DIY Laser levelling using webcam and laser level

**mekanik** · 25-07-2020

Hi Michael
Thanks for the update, i think the other iMac i have is El Capitain and also have the Windows 7 PC so all is not lost, have you had wire.jar running on another PC ?
Regards
Mike

**Michael Gilligan** · 25-07-2020

It seems to be fine on el Capitan, Mike

Haven’t yet tried it on any version of MS Windows

MichaelG.

.

Edit: I may have 'spoken too soon'
Both applications are failing to shut-down, and I need to 'Force Quit'
... and their CPU usage, according to 'Activity Monitor' is over 150%

I will try them on a Windows machine

**Michael Gilligan** · 27-07-2020

Update: [mostly for Mike]

I have just installed the latest java 8 on a little NetBook running Windows 7
laser.jar and wire.jar both load and run

The NetBook is so excruciatingly slow that this proved futile; but I’m sure that Win 7 on a better PC should be fine.

MichaelG.
.

Incidentally; I consulted a ‘learned friend’ on Sunday, regarding the CPU load on the Mac
When he saw what was being done, and how speedily, he was very impressed ... and not at all surprised that this required 150%

**mekanik** · 28-07-2020

Thanks for your efforts Michael, at least it looks like i should be able to get this running with the PC or Mac. do you have a link to the USB microscope you are using.
Kindest Regards
Mike

**Michael Gilligan** · 28-07-2020

You’re very welcome, Mike

As a hobby microscopist, and tinkerer, I have a number of cameras that I can use for what I am personally interested in doing with these applications ... but for the purposes of this thread, I think the ‘USB microscope’ linked earlier should be fine. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Microscope-.../dp/B07BF86SRP

It is claimed to work on both Mac and Windows, so is presumably a UVC webcam at heart
Note: UVC = USB Video Class and is widely supported.

Best Wishes
MichaelG.

**Michael Gilligan** · 28-07-2020

I’ve just found the manufacturer’s web page for the recommended USB microscope
https://bysameyee.com/microscope

Uncommonly helpful, I would say !

MichaelG.

**mekanik** · 29-07-2020

Thanks for that Michael
Just ordered one.
Regards
Mike

**unromeo** · 09-09-2020

Hi everybody,

First, please excuse my limited englisch, as it's not my first language.

I must say, it was a very interesting thread. I have read it from the beginning with great interest. Having the possibility to achieve these kind of precision with just a couple of items that most people have around the house is really mind blowing.

I am also in the process of planning and hopefully also building a fixed gantry cnc mill / router, but aiming at a smaller working area and more rigidity to be able to mill aluminium parts. The work area should be at around 300x300x150mm. I am still contemplating which material to use for the frame, but I might go for welded steel square beams and milled aluminium tooling plates for the surfaces to mount the rails. For now, I just have a set of 20mm chinese square rails and ball screws.

Anyways, while reading through the thread, I was always thinking to myself, why use the cheap USB cams with crappy sensors, when there is such a good Hi-Res sensor in the PiCamera, and the Raspberry pi is a great platform for such projects... but of course, a few pages down the thread and the Pi Camera was used.

A few years ago, I tried building a crude autoguider for astrophotography and used OpenCV and a Raspberry pi with a camera. It worked quite well, and it was able to track a light point while controlling a mount using 4 GPIOs. I ended using PHD guiding in the end, but the effort showed me what can be done with the openCV platform. I was thinking of using it to build almost the same tool that Joe put together in Java, but since the work has already been done, why not use his tool ? :)
By the way, is the development on the Raspberry platform still active ? I have a bunch of Pi's with cameras laying around the house, I could spare one for this project.

Another question: using a laser pointer of decent quality, would it work by shining the laser at a very shallow angle to the sensor, practically stretching the dot into a very elongated oval ? Has this been tried ? I think a forum member already suggested this. Or better yet ditch the laser and use fishing line / piano wire instead ?

Ok, I think it should suffice for a first post :)

Cheers !

**John McNamara** · 11-09-2020

Hi Unromeo
Hi All

A mate and I have been mulling over using a Raspberry Pi and Joe's excellent software.
Actually a pair of Pi's to position an XY positioning system probably using an Arduino to automate the process of generating a rail mount. It will use a simple cutting head that "Pecks" the surface to be flattened using a small cutter head. it will only need a small motor and the cutting forces will be very light so no big deal. The completed surface will look a bit like a scraped surface. The cutter head will be mounted on the rails that will later be used in the machine being built, these will be mounted on a temporary mount.
Maybe we could collaborate?

I am planning to design the device in 3D CAD with a primary objective of Laser cutting as many of the parts as possible out of Steel.

This will keep the costs very low. I would make the mechanical s open source.

Regards
John

**unromeo** · 15-09-2020

Originally Posted by John McNamara

Hi Unromeo
Hi All

A mate and I have been mulling over using a Raspberry Pi and Joe's excellent software.
Actually a pair of Pi's to position an XY positioning system probably using an Arduino to automate the process of generating a rail mount. It will use a simple cutting head that "Pecks" the surface to be flattened using a small cutter head. it will only need a small motor and the cutting forces will be very light so no big deal. The completed surface will look a bit like a scraped surface. The cutter head will be mounted on the rails that will later be used in the machine being built, these will be mounted on a temporary mount.
Maybe we could collaborate?

I am planning to design the device in 3D CAD with a primary objective of Laser cutting as many of the parts as possible out of Steel.

This will keep the costs very low. I would make the mechanical s open source.

Regards
John

Hi John,

sure, if I can help with anything I will gladly do it, the only problem is that my programming kung fu is not that strong

and that project was a while ago, but I can crawl my way into a working program if I want to. I can also assist in CAD and 3d printing if there is the need.

I wonder, if the measuring sensor is ofset from the pecking axis (the cutting head) won't that be an issue ?

I have a different idea how to measure the center of the laser line that won't involve cameras and PC's, but it will need to be tested for precision. I want to try something old school and very simple: analog electronics. Two small photodiodes placed aprox. 1mm apart (depending on the thickness of the laser line) so that each will catch the side of the line. Some op-amps to compare and amplify the signal and an analog microampmeter to display when we are at the exact center. Any difference in amplitude between the two photodiodes will be amplified and shown on the meter.
I have to buy a decent laser module and will test this out soon.

Regards,
Romeo