can have all your files relating to a project in one file, like: CC files, Gcode files, notes, picture, videos, etc.
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When might the projected release date be? Beta?
No idea. We won’t start CC7 until we get the next release of Carbide Motion done. (Hopefully, we can share that in the next week or two).
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