Skip to content

Conversation

Copy link
Contributor

Copilot AI commented Dec 13, 2025

The CNC layout required manual cleanup before machine import due to text labels and vertical row arrangement.

Changes

  • Layout arrangement: Converted from multi-row (vertical) to single horizontal line, left-to-right

    • 19 parts: 4 side panels → crossmember → bucket bottom → standing deck → 2 bucket sides → 4 wheel mounts → 6 cylinder lugs
    • Dimensions: ~9.81m wide × 1.4m tall
  • Text removal: Eliminated all text() calls (part labels, title, legend)

    • Output ready for direct CNC software import
  • Parametric positioning: Sequential position calculation using unique variables

    // Part dimensions derived from parameter file
    side_panel_width_rotated = MACHINE_HEIGHT;  // ~1000mm
    
    // Positions calculated sequentially (OpenSCAD no variable reassignment)
    x_pos_0 = START_X;
    x_pos_1 = x_pos_0 + side_panel_width_rotated + SPACING;
    x_pos_2 = x_pos_1 + side_panel_width_rotated + SPACING;
    • Formula: pos[n] = pos[n-1] + width[n-1] + SPACING
    • Spacing set to 25.4mm (~1 inch) between all parts
    • Added total_layout_width variable that parametrically sums all distances
    • Automatically adjusts when part dimensions change in lifetrac_v25_params.scad
  • Documentation: Added CNCLAYOUT_CHANGES.md with usage examples and technical details

Original prompt

in the cnc layout, please arrange the parts from left to right. and also lets remove any text from the layout. this should be used for sending directly into a cnc machine's software. please make sure none of the parts are overlapping. the spacing should be done parametrically in case sizes change in teh future.

Created from VS Code.


💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.

Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Arrange CNC layout parts from left to right Refactor CNC layout to horizontal arrangement without text labels Dec 13, 2025
Copilot AI requested a review from dorkmo December 13, 2025 17:20
@dorkmo dorkmo marked this pull request as ready for review December 13, 2025 17:28
Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings December 13, 2025 17:28
Copy link
Contributor

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Pull request overview

This PR refactors the CNC layout file to optimize it for direct CNC machine import by arranging parts in a single horizontal line and removing all text labels. The changes implement parametric spacing based on actual part dimensions to prevent overlaps when dimensions change.

  • Converted multi-row layout to single horizontal left-to-right arrangement of 19 parts
  • Removed all text labels (text() calls) and updated layout_part() function signature
  • Implemented parametric position calculations using sequential unique variables to comply with OpenSCAD's no-reassignment requirement

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 3 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

File Description
LifeTrac-v25/mechanical_design/openscad/cnclayout.scad Refactored from multi-row to horizontal layout with parametric positioning; removed text labels and part_name parameter from layout_part() function
LifeTrac-v25/mechanical_design/openscad/CNCLAYOUT_CHANGES.md Added comprehensive documentation covering layout changes, usage instructions, technical details, and compatibility notes

💡 Add Copilot custom instructions for smarter, more guided reviews. Learn how to get started.

side_panel_height_rotated = WHEEL_BASE; // ~1400mm (becomes height when rotated)

// Rear crossmember dimensions
crossmember_width = TRACK_WIDTH + SANDWICH_SPACING + PANEL_THICKNESS * 2; // ~1152mm
Copy link

Copilot AI Dec 13, 2025

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

The comment states the crossmember width is approximately 1152mm, but based on the formula and parameter values (TRACK_WIDTH=900 + SANDWICH_SPACING=120 + PANEL_THICKNESS*2=25.4), the actual calculated width is approximately 1045.4mm. The comment should be updated to reflect the correct calculated dimension.

Suggested change
crossmember_width = TRACK_WIDTH + SANDWICH_SPACING + PANEL_THICKNESS * 2; // ~1152mm
crossmember_width = TRACK_WIDTH + SANDWICH_SPACING + PANEL_THICKNESS * 2; // ~1045mm

Copilot uses AI. Check for mistakes.
Copy link
Contributor

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

@copilot can you parametrically get the dimensions of each plate and sum the distance to each piece then each subsequent piece. And define a universal distance between the pieces, about an inch?

Copy link
Contributor Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Updated the layout to use parametric dimensions with spacing set to 25.4mm (~1 inch) as requested. The positions are calculated sequentially where each part's position = previous position + previous width + spacing. Also added a total_layout_width variable that sums all distances. Total layout is now ~9.81m wide. Changes in commit 273b323.


## Layout Dimensions

- **Total Width**: ~9.9 meters
Copy link

Copilot AI Dec 13, 2025

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

The documented total width of approximately 9.9 meters appears to be slightly overestimated. Based on the part dimensions and spacing calculations, the actual total width is approximately 9.7 meters (parts: 9345mm + spacings: 360mm + start offset: 10mm = 9715mm). Consider updating this value for accuracy.

Suggested change
- **Total Width**: ~9.9 meters
- **Total Width**: ~9.7 meters (9715mm)

Copilot uses AI. Check for mistakes.
@dorkmo dorkmo merged commit 803b62e into main Dec 14, 2025
@dorkmo dorkmo deleted the copilot/arrange-parts-cnc-layout branch December 14, 2025 00:19
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

None yet

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

2 participants