Looking at that, it’s basically the same code as my middle-of-the-night draft, except it doesn’t group the items from each file like I do (which is really a necessary feature if you’re merging anything but two extremely basic files). I figure I should also make my real version a bit more flexible, as an N-to-1 merge has use cases. I’m also whipping one up natively for Windows GUI in Visual Studio so that people who don’t have a python environment or the desire to become cool can still merge two files.
(It’s rather fun to jump back into a completely different environment to see how much more work it is to do a something that is so trivial in your normal environment.)
May I present a very small Windows utility that I whipped together and have released to the public domain. I’ve run it through its paces in as many ways as I can think of, and now it’s all yours to do with what you may. It’s a tiny little program with just three buttons, but just to have it all fully documented, here you go.
MergeC2D
Instructions
Run MergeC2D.exe
Click the “Load File” button and load your first C2D.
The merged file will use all the “Job Setup” settings from this main file.
Click the “Load File” button to load your next file.
You can merge as many files as you’d like.
The objects and toolpaths from each will be added to the merged file.
Note: You can merge the same file multiple times, even.
Click the “Save Merged File” button to save the merged file.
After you save a file, you can immediately click “Load File” to start your next set.
If you want to clear everything without saving, click the “Clear” button.
Usage Notes
The locations of the objects in each file are preserved.
The complete set of objects from each file are automatically grouped before merging.
Merging files with different units, zeroes, or stock sizes is no problem. The settings in the main file, i.e. the first you load, will be used.
Copy it, share it, bundle it with your own Windows software, sell it on eBay*, whatever. I’ve released it to the public domain, so it’s officially anyone’s to do with what they want.
Well, after an initial workout with MergeC2D, it’s solid. Working flawlessly so far.
The only minor “issue” I’ve found is that the window being a small static size without scrollbars hides the filenames if your files are buried in a deep directory structure.
Any chance you could unlock the window resizing functionality?
(I already figured I would, but allowing the form to resize means I have to move and resize all the controls around. Figured I’d start by getting it out there the easy way, then come back for the inevitable resizing.)
Good. Because there’s no way I’m going to be able to resell this on ebay if I can’t resize the window!
Seriously though, it’s not a big deal. It’s not like I’m going to forget the filenames I just selected (at least I hope not). Was just more of a ‘nice to have’.
thanks again!
Okay, and if anyone wants it in python, here you go. It’s basically functionally equivalent (merge any number of .c2d files, with the objects from each nicely grouped), but writing it in wonderful python leads to much less obtuse source code. I figured a tiny Windows GUI utility was worth the effort, but I for one would much rather go back to my terminal.
I threw it onto github, and I’m attaching it zipped here as well.
I was just playing around with a file (thinking about making something to render rulers at will, now that we can combine them in with our C2D files), and it turns out that you absolutely can set a 1/16" (exactly 1.5875 mm, by definition) grid size, just not through the Carbide Create UI. This one’s probably simple enough for anyone to do:
Custom Grid Size in Carbide Create
Open any .c2d file in a text editor.
I highly recommend something like Notepad++, as it’s free and it handles large files like a dream, unlike the native Notepad in Windows, which… does not.
Search for "grid_spacing" (with the double-quotes).
You will find one and only one item that looks like "grid_spacing": number, (where number is whatever your grid spacing was set to in Carbide Create).
Change number to whatever you want, in millimeters.
Carbide Create .c2d files store all data in metric, as is only right.
One inch is exactly 25.4 millimeters, by definition.
Save the .c2d file with your new grid size.
Open the .c2d file in Carbide Create, and as long as you don’t change your grid size, it will use the one from the file.
And for your convenience, here’s a ready-made empty 16ths.c2d file with a grid in 1/16", precisely. You can, of course, use it as a merge basis if you go back and adjust the Job Setup details except the grid. (I was chatting with someone and he asked about 1/32" spacing, as that’s what he uses to center lines when designing on his olde CarveWright machine. Yep, looks like that works, too, so why not attach it just for fun.)
And to get back nearer to the actual topic of the thread, I’ve been playing with a little ruler-maker script, just out of curiosity. I figured I’d do it in inch units, as that may be useful to someone, even if I always work in metric myself, and the powers-of-two make it look more interesting.)
With 1/32" tick marks and an XL/XXL sized ruler, the files were just getting too big for CC to handle well. It’d go “not responding” when selecting the ruler to move it around. Cutting it down to nothing smaller than 1/16" tick marks seemed to help, and cutting the length down to 24" made it seem to work decently well. (It’s fun when you can just tweak a line or two and get a built-to-order ruler, hehe.) So, is a 24" ruler in 1/16" useful? Too long? Too short? Not fine enough? Wastefully fine?
Anyway, here’s one to play with, 24" in 1/16ths, with a 1/16" grid size as well: Ruler24in16ths.c2d (136.7 KB)
(The digits are hand-drawn segment numbers to keep the file size down.)
oh sure, go ahead and automate it after i’ve gone through making them manually.
Anyway, I’ll attach one of mine here, in case anyone’s interested.
I did X and Y rulers, so you can measure both planes (I’m sure you’ll have your Y ruler coded up a few seconds after I post this )
I made a few different sizes. I’m sure as I start designing more parts, I’ll adjust these as needed, but this seemed like a good start. ruled_template_16x16_32nds.c2d (3.6 MB)
See Nathaniel’s post above about editing the c2d file directly and setting the grid_spacing variable there.
Apparently the 3 decimal limit is only part of the gui. Seems you can put almost any number of decimal places directly in the file itself.
Maybe you can nudge the devs to expand the gui limit?
That is correct. Can’t do it by entering it in the box in the UI, but editing it into the file works just fine (and the design window will gladly snap to it).
In other news, large files and CC 316’s toolpath groups broke the MergeC2D utility in Windows, so here’s a new copy (which I’ll also edit into the earlier posts). Note that merging from earlier files into CC 316 files should bring in the toolpaths (in a new toolpath group), but merging from CC 316 into an earlier version .c2d file will not preserve toolpaths at this point.
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