At the request of a number of people at the Ornamental Turning Symposium, I've made my 3D Rose Engine Surface simulator software available.
This software enables the user to visualize a 3D view of the surface cut by an ornamental lathe. Whether you have an inexpensive MDF Rose Engine or a restored Holtzapffel ornamental lathe, you will find this software helpful to you. Rather than the traditional trial-and-error approach (which can take hours in the shop), you can quickly simulate the appearance of a piece on the computer. Once you have a pattern you like, print out the details of the location of each cut and then go to the shop and make some sawdust.
A brief tutorial video is on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbvlJgGensM
There are Help files built into the software (instead of separate documentation) that will be good to read. There are also a number of simple examples in the download. The software is complex and will require some practice to understand.
I've tried the software on a Mac (OS X 10.6.6), Windows XP and Windows 7, as well as Ubuntu Linux. It appears that the software will NOT run on older PowerPC Macs. If you have installation problems, email me directly (don't clutter up the forum). Download the software at:
http://software.billooms.com/resurface.html
Give it a try. If there's sufficient interest, I'll make my advanced version available (using universal cutting frames, eccentric cutting frames, and profiled cutters). The Advanced features will push the processing limits of high-end computers. (That is, the rendering will take some time. It will run on slower machines, just slower.)
Welcome to the 21st century of ornamental turning!
This software enables the user to visualize a 3D view of the surface cut by an ornamental lathe. Whether you have an inexpensive MDF Rose Engine or a restored Holtzapffel ornamental lathe, you will find this software helpful to you. Rather than the traditional trial-and-error approach (which can take hours in the shop), you can quickly simulate the appearance of a piece on the computer. Once you have a pattern you like, print out the details of the location of each cut and then go to the shop and make some sawdust.
A brief tutorial video is on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbvlJgGensM
There are Help files built into the software (instead of separate documentation) that will be good to read. There are also a number of simple examples in the download. The software is complex and will require some practice to understand.
I've tried the software on a Mac (OS X 10.6.6), Windows XP and Windows 7, as well as Ubuntu Linux. It appears that the software will NOT run on older PowerPC Macs. If you have installation problems, email me directly (don't clutter up the forum). Download the software at:
http://software.billooms.com/resurface.html
Give it a try. If there's sufficient interest, I'll make my advanced version available (using universal cutting frames, eccentric cutting frames, and profiled cutters). The Advanced features will push the processing limits of high-end computers. (That is, the rendering will take some time. It will run on slower machines, just slower.)
Welcome to the 21st century of ornamental turning!
