Comments on: Todo: Hack the Slice cutter http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/ digital art by Christopher Thompson Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:01:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jerome http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1180 jerome Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:01:33 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1180 I'm intersesting by a method who was working. I try to duplicate my slice card with usbit a tool who do an image of my SD card but copy was not recognisze by my slice machine I’m intersesting by a method who was working.
I try to duplicate my slice card with usbit a tool who do an image of my SD card but copy was not recognisze by my slice machine

]]> By: Stitch http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1173 Stitch Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:02:59 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1173 Can anyone explain to me how to backup a slice card. I try to copy paste (with ctrl-A) but the machine does not recognize the copied card... What is the right method. Thanks for the answer. Can anyone explain to me how to backup a slice card.
I try to copy paste (with ctrl-A) but the machine does not recognize the copied card…
What is the right method.
Thanks for the answer.

]]> By: Tommy http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1169 Tommy Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:16:20 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1169 osirisandloki, copying the files was good but you don't get the directory structure that way, and all you get for names is windoze's interpretation of the names. Since the Slice don't run windoze you have no idea of silly things like word length. osirisandloki, copying the files was good but you don’t get the directory structure that way, and all you get for names is windoze’s interpretation of the names. Since the Slice don’t run windoze you have no idea of silly things like word length.

]]> By: osirisandloki http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1165 osirisandloki Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:31:08 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1165 Hey i was reading this thread. and was wondering if anyone knows how to correctly backup the design cards? I stuck them in my card reader and copied them to my pc as i do with everything (just in case) and one of my design cards had stopped working( i think it has something to do with my kids touching what they should not!!LOL) anyway i want to copy the files back to a sd card so i dont have to buy another copy (the reason why i back up in the first place) i tried to just copy the files back to a new sd card but it will not work in the slice machine...any thoughts??? Hey i was reading this thread. and was wondering if anyone knows how to correctly backup the design cards? I stuck them in my card reader and copied them to my pc as i do with everything (just in case) and one of my design cards had stopped working( i think it has something to do with my kids touching what they should not!!LOL) anyway i want to copy the files back to a sd card so i dont have to buy another copy (the reason why i back up in the first place) i tried to just copy the files back to a new sd card but it will not work in the slice machine…any thoughts???

]]> By: M http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1126 M Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:01:01 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1126 Still any news on this? Still any news on this?

]]> By: Anne http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1092 Anne Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:27:23 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1092 Any progress on this? Any progress on this?

]]> By: eagleapex http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1060 eagleapex Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:48:43 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1060 It's hard to match them with the files, but I will find which of these: http://www.whyslice.com/Products/categories/design-cards are on the card. It’s hard to match them with the files, but I will find which of these: http://www.whyslice.com/Products/categories/design-cards are on the card.

]]> By: Aaron http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-1059 Aaron Mon, 20 Dec 2010 04:43:41 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-1059 If you look at the Tinnus website, the folk who actually created the Slice, you'll see they mention computer software for designing your own shapes. I wonder if Making Memories is waiting to release it. Can someone post info on what the shapes look like from the iso? If you look at the Tinnus website, the folk who actually created the Slice, you’ll see they mention computer software for designing your own shapes. I wonder if Making Memories is waiting to release it.

Can someone post info on what the shapes look like from the iso?

]]> By: eagleapex http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-788 eagleapex Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:07:24 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-788 Wow. What a popular post. I am still out of my depth with this, but my recent experience with the Cupcake CNC makes me think that there is something resembling Gcode in these binaries. Now, how do we dissect it to make our own? I'm uploading the disk image if anyone wants to hack around. It will be in the post. Wow. What a popular post.
I am still out of my depth with this, but my recent experience with the Cupcake CNC makes me think that there is something resembling Gcode in these binaries. Now, how do we dissect it to make our own?
I’m uploading the disk image if anyone wants to hack around. It will be in the post.

]]> By: Justa http://eagleApex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/comment-page-1/#comment-787 Justa Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:37:12 +0000 http://eagleapex.com/2009/07/10/todo-hack-the-slice-cutter/#comment-787 I've had my hands on the device too. The SD-cards can be copied; at least using a 'dd' on a *nix system to bit-copy the cards works fine. Not sure about just regular 'file-copy'; didnt try. About the files: there's a couple of interesting things going on. Both cards I had access to ('basics' and 'think pink' had the same directory structure. Basically both containing an '11.dat' and '12.dat'; a well as a '11' and '12' directory. there's a file called 'fdata.txt' containing '2' '11' '12' on three lines. It seems to be the index of what's available. The '12' dir was empty on both cards; the '11' dir contains a hierarchy that corresponds to the available sections and the designs therein.. First: there's also the 'mspboot.bin' and 'Utils' directory; those seem related to the firmware/capabilities; as well as graphics for the built-in dialogs. As for the designs. Some general observations. Each design seems to have a series of numbered files associated to it, named '*.bn*' (from memory). And has a .dot file. The .dot file seems similar in size (1552 bytes, if i recall correctly) in all the designs. The numbered files contain the actual designs and, if I am not mistaking, are not so much 'vector-based', as more an instruction-set for the stepper-motors to follow. So; a straight line from left to right would contain a series of commands for the horizontal motor to step right, and the vertical motor to stay in place. Think of a kind of punch-card type system for a street-organ or a jaquard-loom. I got to this conclusion based on looking at the files for the triangle and the square design in the basics set. If you open it with a text-editor/dumper.. you will see a pre-amble; then a number of repeating patterns broken by 3 (triangle) or 4 (square) differently-looking patterns. There's gonna be some opcodes in there for raising/dropping the knife, etc, too; as well as going to the origin first; and returning to 'base position' when done, perhaps. In any case; it looks way too convoluted to be simple vector-based design. And it looks too small to be pixel-based (and the device would have to be pretty powerful to go from pixel->outline all by itself). Another observation is that the positioning-system of the device doesnt seem to be X/Y-based. Instead, it seems that the pen can rotate around the device's centerpoint and can translate away from there to the sides/corners. If the design-files are 'raw commands for the stepper-motors'; there's a chance that the instructions are based on a polar-grid geometry; not rectangular So; there goes my braindump. Any comments ? I’ve had my hands on the device too. The SD-cards can be copied; at least using a ‘dd’ on a *nix system to bit-copy the cards works fine. Not sure about just regular ‘file-copy’; didnt try.
About the files: there’s a couple of interesting things going on. Both cards I had access to (‘basics’ and ‘think pink’ had the same directory structure. Basically both containing an ’11.dat’ and ’12.dat’; a well as a ’11′ and ’12′ directory. there’s a file called ‘fdata.txt’ containing ’2′ ’11′ ’12′ on three lines. It seems to be the index of what’s available.
The ’12′ dir was empty on both cards; the ’11′ dir contains a hierarchy that corresponds to the available sections and the designs therein..
First: there’s also the ‘mspboot.bin’ and ‘Utils’ directory; those seem related to the firmware/capabilities; as well as graphics for the built-in dialogs.

As for the designs. Some general observations.
Each design seems to have a series of numbered files associated to it, named ‘*.bn*’ (from memory). And has a .dot file.

The .dot file seems similar in size (1552 bytes, if i recall correctly) in all the designs.
The numbered files contain the actual designs and, if I am not mistaking, are not so much ‘vector-based’, as more an instruction-set for the stepper-motors to follow.
So; a straight line from left to right would contain a series of commands for the horizontal motor to step right, and the vertical motor to stay in place. Think of a kind of punch-card type system for a street-organ or a jaquard-loom.

I got to this conclusion based on looking at the files for the triangle and the square design in the basics set. If you open it with a text-editor/dumper.. you will see a pre-amble; then a number of repeating patterns broken by 3 (triangle) or 4 (square) differently-looking patterns.
There’s gonna be some opcodes in there for raising/dropping the knife, etc, too; as well as going to the origin first; and returning to ‘base position’ when done, perhaps.

In any case; it looks way too convoluted to be simple vector-based design. And it looks too small to be pixel-based (and the device would have to be pretty powerful to go from pixel->outline all by itself).

Another observation is that the positioning-system of the device doesnt seem to be X/Y-based. Instead, it seems that the pen can rotate around the device’s centerpoint and can translate away from there to the sides/corners.
If the design-files are ‘raw commands for the stepper-motors’; there’s a chance that the instructions are based on a polar-grid geometry; not rectangular

So; there goes my braindump. Any comments ?

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