CAD CAM CNC routing workflow

After experimenting with many different programs for CAD (3D design) and CAM (turning that design into code for a CNC router), I've come up with a good workflow using easy and free tools:

• Google Sketchup
• guitar-list.com Sketchup plugin for converting a model to an STL file
• FreeMill
• Mach3 (which was included with the CNC routing table)

The process that works for me is

1. design a 3D model in Sketchup
2. export the model to an STL file using the guitar-list.com plugin
3. load that STL file into FreeMill
4. generate the toolpath and post it to a G-code text file
5. import the G-code into Mach3 and run it on the CNC machine

Hopefully this will be simple enough for students to start designing and cutting things.

notes from the tablet symposium

I recently attended a Tablet Symposium hosted by the ATLE (Alberta Technology Leaders in Education) where a number of vendors presented their current or upcoming tablets. While there we added information to a specifications spreadsheet, and what follows are my personal impressions from that symposium, in the order that the presentations occurred.

HP
WebOS is very cool, and I think they will be a major player. Good integration with their smart phones, similar to RIM. I'll be interested when these products finally come out. I really like their inductive charging.

Toshiba
They seemed to say, "We'll also be making tablets in the future, both Android and Windows."

Asus
Eee Pad Transformer is awesome. $400, decent specs, and a keyboard dock that turns it into a laptop and doubles the battery life. My favorite of the event. The Slider and MeMO look decent too, but I'm not interested in their Windows 7 tablet, even though it's available now.

RIM
Integrates with your BlackBerry, works without it too. Committed to the seven inch size for thumb typing and portability, which I like.

Dell

I'm not impressed with the Dell Streak 5 and 7. Android 2.2 and relatively low resolution makes them seem like big phones. The convertible Inspiron Duo netbook/tablet is not bad if you're wanting a Windows netbook anyway.

Samsung
The current Galaxy Tab is overpriced and not competitive any more, there's not much information available about the attractive upcoming Android 3.0 tablets.

Acer
Android 3.0, Windows 7, decent specs, not much information on price or availability.

Motorola
The Xoom is nice, good specs, Android 3.0, cheaper than the equivalent iPad, and available now.

So if I had to rank my favorites, off the top of my head based on my impressions, I'd say:

1. Asus Eee Pad Transformer
2. Motorola Xoom
3. HP TouchPad
4. BlackBerry Playbook

A number of the things we saw were pre-production, so don't hold me to this list, but I just wanted to write some quick off-the-cuff remarks.

---
Edit: One of my colleagues wanted to add that although his overall impression was positive, it would have been beneficial for us to have more play time with the devices, rather than just passing them around the room. He also wanted to note that he too was impressed with the Motorola Xoom and the Asus Eee Pad.

disabling user input

For example, if you are running Xibo for digital signage and don't want anyone to be able to close the program (or do anything on the computer).

Using AutoIT, the following script (which can be compiled to an .exe file) will block user input until a Notepad window is detected, which is just my way of saying BlockInput forever.

BlockInput(1)
WinWaitActive("Untitled - Notepad")

Unfortunately this does not block the "three finger salute" (Alt Ctrl Delete). Using AutoHotkey, which I am somewhat more familiar with, you can disable the task manager. Again this can be compiled into an executable.

; This script disables the task manager, and re-enables it with the key combination Windows + 1

Regwrite, REG_SZ, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\taskmgr.exe, Debugger, Hotkey Disabled
return

#1::
gosub Enable
return

Enable:
RegDelete,HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\taskmgr.exe
return

ExitSub:
RegDelete,HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\taskmgr.exe
ExitApp
return

And to call this compiled script from the AutoIt script that we first talked about:

BlockInput(1)
RunAs(username, @ComputerName, password, 2, DisableTaskManager.exe)
WinWaitActive("Untitled - Notepad")


Edit:
It seems that AutoIT has RegWrite and RegDelete functions, of course. I rewrite the script(s) accordingly.

transferring videos to my 5th generation iPod (with video) on Ubuntu

This is more for my own notes, so that I remember if I have to do this again.

1. HandBrake to transcode the videos to a format appropriate for playback on the iPod
2. install gtkpod
• sudo apt-get install gtkpod
3. install support for m4v files in gtkpod
• sudo apt-get install libmp4v2-0
4. transfer the files by drag and drop onto the iPod in gtkpod

ideas of things to build

I have a number of projects on the back burner, or in most cases still in the cupboard, so I wanted to write some of them down here. You know, in case anyone is interested in helping or can point me to where these have already been constructed. Some are software, some are hardware, most are related to education.

1. web app for bulk deleting users from Google Apps for Education (using Google App Engine)
2. application allowing users to automatically add anyone who uses a particular hash tag to a Twitter list, similar to blastfollow (using Oauth, and perhaps Google App Engine or Chrome Web Store)
3. something similar to Blippy for automatic sharing of which library books you have signed out
4. an Android tablet app similar to Proloquo2Go for augmentative and alternative communication
5. interfacing Vernier probes and sensors with a LaunchPad or Teensy
6. locking shelf for securing (and syncing) multiple iPods in a classroom (using just a 2x4, a door hinge, and a lock plate)
7. iPad cart or shelf similar to the Bretford Mobility Cart
8. locking carrying case for six netbooks (for WISEST)
9. real time control of a Mitsubishi Movemaster RM-101 robot arm using a keyboard or joystick (in BASIC)

I'm no Ben Heck, so I'd appreciate any help or direction with any of these.

iPad Guitar version 3

On episode 1422 of Buzz Out Loud, JC from San Diego suggested an iPad guitar with iPhones as frets. I only had one iPhone lying around, so I had to use my Android phone and my old iPod Touch. I used Lego for the neck, since Mega Bloks are a little bit big.

I think the next step will be to carve something like this out of a 2x4.

iPad Guitar from Mega Bloks version 2

I built a better version of my original iPad Guitar with Mega Bloks.

(Dis)Assembly video

I'm learning how to drive a CNC router, so a wooden version may be forthcoming.