XY Plotter V2.0 mDraw Version &XY Plotter V2.0 Laser Engrave mDraw Version Release Post

#1

HI，Everyone.
XY Plotter V2.0 mDraw Version & XY Plotter V2.0 Laser Engrave mDraw Version has been officially released on learn.makeblock.cc.

A:mDraw for XY Plotter V2.0

mDraw is an cross-platform open-source software developed by Makeblock.
Compatibility: XY Plotter kit (servo mode, laser mode) ,mDrawBot (mScara, mCar, mEggBot, mSpider)
OS Environment: Windows, Mac, Linux
Supported File Type: *.svg, *.bmp (convert to *.svg)

  1. IronMan
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2.Hatsune Miku <img src="/uploads/default/1094/a38cf2cf5cfd3321.png" width=“690”

Download:learn.makeblock.cc/xy2/

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B:mDraw for XY plotter V2.0 laser

a) XY Plotter V2.0+ Laser Engraver Upgrade Pack
With the special designed Laser Engraver Upgrade Pack, XY Plotter V2.0 could upgrade to a laser engraver with maximum working area 300mm×350mm, precision 0.1mm. .
Compatibility: XY Plotter kit (servo mode, laser mode) ,mDrawBot (mScara, mCar, mEggBot, mSpider),
OS Environment: Windows, Mac, Linux
Supported File Type: *.svg, *.bmp (convert to *.svg)

Supported Engrave Materials:

Wood boards, colorful paper cards, dark opaque acrylic, foam papers, dark cloth, leather, etc.

Supported Cutting Materials:

Colorful paper cards, foam papers, etc.

  1. Bugatti

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  2. Chinese characters engraved<img src="/uploads/default/1098/46d1e0aff9135fd6.png" width=“690”

  3. NH90<img src="/uploads/default/1099/4d3c9f0155b4016c.png" width=“690”

  4. Fish<img src="/uploads/default/1100/02ebc86529bcd300.png" width="690"
    Download:learn.makeblock.cc/laserxy2/

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#2

I downloaded mdrawsetup.exe from the Github link, but on Windows XP 32-bit it closes with an error saying illegal instruction, and on Windows 7 64-bit it says it is not suitable for that version of Windows. Have I missed a download link? The only ones I could find to get the software were in the PDFs for the Plotter and the Laser Upgrade.

Edit to Add:

The link in the PDF is pointing to an incorrect folder. Go back up to get to the distribution master

The link in the PDF here

Takes you to here

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Which is the wrong place.

Click on the mDrawBot part of the title and you get to here:

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Where you can download the Zip and unpack all the files.

The great news is that it then works straight off (Don’t forget to alter those stepper control switches), and on Windows XP 32-bit, Yay!

And, it’s in Python. I’ve been looking for a reason to learn that language. A big thanks to all the crowd at MakeBlock.

#3

Thank you!

A.Click on the hyperlink shown below.

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B.Click mDrawSetup.exe

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C.Download the software.

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#4
#5

A quick question: what versions of Python and PyQt are required if I want to rebuild the executable from source?

Edit to Add

Looks like Python 2 and PyQt4, as although I could amend the code to get rid of all the errors in Python 3, it then got really messed up with trying to resolve PyQT4 calls from a PyQt5 install.

For those who want to try building it from the source, as well as Python 2.7 and PyQt4, you will need to get the serial module as it doesn’t seem to be in the standard Python distributable.

#6

it is python 2.7 and pyqt4, you may import the source directory into eclipse with pydev. some extra dependency like pyserial is required.

#7

It does not work properly!!

Benbox works perfectly with my newly constructed XY Plotter, but mDraw does not.

If you click on the mDraw drawing space to move the pen, SOMETIMES the plotter pen moves to the correct place, but often not, instead one of the axes will move but not the other, or the pen will move in the wrong direction. If you then click on ‘home’ either nothing happens or the pen again moves to the wrong place. Its difficult to describe, but its as though the software ‘loses track’ of where the pen actually is. Its very random and difficult to identify a pattern, but it makes the software completly useless.

I’ve tried redownloading the software several time and re-uploading the driver to the Orion Board, but nothing I do fixes it.

Benbox works perfectly, so its not a problem with my machine.

Such a pity because mDraw looks to be potentially a better option than Benbox.

Harvey

#8

Hi,

Is there any place to report bugs in mDraw for the XY plotter? There are so many reproducable problems that it would be nice to track them somewhere and get information when they will be fixed.

Regards,
Mike

#9

You can sent email to support@makeblock.cc or our github
Thanks!

#10

Thanks. I submitted two issues on Github already. I will probably report more the next days…

#11

Hi There,
From what I’m reading, this thing can cut paper and craft foam.
Has any one worked with cardboard or chipboard?
I’m just looking to see if this thing can cut more structural materials.
Thanks!
bk

#12

I don’t think so. The power is only 500mW. If you don’t want to cut but just etch, it may be useful for you. Thanks

#13

I have been able to cut card and thin wood veneer of 0.5 mm using the laser, but I have replaced the acrylic lens with a glass lens, I don’t know if this would have given an improvement over the laser as supplied.

#14

Actually we don’t try it before, you can try it safely and share the result with us!
Thanks

#15

I have found a problem with the latest mDrawGui, the release dated 20150823. When I try to run it, I find that the X and Y axes are shown as different to the way I assembled my machine, and the machine no longer moves around the bed in response to moving the cross-hairs. When I try the Home function the machine moves to one axis but does not stop and instead shakes and rattles until I power the board down. I have looked through the supplied PDF files but there are no instructions for any changes to the wiring. The pen can be raised and lowered, and when using the gear button I can see the limit switches reacting to my pressing them, and I have tried changing the stepper motor rotation direction, but it makes no difference. If I try loading a picture and drawing it the motors try to drive the pen the wrong way against the ends of the machine and ignore the limit switches. Effectively, I have an XY Plotter that works with the first release of mDraw, Benbox and GRemote, but not with the most recent release.

My plotter works perfectly with GRemote, Benbox, and the initial mDraw release from March 2015. What have I missed? I saw no announcement that I needed to rewire the plotter to make it compatible with the other robots.

Looking through the forums I can’t find any announcement either.

#16

I had already forwarded your issue to our product manager - ander@makeblock.cc, he will provide solution soon.

#17

I have experimented further today and have been able to get the XY Plotter to work as I would expect it to by making changes in the Arduino code, effectively ignoring the wire diagram. The changes are quite simple, in the Home section I have assigned the Y-limit switches to control the movement of stepper B, and the X-limit switched to control stepper A, then in the initRoboSetup section, by reversing the way motor directions are assigned, should anybody else be wanting to solve this problem.

// init motor direction
// yzj, match to standard connection of xy
// A = x, B = y
if(roboSetup.data.motoADir==0){
motorAfw=1;motorAbk=-1; // keeping my directions
}else{
motorAfw=-1;motorAbk=1;
}
if(roboSetup.data.motoBDir==0){
motorBfw=1;motorBbk=-1; // keeping my directions
}else{
motorBfw=-1;motorBbk=1;
}

#18

Please email to ander@makeblock.cc to get coding support directly. Thx

#19

Hi,

ist the new version also Python 2.7 and pyqt4?

After Import, eclipse says there are over 1000 errors in the scripts

#20

Python 3.4 and pyqt5