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A simple tool to convert PNG images to GCODE for plotting machines

Environment Info (conda)

This project utilizes conda to manage the environment. To create the environment, run conda create --name gcodepainter python=3.8 and activate the environment with conda activate gcodepainter.

Required Dependencies

The following dependencies are required to run this project (included in requirements.txt):

• Python 3.8 (this is SPECIFICALLY required to ensure compatibility)
• rich
• opencv-python
• numpy
• opencv-contrib-python
• flask

Other Info & Installation

Please clone my git repository with git clone https://github.com/PhysCorp/gcodepainter.git.

1. Ensure that python3, python3-pip, and anaconda are installed on your system. Anaconda can be retrieved from here. If you are on Windows, you can install anaconda with chocolatey using choco install anaconda3.
2. If not done from above, create a conda environment with conda create --name gcodepainter python=3.8.
3. Activate the conda environment with conda activate gcodepainter.
4. Install the requirements with python3 -m pip install -r requirements.txt.
5. Run python3 main.py to start the program. By default, it launches the Flask GUI, available at http://localhost:5000/.
6. (Optional) To install Pronterface for direct printing to plotting machines, please follow the instructions here. Pronterface standalone EXE must be placed in the tools directory, and named pronterface.exe.

Here are some example commands to run the program:

# Run the program with the GUI with all defaults
python3 main.py

# Run in standalone mode with input filename = "test.png" in the temp folder, and output filename = "test.gcode" in the temp folder
python3 main.py --webui=false --input="test.png" --output="test.gcode"

Additional commands and documentation are available with python3 main.py --help.

Coming soon: Task Runner support!

Program defaults

input -> "input.png"
output -> "output.gcode"
maximum_x -> 613
maximum_y -> 548
initial_speed -> 50000
border_x -> 50
border_y -> 50
debug -> False
display -> False
dwell_time -> 10000
acceleration -> 1000
camera_number -> 0
pi_mode -> False
input_pin -> 17 if "pi_mode" == False, else 0
execute -> False
webui -> True
camera_bounds -> "(150,60)(515,435)"

Note

To view the generated GCODE, we include a link to view the GCODE on an open-source plotting webpage at https://nraynaud.github.io/webgcode/. You are required to paste in the GCODE yourself. Alternatively, you can download the GCODE file directly. This program also supports the ability to execute the GCODE directly to a plotting machine, if you have one connected to your computer and if you have Pronterface installed on your WINDOWS computer.

Uninstall

1. Deactivate the conda environment with conda deactivate.
2. Remove the conda environment with conda remove --name gcodepainter --all.

More Info

For more information, please also refer to the docs folder in the repository, which contains a project report!