Supported models
- Trident 3000 Series (2500mm length x 1250mm width)
- Trident 4000 Series (3050mm length x 1550mm width)
- Trident 5000 Series (4050mm length x 2050mm width)
Trident is a hybrid CNC production system, combining heavy-duty routing with fast knife cutting for processing a broad range of materials in print finishing, sign making, foam, and graphics applications. Learn more directly on the website of Multicam Australia.
Driver
- Multicam NC: driver for Multicam flatbeds using N-Code.
Warning
There are two cutter companies called Multicam:
- Multicam Australia
- Multicam US
Drivers for Multicam Australia are not compatible with drivers for Multicam US and vice versa. Drivers for Multicam US are the following:
- Multicam (using HPGL language)
- Multicam DXF
Driver history
-
CalderaRIP V17.3:
- A new "Add direction mark" checkbox was added to the Misc. area of the Cutter Tools Configuration for almost all cutting drivers (both GrandCut and VisualCut). Activating this new field adds direction marks in the form of a triangle pointing to the bottom edge of the cut job, which significantly speeds up the operators' work when managing these files.
-
CalderaRIP V16.0.2:
- It is no longer necessary to scale the marks down on the cut controllers since now they have the same size both in the print and the cut file.
-
CalderaRIP V16.0:
- It is now possible to associate methods/materials automatically, using the GrandCut Editor (tab located in Cutter Tools Configurations).
-
CalderaRIP V15.1.2:
- Multicam flatbed's Trident Series supported since this version.
Installation
Type of license
| CutServer | |
| GrandCut B |
These machines are GrandCut cutters, so you might want to read:
Format
Multicam Australia cutters use the N-Code format: CalderaRIP generates an NC file and works with it.
Marks
Multicam Australia marks are:
- Circles (8-10mm in diameter)
- Barcodes
Materials/methods association
Starting from CalderaRIP V16.0, the Multicam NC driver includes an Editor tab. This function is very useful, especially since Multicam Australia cutters do not support the automatic synchronization of materials/methods. Learn more about it with the following dedicated articles:
- Cutter Tools Configuration - Overview
- How to manually associate materials and methods between CalderaRIP and the controller? (Article with the overall process, regardless of driver)
- How to automatically associate materials/methods with the GrandCut Editor?
Materials/methods association (manual process)
If you have problems using the Editor tab, or the general articles do not cover all the functions that can be customized with the Multicam NC driver, expand the following tab to learn the manual process step by step.
Info
If your production uses different Multicam cutters in the same workstation, you must follow the following steps for each cutter, as they will have different settings.
Manually retrieve the template file for materials content
1. Go to the following folder: /opt/caldera/lib/DRIVERS/MISC
2. Find the file named Multicam NC.materialsRaw.xml
3. Copy/paste this file into the folder: /opt/caldera/lib/shared
4. If the name of the .xml file does not match the name that you defined for your cutter on CalderaRIP, you have to rename it as follows: CutterName.materialsRaw.xml with CutterName = name of the cutter defined in CalderaRIP.
Example:
For this cutter, the .xml file name would be: MulticamCutter.materialsRaw.xml
Manually edit the template file for materials content with data from your driver
1. Open the .xml file with text editing software like TextEdit on macOS. You will have the following default content:
2. Do not edit the DEFAULT section.
3. To add a material, duplicate this DEFAULT section. Then change the material name with the name displayed in the controller's interface, and change the GUID which is the unique ID of the material, depending on your needs. Note that material names can be the same for several materials, but GUID must be unique for each.
4. Remove the methods that you do not need. Change the method name if needed. Names must be assigned between T1 and T21 and they should match the ID number that goes with them.
5. Save the file. Thus you will be able to recover your methods and your materials in the Cutter tools configuration window of CalderaRIP.
Example:
Warning
Keep the DEFAULT material. This DEFAULT material will be used to catch all contours that have not been associated with another method in another material. Failing to do so may result in missing contours in the generated files if an association between the contour name and a method is missing for another material.
Advanced configuration
Warning
This driver generates movements of the cutting tool. Wrong parameters can lead to tool or table damage. Please refer to the manufacturer's recommendation in case of any doubt.
The methods have a field called Extra. This one allows the user to specify a set of low-level parameters:
- LINSPEED : (mm/s) linear speed (G1 Fxxx)
- ARCSPEED : (mm/s) arc speed (G2, G3 Fxxx, not implemented yet)
- UPSPEED : (mm/s) speed when raising tool (G1 Zxxx Fxxx)
- DOWNSPEED : (mm/s) speed when lowering tool (G1 Zxxx Fxxx)
- DOWNPOS : lowest position, usually 0
- DOWNHOVPOS : at least as thick as the material, below this Z, G1 is used (Default = Thickness if omitted)
- CLEARANCE : (Thickness of the material + CLEARANCE = hovering Z position above media for G0 Xxxx Yxxx)
- DIAMETER : (mm) tool diameter (dilatation of shapes). More details ahead.
- INVERTDILATATION : (0 or 1) for shapes inside other shapes from another tool (specific for holes)
Tool diameter
Thus this driver manages the offset consequent to the radius of tools if set as parameters below and will automatically dilate the shapes to accommodate it. A file viewed with an N-Code / G-Code viewer will display this dilatation. Use the DIAMETER parameter described below.
If an image contains imbricated contours for the same tool, the inner-most contours will be automatically contracted, rather than dilatated because they are considered holes.
-
If a contour is inside a contour for another tool, by default it is not contracted. Still, if this contour is used for holes, you can specify a tool with the parameter INVERTDILATATION=1 to force the contraction.
Materials and media association
1. In the Cutter tools configuration window, go to the Materials tab. This will allow you to match the printer's media with cutter materials you have created before. If there is only a default media (Plain Paper), discover how to manage media with EasyMedia by clicking here.
2. By clicking Edit, associate manually the media and the materials that you have edited in the .xml file.
Methods and contours association
Please refer to the Methods part of this article to see how to associate methods and contour names in the Cutter tools configuration interface.
Warning
Do not forget to associate the "*" filter for DEFAULT material to an available method (Methods tab). This will act as a collector for all contours that may not have been associated properly. Failing to do this may result in missing contours in generated files.