Gear Path Generator

thingiverse

The OpenSCAD script enables generation of an extruded gear along a designated path. A circular gear example is provided with adjustable addendum, dedendum, tooth count, and pressure angle. If only one of radius or pitch is specified, the other measurement is calculated automatically. However, note that the code is not completely generic; defining a path is necessary. The OpenSCAD version of an involute gear tooth generator, incorporating addendum, offset, and involute diameter settings, has been completed along with inclusion of path rotation. The maths need to be sorted out for seamless operation. Extrusion compensation can be adjusted through the 'inset' parameter, while additional sine wave points can be added by modifying the 'points' setting. This non-basic script produces a hole in circular gears and allows path definition for gear extrusion, with meshing optimal for linear gears like circles or racks, but also functional for non-linear gears such as nautilus. The code has been updated in July 2018, including an example for a circular gear; however, be cautious when using the generator and ensure not to look directly at it, as it cuts the curve into tiny pieces for calculating angles and lengths of gears. Sizes are scaled based on the 'radius' value for circular gear generation functionality.