Node editing is often referred to as the height of the ARCBRO CAD/CAM difficulty level. This aspect of creating parts takes time and accurate calculation. We encourage our customers to dive into node editing to reduce the amount of g-code that the ARCBRO CNC plasma cutting table has to read in order to cut out the file. The fewer the lines of g-code, the better the table is going to run. ACCUMOVE® motion control technology reads lines of g-code faster than any other air-plasma CNC controller on the market, but the simplicity of the g-code helps the stepper motors to maintain fluid motion.
This video goes over the two different types of nodes: polyarcs and polygons. We encourage our customers to get used to drawing with polyarc nodes as this will create fewer nodes and simplify the resulting g-code. All of the commands and tools in the polyarc node editing palette are included in the polygon node editing palette. The polygon palette includes three additional node conversions that allow the designer to choose the behavior of that node. Each feature in the node editing palettes is summarized in the video.
We also teach our viewers about the different node editing quick keys that will reduce the amount of time you invest in node editing. The most frequently used node editing quick key is “u”. Pressing “u” on the keyboard when you have your nodes selected automatically deselects every other node. This gives you a chance to delete these nodes to reduce the lines of g-code in your cut file.
We also tell you about the “o” hot key that makes any image into a perfect circle, and the “Control W” command that turns on the “snap to grid” feature. This allows you to hit defined coordinates when you are designing with the pencil tool. It also allows you to drag and drop objects into very specific coordinates within your cutting area. The node editing aspect of ARCBRO CAD/CAM takes practice, so challenge yourself by reducing a complex file into a bare-bones design that looks relatively similar.