Support for VLARE Open Slicer Format files

fcollingwood · 2022-06-03 10:55:46 UTC

I’m looking at getting a VLARE Core board and 13.6" 7K screen to upgrade my Transform. This board uses an open file format that they are trying to get others to adopt.

You can find further info here: https://www.vlare.net/open-format

Any chance of support in Formware?

formware · 2022-06-03 11:22:34 UTC

Yeah sure no problem. Seems an OK format to me. Small effort to include it if it’s documented like this.
But is this already the final format? Or when are they shipping boards? ?

Elco

fcollingwood · 2022-06-04 04:33:50 UTC

Boards are shipping now with the Duobond 6K and 7K screens. It’s also in the latest large format Peopoly machine

fcollingwood · 2022-07-25 11:28:50 UTC

Hi @formware Elco

Any news on support for this yet? I should be getting my VLARE board and 10.1" 8K screen any day now

formware · 2022-07-27 08:03:03 UTC

no no update yet. Doing my best for next release to put it in.
Got the question once more per email so it seems people are starting to receiving boards.

Elco

formware · 2022-08-10 08:34:23 UTC

Hi,

Have you by any chance tested the UVTools implementation of this OSF format??

github.com

sn4k3/UVtools/blob/master/UVtools.Core/FileFormats/OSFFile.cs

/*
 *                     GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
 *                       Version 3, 19 November 2007
 *  Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <https://fsf.org/>
 *  Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
 *  of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
 */

using BinarySerialization;
using Emgu.CV;
using Emgu.CV.CvEnum;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using UVtools.Core.Converters;
using UVtools.Core.Extensions;
using UVtools.Core.Layers;

This file has been truncated. show original

I’ve checked the description on their website but it leaves room for some interpretation here and there…

Elco

fcollingwood · 2022-08-11 10:17:03 UTC

No. Ankle surgery has meant that the conversion work hasn’t happened yet. I’ve got another 3 weeks before I’m allowed to walk again.

rattus · 2022-09-06 15:39:34 UTC

I’m looking at building a similar conversion Epax E10 4K to 8K with Vlare Core board

I can’t see either the .vlr file format, or any 8K machines listed as yet

fcollingwood · 2022-09-28 00:10:53 UTC

HI Elco @formware

Any progress with this yet? I’ll be mobile next week and able to upgrade my Transform, so looking to support and slice with Formware

formware · 2022-10-11 18:54:06 UTC

No not yet… sorry. Incredibly busy with long lists of update points…
Is there any change you can make it work with UVTools in between for the moment?
(I plan to integrate it, but i don’t want to hold you up)

fcollingwood · 2022-10-17 20:21:30 UTC

@formware unfortunately UVTools outputs broken OSF files.

formware · 2022-10-27 10:47:46 UTC

ok thx for the info. Then i know that’s not a starting point.
I will do my best writting it in the next few days. It’s been encredibly busy with Formnext coming up.

kind regards
Elco

fcollingwood · 2022-10-27 14:20:03 UTC

@formware hi Elco. I’m just waiting for some parts for the printer and I’m also away from home currently, so haven’t done further testing. I exported a ctb from Formware and converted it to an osf. When I’m back home and the machine is running again, I’ll try other formats from Formware, gcode for example, and see if the osf conversions from UVTools works

formware · 2022-10-28 08:44:40 UTC

Hi frank,

ok sounds good. I’ve contacted Vlare for the details on the format. Their website is not updated since 2021 it seems; so before i implement the wrong format…

Elco

formware · 2022-10-31 13:02:04 UTC

Hi frank,

I wrote an implementation of their format.
I think we might run into some debugging here… they have some IMHO strange constructs of writing simple binary data.

Also for some parameters it’s not clear to me what they do. But perhaps you know. Especially there seem to be even more speed variables than in the latest CTB formats.

github.com

vlare3d/OSF/blob/main/src/OsfEncoder.cpp

#include "osfEncoder.h"

#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <windows.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "wsock32.lib")

//设置切片参数
void osfEncoder::setConfig(OsfConfig config)
{
    _config.resolutionX = config.resolutionX;
    _config.resolutionY = config.resolutionY;
    _config.envelopX = config.envelopX;
    _config.envelopY = config.envelopY;
    _config.envelopZ = config.envelopZ;
    _config.layerThickness = config.layerThickness;
    _config.antialiasingLevel = config.antialiasingLevel;
    _config.antialiasing = config.antialiasing;
    _config.pixelPrecision = config.pixelPrecision;

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If you want I can wetransfer you a build when you are ready to test it.

I will also email them some questions regarding the layer format. It looks to me that they use similar encoding as chitubox in the early days. Which is fine. I just have some things unclear; but i think its chinese->english translation.

cheers
Elco

fcollingwood · 2022-12-06 08:57:19 UTC

Hi Elco @formware

Sorry, I’ve been a bit tied up. I can run a test for you, no problem.

formware · 2022-12-06 11:42:22 UTC

Hi Frank,

I’ll double check the format implementation later today and wetransfer you a beta.

Elco

Jimmygunz · 2023-02-07 15:40:30 UTC

Hi Elco,

Has there been any progress on this? Has Formware included the OSF open source format, or even the VLR? Looking to the same as Fcollingwood, and really like my formware slicer to handle all of my printers.
Please let me know.

Thank you,
James

formware · 2023-02-08 13:20:31 UTC

Hi,

Yes it’s in V1093.
But i think Fcollingwood mentioned it doesn’t work; however my output is similar as what UVTools outputs; and can also be read by UVTools.

I have my doubts in the OSF format; i think’s prone to errors the way they seperated the data of the layers with 2 bytes. The same 2 bytes can occur in any of the layer run length encoded byte data. And this is very dependent on what you are printing.
This makes it very hard to correclty read the file correctly and seperate the layers. I’ve expressed my concern to Vlare 2 times but have not heard back. I’ve also asked them how the board reads the file, as that is the only thing that matters in the end. No response.

So i would not buy a vlare board for that reason.

kind regards
Elco

Jimmygunz · 2023-02-08 15:09:58 UTC

Hi Elco,

Thank you for your rapid response…
they have stated it works well with their slicer and lychee…
i was planning on upgrading my transforms to a 13.6" 7k mono (as it is exact fit to my mono modded transforms, originally the rgb versions ), and from a few things i have read and discussed it says that it will need a vlare board; that the existing control board on the machine doesnt output the resolution…
Maybe you are aware if there is another control board that will play nice/integrate with existing transform components and run the 13.3 7k? I was wondering what control board the Photon M3 Max is using and if that would work? I think it is a chitu board also, friend said it has a different Z height… is there a way to change that? also i havent seen an available touch screen for that unit (not sure if it will work with the existing touchscreen)… from what i understand (at least on the vlare board) was that it was necessary to get a touchscreen to work with the board.

It no prob if you dont know, but figured you have a good understanding of the various machines.
any advice is appreciated/helpful…

Ultimately, I really like Formware and have had it for years… has been great and would love to use it to run all my machines. I advocate for formware whenever it is mentioned; especially due to the perpetual license… it is a rarity that is done anymore, and it is much appreciated, and shows the dedication to a good product over trying to make as much money as possible.

Thank you!
James