Add option to choose between imperial and metric on first launch
Issue #275
resolved
Add option to choose between imperial and metric on first launch, and populate tools with sane defaults accordingly.
Changing units in 8.91b currently does not convert the tool diameters, nor do the tools seem to have units associated with them.
Comments (6)
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Well, it is obviously the users responsibility to make sure the values are safe for the cnc. However, it would be easier to get started with somewhat sane defaults.
The safety argument makes sense, but in that case, I would suggest increasing the default travel z from the current
0.1, which is a sane default for imperial, and not really safe for metric.That being said, this issue could be solved by bundling an additional
factory_defaults_metric.FlatConfig. -
Well, this is a job that you are doing it once and you are done. I am sorry, but I for one won't mess with them. But yes, you are right about the Z_travel. I will change it asap to a more safe one.
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reporter
I am not saying this is something that must be done now. I'm just noting that this is something that might be nice to have some time in the future.
The settings are a little spread out, and settings which are essentially the same but for different operations all need to be changed. For example, fixing z travel on engraving might still leave you bit-breaking close for cutout (I'm not very familiar with the options yet, so this might be a bad example - but I did see z-travel 3 times in the config). I'm not saying the configurability is bad, I love being able to tweak all the things, but I do miss sane-ish defaults to get started.
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@Oddstr13 , In the latest commit 06fb48e I've added support on defaults conversion on units conversion. So, after FlatCAM starts first time it will be in Inch but after changing the units to Metric, all the pertinent values in the Preferences are changed accordingly.
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- changed status to resolved
Solved in commit 06fb48e
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Hi @Oddstr13,
First, the initial default values are just safe values. It is the user responsibility to document itself and then adjust the default values to working values. I have bolded the 'working' because what is working for one setup may not work on another. We can't cover every situation.
Once you make the defaults adjustment's they will be stored and used everytime the app is started.
Secondly, I don't think that there is so much switching between imperial units and metric units. I have shaped the application just like I use it (I have a bias for metric units as this is what I am using) although the defaults were inherited from FlatCAM 8.5 in which JP (the software creator) instilled his own bias (imperial system).
I have left them as they are because the values are safe as starting values for a CNC working in imperial units and more so for a CNC working in metric system (due of MM being 25.4 smaller as values compared with the ones in INCH).
Bottom line is that you should make your own (educated) settings before using your CNC. Don't expect that some random values will fit your setup. The default values are not there to get you started, they are there because the application needs some values to start and then the user can adjust them to his liking.