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APPENDIX A - MACHINE

CONFIGURATION

The CNC module in BoardCAD version 2.0 has been
specifically developed for the Shapebot machine
(www.shapebot.com), but can be configured to work with
most types of 3-axis and 4-axis machines.

The machine configuration is done in a text file named
shapebot.properties. This file should be placed in your home
directory when using java webstart, or in the same directory
as BoardCAD.jar when using the standalone executable jar-
file. Note that you have to download this file separately from
BoardCAD as it is not included in the jar-file. You will also
need to download or create a model of your tool as an STL-
file.

The Shapebot

In order to configure the machine interface it is necessary to
know what the different parameters refer to, and how the
Shapebot operates. The Shapebot is available with either
three or four axis. The coordinate system is shown in the
figure below. The X-axis goes along the surfboard, Y from
right to left, Z upwards, and A rotates clockwise around the
X-axis. The home position (0,0,0) is placed in the lower left
corner.

The blank is put on two fixed supports (support1 and
support2), where each support has two fixed cups of given
radius and separated by a given width. The tail of the blank
is put against a movable end support (supportEnd). When
configuring the machine it is advisable to put the end
support at a position that allows your most common blanks
to rest evenly on the supports. We will later describe how to
handle the case when you need to move the end support.

The shapebot can optionally be equipped with a laser probe.