Blender CAM 0 8 0

Blender CAM 0 8 0

Let me present you the new version:

new features:

ramps with parallel strategy

- new strategy - curve to path. Enables to tweak paths manually.
-support splitting of large files. This is a machine setting. Splits into files always after a limit of operations per file is reached.-files can be exported now after computation, e.g. if you only change feedrate. This is also faster when you try to tweak your settings.
-operations now can start in the +z or -z area, this was requested on the forum.
-improvement for ramps - these now work with bridges, and are enabled for more strategies.
-experimental feature - more outlines for cutout operation. Is useful for making more space for chips, or to make more space around the piece because of shank. Doesnt support bridges nor sorting!-improved ramps, now work for almost any operation. They now work as zig zag for non-looped paths, so that the cut starts at the beggining of the path. works also with bridges for cutout.






-print progress in the operations list, rather than in header.
-waterline works a tiny bit better.
-if loading files from older files, you need to switch to blender CAM in the top header.

slicing

-basic slicing of objects, for cutting 3d objects from plywood. Just start of this, your ideas are welcome!













optimization:
-new library called Shapely can speedup pocket operations calculation up to 20X, and makes all offseting of 2d paths faster. Shapely gets installed similar to Polygon and numpy.
-many small optimizations made generation of large files about 35-30% faster.


fixes:
-fix pocket operation missing small rest spots, this happened if stepover was larger than cutter radius.
-drill paths work with object groups
-brought back some panels that went missing in last version
- a lot of small fixes




some little tools accessible through operator menu:

-boolean operation for Curve Objects-object silhouette offset, works for curves and low-poly meshes

background work:
- lots of code reshuffling, improvement in readability, so more coders can join the project
- start of testing framework
- starts for some new strategies.

Big thanks go to everybody:
-Giovanni Bianchessi, Bernhard Braun for doing Mac and Linux version 
-everyone who gives feedback and gives images to the gallery, or contributes in any other way
-everyone who donates money
-the people who started contributing code(which will hopefully be in next releases, but I am so happy about this, I have to mention it already now ;)