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Author Topic: Largest Size for Setup
OSLO
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OSLO
Post Largest Size for Setup
on: August 4, 2015, 15:47
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What is the largest format I can reasonably set up my Polargraph SD without losing significant fidelity? I am looking to draw fine detail onto the whole area of some A0 size sheets(or perhaps even larger). I currently have a setup of 510mm W by 1000mm H and I would like to continue to use the fidelity I am achieving with the machine at this size.

Olly
sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Largest Size for Setup
on: August 4, 2015, 19:51
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That'll be no problem. Fidelity at scale is to do with your physical setup, suspension, pen, speed etc. Otherwise it scales linearly, one step on the small machine is exactly the same as one step on a big machine.

On large machines, sudden movement leads to a lot more bouncing around if there's a bit of stretch in the cords.

sn
Bart
Newbie
Posts: 4
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Post Re: Largest Size for Setup
on: September 11, 2015, 12:09
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Hi, first post, noob, and a question about size as well.

One probably looses accuracy if the width of a drawing gets close to the width of the polygraph and an angle of the gondola-cords, close to 180 or 0 degrees probably results in problems as well.
Gravity s*cks... 🙂

Suppose I would build a 510mm (or other size) wide polargraph though, what would be the maximum width one can draw with reasonable accuracy ?

Is there some sort rule of thumb I can use, given stretch, pen, speed, equipment, etc are reasonably good ?

Bart.
sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Largest Size for Setup
on: September 11, 2015, 21:12
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Welcome Bart 🙂 I play it safe with a 15 or 20% margin on either side, and the top ... so your 500mm (ish) wide machine ends up with a drawable area of 300mm (ish) wide.

But it really is a matter of degrees - your cleanest, best controlled drawing is right in the middle, where the cords are perpendicular, any deviation from that results in a slight concession to gravity and friction, but if you can tolerate the distortion at the edges, by all means push it to the edges.

sn
Gregol
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Posts: 3
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Post Re: Largest Size for Setup
on: February 15, 2016, 20:30
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Hello Sandy,

Yeehaw! I finally have time to setup my Polargraph.

I just want to be sure with machine size / drawing area ratio. I will be using A1 paper (594x841mm) and I want to be able to do it portrait and landscape. So if I setup my machine width to the landscape width with the 20% margins (1177,4mm), I end up with 49% margins for my portrait setup. Is that too much? And where will the weaker drawing areas be?

Just asking before jumping into the trial and error adventure 🙂

Best
G

[EDIT] : Just found this great link you gave in the FAQ 🙂
http://2e5.com/plotter/V/design/
sandy
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Posts: 1317
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sandy
Post Re: Largest Size for Setup
on: February 15, 2016, 22:07
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Good to hear - better than never getting around to it 🙂

No such thing as too much margin either, a 1177mm wide made will be great - only thing to be aware of there is running out of cord for the taller drawings.

Drop me an email if you need some extra cord.

Bill Rasmussen's page at http://2e5.com/plotter/V/design/ has a good diagram of the Y-shaped "sweet spot", but there isn't really a problem with using the full drawing area, as long as you're happy to get artefacts in the edges, and the top. Some sudden or long movements are more likely to cause dropped steps in those areas too (actually more likely that the chain slips over the sprockets).

happy scribbling 🙂
sn
Gregol
Newbie
Posts: 3
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Post Re: Largest Size for Setup
on: February 16, 2016, 00:05
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Yeah hard for a nomad like me to find the time and space to do workshop fun stuff.

I am about to update the firmware, do you know if this mac app works well ?
http://paulkaplan.me/HexUploader/

G
sandy
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Posts: 1317
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sandy
Post Re: Largest Size for Setup
on: February 16, 2016, 20:40
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Not tried it, but it's probably just a wrapper around avrdude. Give it a shot 🙂

Just looked up your order - two years ago almost! There's not actually that much changed to the firmware in the meantime, but yes, grab the hex from the current polargraph_server_polarshield and give it an update.

I don't have a precompiled Controller app for mac, so you'll need to run from source - if you can benefit from it, https://github.com/euphy/polargraph/wiki/Running-the-controller-from-source-code has a guide on how to do it!

sn
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