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AxiDraw Software 3.1

19 Jan 07:27
@oskay oskay
v3.1.0
3fc7991
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AxiDraw Software 3.1

A minor feature release, with significant performance improvements.

Getting the software

Inkscape (GUI) software releases are hosted at https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Axidraw_Software_Installation (short link: https://axidraw.com/sw ). Formats include Mac and Windows installers, as well as a direct ZIP download for manual installation on Mac, Windows, or Linux, or for making your own use of the source code. These installers also include the latest EggBot and WaterColorBot software for Inkscape. An archive for manual installation is attached to this release as well.

Python/CLI API releases are hosted at https://axidraw.com/doc/py_api/ and https://axidraw.com/doc/cli_api/ , which are the documentation sites for those two APIs. Both contain a permalink to the latest release of the API download as well as installation instructions. An archive for manual installation is attached to this release as well.

Key changes

  • Significantly faster processing of the SVG document before starting a plot or rendering a preview. Sincere thanks to Michal Migurski @migurski for contributing this improvement. The degree of speedup will depend on the nature and size of the document. In some cases, plots and plot previews that took minutes to start will now begin in seconds.

  • Webhook notifications. If enabled, the AxiDraw software can post to a specified URL when a plot completes. This can be used, in combination with various services including IFTTT, to provide various forms of notifications and operations such as email alerts, mobile alerts, or integration with other hardware. Added some extended documentation on our Wiki about how to use this feature.

  • Python and CLI APIs can now output a "plot digest object", or "Plob" file instead of a full SVG. The Plob is a restricted-format subset of SVG that the AxiDraw software reduces the file to before plotting. It represents the state of the file after stripping out items that will not be plotted and after optimizing what remains. In cases where it is helpful to optimize a file for speed before plotting and plot later (or optimize once and plot many times), it may be helpful to first digest the document to a Plob, and then plot that Plob later.

Minor features related to the above key changes

  • Added two new spatial index scripts to plotink: An R-tree used to speed searches for nearby path ends and a grid index used for nearest-neighbor searches
  • Added new webhook and webhook_url entries to the Inkscape GUI, the configuration file, and the list of options for the AxiDraw CLI API and Python API.
  • Added new digest option to the AxiDraw CLI API and Python API, which can not only output the Plob digest, but also (optionally) disable plotting or previewing a file to do so more quickly. Also add an entry for it in the configuration file.
  • Automatically recognize and verify Plob files. If the file is in the Plob format, then all pre-processing and optimization will be skipped.

Additional minor features

  • New report_lifts parameter in config file to enable reporting the number of pen lifts in a plot
  • New pen_lifts variable in Python API stores number of pen lifts

Various bug fixes and improvements:

  • Fixed an issue in plotink that could cause plot time to be reported incorrectly
  • Fix an issue that could cause content in the SVG root to be skipped after a layer
  • Gracefully handle errors when an internet connection is not available for checking version updates
  • Fix an issue where the the Python API time_estimate variable was not correctly calculated
  • Better documented the min_gap (path joining threshold) parameter in the configuration file
  • Renamed the pen-up and pen-down preview layers for clarity
  • Handle certain cases of SVG primitives objects with attributes defined as percentages
  • Documentation updates (CLI, Python, Inkscape extensions) for the new and updated features.

Contributors

migurski
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AxiDraw Software 3.0.2

23 Oct 02:09
@oskay oskay
v3.0.2
18500a4
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AxiDraw Software 3.0.2

A feature release, with an all new Plot Optimization tool, a new option to randomize start locations of closed paths, and a redesigned GUI for the AxiDraw Control Inkscape extension.

Getting the software

Inkscape (GUI) software releases are hosted at https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Axidraw_Software_Installation (short link: https://axidraw.com/sw ). Formats include Mac and Windows installers, as well as a direct ZIP download for manual installation on Mac, Windows, or Linux, or for making your own use of the source code. These installers also include the latest EggBot and WaterColorBot software for Inkscape.

Python/CLI API releases are hosted at https://axidraw.com/doc/py_api/ and https://axidraw.com/doc/cli_api/ , which are the documentation sites for those two APIs. Both contain a permalink to the latest release of the API download as well as installation instructions.

Under the hood

From a development standpoint, version 3.0 represents a major refactoring and significant change in the strategy of how the AxiDraw plots SVG documents.

Historically, this software (following antecedent projects like EggBot) has parsed the SVG document essentially one element at a time, plotting each element, and then going onto the next element in the document. The advantages of this scheme include a short time interval between initiating a plot and actually plotting, because the document is parsed piecemeal, and each element is planned at the moment that we get to it. This distributes the "up front" computation time for parsing different types of SVG elements across the duration of the plot.

Starting with version 3.0, a copy of the SVG document is now fully processed to create an intermediate "digest" prior to plotting, and plotting is performed from the digest only. (In cases where the software returns the SVG to the user -- for example when using Inkscape or when rendering a preview -- that SVG is rendered starting from the original document, pre-digest.)

This method adds overhead in terms of memory use and initial computation time, but has two key advantages:

(1) Errors in parsing the SVG document can only occur before plotting starts, not while plotting

(2) The digest reduces the document to a list of simple "vertex list" paths only.

We now start with the inherently destructive process of replacing all of our paths with simple vertex lists. Doing so, we gain much more latitude for types of processing that were not previously possible (without ruining the essential character of the original SVG). For example, when all objects on a layer are converted to lists of vertices, it's easy to reverse paths, and it's easy to optimize even between subpaths of different compound paths. And so forth.

It is worth noting that the AxiDraw software has always reduced each curve to a vertex list at some point in the plotting process -- no changes to curve handling in this update -- but now we're doing it up front, so that we can take advantage of that with better plot optimization.

Notable changes

  • The plot optimization functions have been fully rewritten.
    • Optimizes order individual subpaths from compound paths
    • More effective detection of paths that can be joined together
    • If enabled, plot optimization can automatically reverse paths
  • New option to randomize start location of closed paths
  • Redesigned GUI for Axidraw Control Inkscape extension
    • Options are now subdivided, reducing the number of main tabs
    • More compact; takes up less screen space
  • Updated documentation, across the board:
  • Old Plot optimization tool deprecated, renamed to Plot optimization (Legacy).
  • CLI API: New axicli --version command (in addition to axicli version)
  • Fixed incorrectly bundled EggBot hatch fill .inx file
Assets 2
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AxiDraw Software 2.7.5

19 Aug 20:50
@oskay oskay
2.7.5
29aaa55
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AxiDraw Software 2.7.5

A general bugfix release, with an updated Hatch Fill extension and improvements to the Interactive interface of the Python API.

Inkscape (GUI) software releases are hosted at https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Axidraw_Software_Installation (short link: https://axidraw.com/sw ). Formats include Mac and Windows installers, as well as a direct ZIP download for manual installation on Mac, Windows, or Linux, or for making your own use of the source code. These installers also include the latest EggBot and WaterColorBot software for Inkscape.

Python/CLI API releases are hosted at https://axidraw.com/doc/py_api/ and https://axidraw.com/doc/cli_api/ , which are the documentation sites for those two APIs. Both contain a permalink to the latest release of the API download as well as installation instructions.

Notable changes (general):

  • Updated Hatch Fill extension allows you to set different units for hatch spacing: Pixels, inches, mm. Updated help text. Updated interfaces in AxiDraw, EggBot, WaterColorBot menus.
  • Hatch fill now ignores elements on hidden layers
  • Python versions 3.6 - 3.10 are now supported. (Dropped support for Python 3.5; added support for Python 3.10.)

Notable changes for AxiDraw:

  • Updated user guide for new Hatch Fill: http://axidraw.com/guide
  • Python Interactive API: Fixed a bug in calculation of turtle position when moves were requested outside of travel bounds.
  • Python Interactive API: Add automatic pen lifts at edges of travel region, and new features for tracking "turtle pen" state versus "machine pen" state, since the physical pen state no longer is tied to the turtle pen state. Further details at: https://axidraw.com/doc/py_api/#api-changelog
  • New parameter in the axidraw_conf.py configuration file: auto_clip_lift, which can disable automatic pen lifts at plotting bounds.
  • API docs now have links to specific versions, in addition to current release.
  • Process Illustrator SVG extension: Gracefully fail on documents without physical size given

Notable changes to bundled EggBot software:

  • Update to v 2.8.5; Fixed an issue that could cause loss of position on long-travel moves
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AxiDraw software 2.7.4

09 Jul 03:06
@oskay oskay
2.7.4
3e32db9
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AxiDraw software 2.7.4

A minor bugfix release, with a new Process Illustrator SVG extension added.

As a general note, installable packages for AxiDraw software releases are no longer hosted here, and have not been for some time. (Maintaining multiple lists of download packages and instructions in multiple locations and formats is problematic.)
We will resume the practice of updating release notes here.

Inkscape (GUI) software releases are hosted at https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Axidraw_Software_Installation (short link: https://axidraw.com/sw ). Formats include Mac and Windows installers, as well as a direct ZIP download for manual installation on Mac, Windows, or Linux, or for making your own use of the source code.

Python/CLI API releases are hosted at https://axidraw.com/doc/py_api/ and https://axidraw.com/doc/cli_api/ , which are the documentation sites for those two APIs. Both contain a permalink to the latest release of the API download as well as installation instructions.

Notable changes since 2.7.0 include:

  • Add Process Illustrator SVG extension
  • Bump dependencies
  • Drop python 3.5 support
  • Remove legacy python 2 support code
  • Add dialog to GUI tabs that don't do anything, along with a configuration file method to disable those messages.
  • Correct several subtle issues with pause/resume method
  • Ignore several known SVG elements that cannot be plotted
  • Fix bug with polyline/polygon handling
  • Add option for auto-rotate in counter-clockwise direction
  • Bug fix: Remove incorrect warning message when using programmatic pauses
  • Fix issue with uninstalling CLI.
  • Fix several issues with reordering.
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AxiDraw Software 2.6.3

03 Sep 03:20
@oskay oskay
2.6.3
347b757
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AxiDraw Software 2.6.3

AxiDraw software 2.6.3 is a significant update that has a number of enhancements and bug fixes. The single largest change is that this is the first full release of the AxiDraw software to require Inkscape 1.0.

Feedback and bug reports are highly welcome.

Notable enhancements

  • Full cross-platform support for Inkscape 1.0
  • Add config file/python API option for pen-down digital output on pin B3.
  • Add config file/python API option for pen-lift servo power-off timeout.
  • Updated Hershey Text SVG fonts with additional international characters.
  • Inkscape context: Move standard installation location to user extensions directory.
  • Inkscape context: Improved ease of installation
  • Inkscape context: New manual walk commands with mm units.
  • CLI and Python API: many updates to documentation.
  • CLI and Python API: Simplify installation instructions to a single line.
  • CLI and Python API: Add new walk_mmx, walk_mmy commands for 1D movement with mm units
  • Python API: Add additional example scripts
  • Python API: New interactive features allowing use of low-level motion control commands
  • Python API: New functions to read out current and "turtle" position in interactive context
  • Python API: Add mm units for interactive, in addition to cm, inch units
  • Python API: All config file parameter values can now be accessed within a script.
  • Python API: Add python variable for AxiDraw software version.
  • Python API: Certain operations that print output now also populate python variables.
  • Updated main AxiDraw User Guide

Notable bug fixes:

  • Hatch fill could freeze when encountering paths of near-zero size
  • Hatch fill could crash in documents with special characters on Windows
  • CLI and Python API: Reordering now works on SVG files that do not have element id attributes.
  • CLI: The special "axicli version" command now works correctly. ( #72 )
  • CLI: Certain parameters were not being read from custom configuration files (CLI)
  • Python API: Fail gracefully when input SVG file not found
  • Resuming plots from the home corner now travel at pen-up speed to the start location
  • Fixed an issue that could cause "stuttering" of plots in rare circumstances
  • Improved performance on very long (> 1 second) movement segments

Also:

  • This is the first release version targeted for Inkscape 1.0.
  • While this release supports both python 2 and python 3 for our CLI and python API, it is the last major release that will support python 2. Future releases will only work under python 3.
  • The Mac, Windows, and Linux releases of the AxiDraw software for Inkscape now also include the EggBot and WaterColorBot software for Inkscape.

Installing the Inkscape-based versions of this software:

Installer applications and instructions are maintained at https://axidraw.com/sw and summarized below. We do not guarantee that you can successfully install a working copy of the software from the files in the repository at any given moment and highly recommend that you follow one of our instructions for the tested and curated packages linked here instead.

Mac (macOS 10.11-10.15)

  1. Download and run the Mac installer, AxiDraw_Mac_263.zip, linked in the assets below.

  2. Download and install Inkscape 1.0 for Mac.

Windows

  1. Download and run the Windows installer, AxiDraw_263r2.exe, linked in the assets below.

  2. Download and install Inkscape 1.0 for Windows.

Linux

Install and launch Inkscape 1.0. Then, download and unzip ad_ink1_263r2.zip, linked in the assets below. Copy its contents -- about 32 files and folders, not one folder containing them -- into your Inkscape User Extensions directory and relaunch Inkscape. You can find the location of your User Extensions directory from within the "system" tab of your Inkscape Preferences.

You may also need to add your user name to the dialout group in order to access the USB port. Please see:
https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Installing_software#Linux

User Guide

The current version of the PDF AxiDraw User Guide is available to download at http://axidraw.com/guide. This is the primary user guide for the AxiDraw and includes instructions for using the machine itself as well as its Inkscape-based software.

Python and CLI (command-line interface) versions of this software:

The AxiDraw API, in both its python module and CLI forms, can be installed following the specific instructions listed given on the documentation pages for the python module or command-line interface. While there is extensive and separate documentation for the two APIs, one installer installs both pieces of software.

The API software is also available to download as AxiDraw_API.zip, linked in the assets below.

Firmware Update

A firmware update, to EBB firmware v 2.6.5 is recommended for all AxiDraw machines, if you have older firmware installed. You can check which version you have by using the "Config" tab of the software.

  • Mac users: Download Firmware_v265_Mac.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Windows users: Download and run Firmware_v265_Win.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Linux users: Please follow the directions here, using the attached file Firmware_v265_Raw.zip.
Assets 9
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AxiDraw Software v2.5.6

14 Dec 22:52
@oskay oskay
v2.5.6
b14acfa
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AxiDraw Software v2.5.6

This is a minor update from the previous release (v2.5.3), adding support for AxiDraw MiniKit.

Feedback and bug reports are highly welcome.

Installing this software:

Installer applications and instructions are maintained at https://axidraw.com/sw and summarized below.

Mac (macOS 10.7-10.14)

Download the Mac install disk image, AxiDraw_v256_r1_Mac.dmg, linked in the assets below. This disk image contains XQuartz and a copy of Inkscape 0.92, modified to include the AxiDraw software. Run the XQuartz installer, and then copy the included copy of Inkscape to your Applications folder.

Manual install for Mac

If you are unable to use the disk image installer, you can also install the Inkscape extensions manually. Download and install XQuartz and Inkscape 0.92.2. Launch Inkscape to verify that it opens. Then, download and unzip axidraw_v256.zip, linked in the assets below. Copy the contents of that folder (20 files and two subfolders) into your Inkscape extensions folder, and then restart Inkscape.

Your Inkscape extensions folder is located at: /Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources/share/inkscape/extensions/
To open this folder, select "Go to Folder..." Go in the Finder, and paste the location of that folder.

Windows

First, download and install Inkscape 0.92.4.

Then, download and run the Windows installer program, AxiDraw_256.exe, linked in the assets below.

Manual install for Windows

If you are unable to use the installer, you can also install the Inkscape extensions manually. Download and install Inkscape 0.92.4. Then, download and unzip axidraw_v256.zip, linked in the assets below. Copy the contents of that directory (20 files and two subdirectories) into your Inkscape extensions directory, and then restart Inkscape.

Typically, your extensions directory is located at:
C:\Program Files\Inkscape\share\extensions\ or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Inkscape\share\extensions\

Linux

Install and launch Inkscape 0.92. Then, download and unzip axidraw_v256.zip, linked in the assets below. Copy its contents into your Inkscape extensions directory and relaunch Inkscape.

To find your extensions directory within Inkscape, open Edit > Preferences from the menu, select the System entry. It should list the location of your User extensions directory.

You may also need to add your user name to the dialout group in order to access the USB port. Please see:
https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Installing_software#Linux

Firmware Update

A firmware update, to EBB firmware v 2.6.5 is recommended for all AxiDraw machines, if you have older firmware installed. You can check which version you have by using the "Config" tab ("Version" tab, in previous releases) in the software.

  • Mac users: Download Firmware_v265_Mac.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Windows users: Download and run Firmware_v265_Win.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Linux users: Please follow the directions here, using the attached file Firmware_v265_Raw.zip.
Assets 8
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AxiDraw Software v2.5.3

26 Jun 08:42
@oskay oskay
v2.5.3
a54701b
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AxiDraw Software v2.5.3

This update contains a significant number of changes from the previous major release. We recommend that all users download and read through the updated and expanded AxiDraw User Guide.

Notable enhancements include:

  • New layer-aware SVG reordering utility, written from scratch
  • Integration of reordering utility into AxiDraw Control
  • All-new version of Hershey Text, written from scratch
  • Online version check added (can be disabled in configuration file)
  • Support for assigning names to individual AxiDraw units over USB
  • Support for plotting to a specific AxiDraw unit
  • Support for plotting a document to multiple AxiDraw units
  • Paths now clipped gracefully at the boundaries of both artboard and machine travel
  • Updated to support, and now requires, Inkscape 0.92
  • User guide greatly expanded
  • New command-line interface
  • New python API

Notable bug fixes and reliability improvements include:

  • Uses supersampling to handle curves with absurdly high number of vertices
  • Support for SVG rectangles with rounded corners
  • Support for all possible SVG viewbox parameters
  • Hatch fill handles large collections of small bounded areas better
  • Extensive refactoring for use as a python library

Feedback and bug reports are highly welcome.

Installing this software:

Installer applications and instructions are maintained at https://axidraw.com/sw and summarized below.

Mac

Download the Mac install disk image, AxiDraw_v253_r2_Mac.dmg, linked in the assets below. This disk image contains XQuartz and a copy of Inkscape 0.92, modified to include the AxiDraw software. Run the XQuartz installer, and then copy the included copy of Inkscape to your Applications folder.

Manual install for Mac

If you are unable to use the disk image installer, you can also install the Inkscape extensions manually. Download and install XQuartz and Inkscape 0.92.2. Launch Inkscape to verify that it opens. Then, download and unzip axidraw_v253r3.zip, linked in the assets below. Copy the contents of that folder (20 files and two subfolders) into your Inkscape extensions folder, and then restart Inkscape.

Your Inkscape extensions folder is located at: /Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources/share/inkscape/extensions/
To open this folder, select "Go to Folder..." Go in the Finder, and paste the location of that folder.

Windows

First, download and install Inkscape 0.92.4.

Then, download and run the Windows installer program, AxiDraw_253_r4.exe, linked in the assets below.

Manual install for Windows

If you are unable to use the installer, you can also install the Inkscape extensions manually. Download and install Inkscape 0.92.4. Then, download and unzip axidraw_v253r3.zip, linked in the assets below. Copy the contents of that directory (20 files and one subdirectory) into your Inkscape extensions directory, and then restart Inkscape.

Typically, your extensions directory is located at:
C:\Program Files\Inkscape\share\extensions\ or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Inkscape\share\extensions\

Linux

Install and launch Inkscape 0.92. Then, download and unzip axidraw_v253r3.zip, linked in the assets below. Copy its contents into your Inkscape extensions directory and relaunch Inkscape.

To find your extensions directory within Inkscape, open Edit > Preferences from the menu, select the System entry. It should list the location of your User extensions directory.

You may also need to add your user name to the dialout group in order to access the USB port. Please see:
https://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Installing_software#Linux

Firmware Update

A firmware update, to EBB firmware v 2.6.2 is recommended for all AxiDraw machines, if you have older firmware installed. You can check which version you have by using the "Config" tab ("Version" tab, in previous releases) in the software.

  • Mac users: Download Firmware_v262_Mac.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Windows users: Download and run Firmware_v262_Win.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Linux users: Please follow the directions here, using the attached file Firmware_v262_Raw.zip.
Assets 8
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AxiDraw Software v1.7.8

05 May 01:16
@oskay oskay
v1.7.8-r1
e73bb3f
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AxiDraw Software v1.7.8

This update contains a significant number of changes. We would recommend that all users upgrading read through the updated AxiDraw User Guide.

Enhancements and bug fixes in this release include:

  • New preview mode
    • Preview mode shows what a plot will look like, and shows pen-up moves
    • Can be used for off-line simulation, without the AxiDraw present.
    • Option to show pen-down movement, pen-up movement, or both
    • Also allows one to calculate plot duration (#27) and total path length drawn
  • New multiple-copies feature
    • Plot a full file, or certain layers some number of times or continuously
    • An optional delay can be added between subsequent plots
  • Add a range of new per-layer controls
  • Improve the clarity and layout of the Inkscape-extension GUI. Some controls (such as pen lift and lowering speeds) changed from numeric to pop-up multiple choice.
  • Add a new user-facing control for acceleration rate.
  • Faster parsing of plots.
  • Much more responsive pause/resume functionality.
  • More responsive setup mode.
  • Add support for SVG symbol tags.
  • Gracefully ignore several additional SVG elements, including font and anchor tags.
  • Save a random seed that can be used when pausing and resuming.
  • Add feature to Hershey Text to preview only handwriting-like samples
  • Layers hidden via the GUI will not be plotted
  • Many under-the-hood changes to support future CLI interface
  • Support for alternate size machines: AxiDraw V3 XLX, AxiDraw V3/A3
  • Automatically check for power supply plugged in
  • A large number of bug fixes including:
    • Certain glitches when pausing and resuming have been identified and removed (#12)
    • When resuming, no longer re-draw the last segment drawn before pausing.
    • Gracefully handle return-to-home request when no resume data found
    • Fix bug that could cause loss of resume data when pressing button out of sequence
    • A rare and long-standing bug (#14) was fixed. It could cause a stray line to be drawn when a duplicate point exists on a path and acceleration is enabled and the speed is slow enough.
    • A rare and long-standing bug was fixed that could cause a segment to be skipped when a duplicate point exists on a path.
    • A rare and long-standing bug was fixed that could cause a segment to be skipped when traveling near maximum speed, and hitting a segment of just the right length.
    • Do not throw an error if the plot area exceeds allowable boundaries by less than one motor step worth of distance; prevents possible error when paths bump up against x=0 or y=0.
    • Properly ignore invisible nodes
    • Handle various error displays more gracefully.
    • Handle USB connection loss more gracefully (#32).
    • Corner handling improved to take care of a number of issues including #41.
    • Significant internal refactoring to manage acceleration and maximum speeds on a more consistent basis.
    • Better handling of pen-up position at reset.
    • Improved handling of polyline objects

Feedback and bug reports are highly welcome.

Installation:

Installer applications and instructions are maintained at https://axidraw.com/sw

If you are upgrading, you can either use installers and instructions or perform a manual installation, as described below.

(Optional) Manual installation instructions:

Mac:

  • Download v178_Mac_Linux.zip and unzip it (11 files plus one folder)
  • In the finder, open a new window (File > New Finder Window) and then select Go > Go to Folder...
  • Paste the following folder location into the dialog box:
    /Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources/share/inkscape/extensions/
    and click the "Go" button to open that location. This is your "Inkscape extensions" folder.
  • Copy the 11 files plus one folder into your Inkscape extensions folder, overwriting any like-named files there.

Windows:

  • Download v178_Win.zip and unzip it (11 files plus one folder)
  • Your extensions directory is usually located at:
    C:\Program Files\Inkscape\share\extensions\
    or possibly
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Inkscape\share\extensions\
  • Copy the 11 files plus one folder into your Inkscape extensions directory, overwriting any like-named files there.
  • Note that we generally recommend running the full installer, as it also contains a USB driver. If you need to manually install the driver, download and run UBWDriverInstaller_v20.exe.

Linux:

  • Download v178_Mac_Linux.zip and unzip it (11 files plus one folder)
  • Your extensions directory is usually located at:
    ~/.config/inkscape/extensions
  • Copy the 11 files plus one folder into your Inkscape extensions directory, overwriting any like-named files there.

Firmware Update

A firmware update, to EBB firmware v 2.6.2 is recommended for all AxiDraw machines, if you currently have older firmware installed. You can check which version you have by using the "Version" tab in the software.

  • Mac users: Download Firmware_v262_Mac.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Windows users: Download and run Firmware_v262_Win.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Linux users: Please follow the directions here, using the attached file Firmware_v262_Raw.zip.

Additional notes:

We are not yet recommending an upgrade to Inkscape 0.92. (Why? We have still heard regular reports of installation difficulty and font handling is not as reliable in the new version.) Barring unexpected changes, the next major release of AxiDraw software will require Inkscape 0.92. Please contact technical support if you would prefer to use 0.92 in the short term; we are in final testing of the new version and could use a few more beta testers. :)

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AxiDraw Software version 1.2.2

17 Jan 04:15
@oskay oskay
v1.2.2
c0c618f
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AxiDraw Software version 1.2.2

This release includes the following improvements:

  • #5: Handle additional cases where page units are not inches or mm, particularly on imported SVG data.
  • #7 : Allow each SVG layer to be plotted with a different speed and/or pen height.
  • #11 : Optionally report distance plotted
  • #17: Use "sleep" cycles to pause communication only on longer moves (> 50 ms). This can prevent shuddering/chattering type motion that been observed as a result of slow communications.
  • #23 Add manual command to enter bootloader
  • Suppress warnings from other layers when plotting a single layer
  • Improve speed of parsing SVG file
  • A new version of Hershey Text, including many new fonts and an option to create a font table
  • Catch and survive certain communication errors that previously would terminate the plot
  • Clarify error messages associated with text (flowroot) objects
  • Use smaller (higher resolution) time slices while computing trajectories, giving slightly smoother motion.
  • Various other fixes for stability and performance

Mac and Windows installers for v1.2.2 are available at: http://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Axidraw_Software_Installation

The ZIP archives attached in the release contain the AxiDraw control extensions for manual installation, along with these helpers and dependencies:

  • plotink helper routines for Inkscape extensions.
  • eggbot_hatch.py and Hershey Text from the EggBot extensions for Inkscape .
  • Pyserial 2.7 (windows) or 3.0 (mac/linux).

These ZIP archives are AxiDraw_122_MacLinux.zip and AxiDraw_122_Win.zip.

Firmware Update

A firmware update, to EBB firmware v 2.5.1 is now recommended for all AxiDraw machines.

  • Mac users: Download UpdateEBB_Macv251.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Windows users: Download and run UpdateEBB_Winv251.zip, and run it with AxiDraw connected to your computer via USB.
  • Linux users: Please follow the directions here, using the attached file EBF_v251.zip.

Additional notes:

  • We are not yet recommending an upgrade to Inkscape 0.92.
  • This release was formerly packaged as v1.2.1, but has been updated to v1.2.2 to correct a packaging error.
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First bugfix release

04 Apr 08:02
@oskay oskay
v1.0.2
8698dc0
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First bugfix release

The archive attached here (v102-Full.zip) includes dependencies needed. Ready for manual install into Inkscape 0.91 on Mac or Linux.

For Mac and Windows installers, please go to http://wiki.evilmadscientist.com/Axidraw_Software_Installation

Archive contents:

  • plotink helper routines for Inkscape extensions.
  • eggbot_hatch.py from the EggBot extensions for Inkscape.
  • Pyserial. (Note that an older version, 2.7, must be used on Windows.)
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