Today, our second major software update will arrive on wifi-connected Origins.

Throughout the design and execution of this software update, we’ve focused on increasing the stability and reliability of the software. We know you have been trusting Origin with your most important projects and we want to continue earning that trust. In addition to creating reliability improvements, we’ve been listening to your feedback and developing new features that best address what you, Origin’s earliest users, most want to see. From a design perspective, every decision has been informed by a desire to place more control in the hands of the user, and to make a tool that is continually more responsive to the user and to their particular needs.

Performance

The first improvement that many users will notice is a significant decrease in scan processing time and design placement. Origin will now be much better equipped to place and manipulate ‘heavier’ files with lots of points or longer curves. This should open up a whole new range of design complexity that Origin users can cut. Thanks to your help in identifying performance issues, we have been able to greatly increase system stability and improve overall performance.

Cutting

Helix cutting is now enabled in Origin’s Cut tool. We’ve seen many user projects that involve cutting a long series of holes in succession. Helical cutting will speed up this process immensely, as the cutter is now able to move automatically in a controlled helical descent to a specified depth along an eligible path. Any closed path that is within Origin's corrective range is eligible for Helix cutting. This is a huge time saver; simply set a depth and hold Origin in place over an eligible path and a through- or blind-hole can be cut in a single operation.

In order to better keep track of multiple passes in a project, cut history now appears on screen in shades of blue, enabling you to identify at a glance to what depth you have cut along each line. Deeper cuts are represented by progressively darker lines, but all cuts are translucent, so that you can always see the grain and features of your workpiece beneath.

Calculator

Another entirely new and regularly-requested feature is the introduction of an on-tool calculator. This will appear whenever Origin prompts the user to enter a number (cut depth, offsets, on-tool CAD dimensions, etc.), and make it easier to make on-the-fly adjustments.

Speed Settings

In response to popular request, users can now adjust both the descent speed of the cutter when plunging (the ‘plunge speed’) and the surface speed of the cutter (the ‘feed rate’) while cutting in Auto-mode. Now you can slow down your plunge speed to protect delicate bits or speed up your Auto-mode rate to fly through straight lines and long cuts on larger projects. Being able to slow down the feed in Auto-mode also helps to accommodate a wider variety of cuttable materials and improve cut quality. In addition to improving workflow speed and expanding material horizons, we find that this allows users to better personalize their tool and find their own sweet spot for each project.

Grid Creation

Now, when plunging to create a grid, you can manually set and adjust the plunge depth of your touch-off probe (or bit). Using the buttons on each handle, you’re able to easily and incrementally raise or lower the probe to ensure you’re touching off exactly where you want to be touching off. Another usability improvement is that you are now able to enter the diameter of your touch-off probe directly on the Grid tool instead of navigating away from Grid to make adjustments.

Check out the comprehensive list of updates as well as a full walkthrough of the new features. You can also see them all put to use in the latest #cleatoftheweek. User feedback has proven to be invaluable in both the design and the execution of this update, and we want to thank all our users for their input and feature requests. You’re all helping us create the best experience possible with Origin, and we’ve been thrilled to watch the engagement as the Shaper Community grows and develops. Come join the conversation; we can’t wait to see how you put Origin’s new features to work.