Galaad

Technical facts

> What is the minimal system for installing Galaad 3?
- Galaad 3 has been developped using Borland C++ on Windows 32 bits base. So it works under Windows NT / 2000 / ME / XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 / 11. The floor configuration corresponds to a PC of the late 90s. Of course a faster computer is much better, but there is no need to purchase a racehorse to run Galaad comfortably.

> Is Galaad a 3D application?
- Galaad central design module is a 2½D vector graphical editor with depth encoding. But the application provides number of easy-to-use 3D functions that help create 3 axis paths or wire meshes. Also several 3D file formats are imported. The machining module is fully 3D oriented for supervising 3, 4 or 5 axes. Galaad helps make baby steps in 3D milling.

> How many possible different depths in one single design?
- There are no limits. Galaad can manage as many depths and feed speeds as the number of objects on the board. With 3-D objects, there are even as many different depths as the number of points in the object path. But the tool library has a limit of 50 tools maximum, which should normally be sufficient for most users, especially since you can manage up to 10 different tool libraries.

> How many available text fonts?
- There are no limits. Galaad mixes its own fonts (52 different types, mainly dedicated to engraving works) with TrueType or OpenType fonts (contours and surface filling) you have installed on your computer. If your Windows configuration contains 500 TrueType fonts, then Galaad will display a total of 552 available fonts. It is up to you to choose or seek for the font you are missing among those available on the market or as freeware. Adobe Type Manager fonts that do not have Windows TrueType compatibility are not suitable for Galaad.

> Is it possible to use Galaad with a plasma torch, laser, water jet or any other cutting tool?
- Indeed, and there are many functions dedicated especially to plasma cutting, including the arc management, the THC, the critical modes, etc. And also for laser and waterjet cutting processes or the oxycutting. Furthermore, there are some invisible parameters that allow the user to encode his own special codes to be sent to the machine for spindle switching, or create delays between spindle start/stop and move. Please contact us, should you need these special parameters.

Troubleshooting

> Galaad does not detect my dongle key.
- Please check if the key has been plugged on a USB port. If your key is dated before 2017, then Windows requires a driver for detecting it. The installation is automatic from Galaad standard installer. For a manual copy of an installation or a re-installation, run the programme DongleDriver from Galaad 3 CD-ROM and also downloadable here.

> Galaad mentions file save problems.
- You should not install Galaad in a disk directory with restricted access rights (e.g. "C:\Program Files\Galaad"): it was not formatted for that. This is not desktop software, but a workshop application, which must be quickly movable in case of a PC change. So you must install it in a directory where all users will have read & write access rights (e.g. "C:\Galaad"). Concerning Galaad, saving problems are always related to write access restrictions in the target directory. Galaad saves its environment parameters in its installation directory, which must then be accessible for write operations. If in doubt, please consult your system administrator.

> It is impossible to drive my CNC machine.
- If your machine does not react at all when Galaad tries to open the dialog with it, the problem may be a communication failure or a bad machine driver selection. Please check the machine model you have declared in Galaad parameters. If it looks correct, check the cable direction (some models have a computer end and a CNC end) and the port number. Try with other commuication ports. If using a serial port, check the transmission speed (baudrate) and eventually try different speeds. Last but not least: please check that your machine has been powered on.

> The machine drive is not correct or gives error messages.
- Several points need checking. If your machine reacts to part of Galaad commands, for example performs its datum move, then we can think that the communication is ok. In this case, please check that the milling machine model you have set in Galaad parameters is correct. Check the CNC capabilities (interpolations and memory card). Advanced or "invisible" (see below) parameters also need checking.

> The machined result is different from the design.
- Several parameters should be checked, and especially the ballscrew pitchs and motor resolutions. Please have a look to the scaling factors (input and output). If the milling its twice bigger than the design, then your screw parameters in Galaad are twice smaller than the reality, or the motor resolution twice greater.

> The machine is makes unexpected moves when driving manually.
- This should not happen unless you have integrated a joystick in the machine advanced parameters. These devices are very versatile and require an accurate management from the application that use them. So you must check the joystick calibration in Windows configuration panel or get rid of it in Galaad machine parameters if it persists in making trouble.

> It is impossible to get the tool compensation of an object path.
- It can appear that some very small backgoing vectors in the path create problems when calculating the tool compensation trajectory. Please zoom in the path and check if there are no small useless overlapping vertices.

> It is impossible to apply a design function on an object.
- Please check that your object is actually located in the active layer and has not been locked or protected. Locking objects avoids selection, and protection avoid deletion or modification.

> I have lost my password for the restricted mode.
- Do not panic. Using Windows Explorer, please seek for the file Password.txt in Galaad directory and double-click on it. In the worst case, you can eventually reinstall Galaad in the same directory, which will remove the password without changing anything in your current files and parameters.

Installation

> What does Galaad installation change on my hard disk?
- Absolutely nothing but the target directory. There are no files, drivers, DLLs or other sticky stuff that leaks on your disk. Galaad installation is clean and strictly limited to this directory. Furthermore, no lines are added to any configuration or autoexec file. The only changes in the Windows interface are the desktop and "Start" menu shortcut (that you can avoid if you do not wish to have them), and the creation of a link between "*.gal" files and Galaad in the registry base.

> How can I unsinstall Galaad ?
- Very simple : open Windows Explorer and delete the directory where Galaad has been installed, then drag and drop the desktop and "Start" menu icons down to the trashbox. That's all.

> How is Galaad organised on my hard disk?
- Galaad is a set of several programmes that are assigned to different functions. There is no need to try running those that are not linked to a given icon in Galaad folder. They are not usable from outside. In the installation directory, there is a "File" subdirectory with folders that contain design samples from the CD-ROM, a "Fonts" subdirectory that contains Galaad special fonts (TrueType fonts are managed by Windows), a "Libraries" subdirectory that contains the independant objects you have created plus those from the CD-ROM. It is recommended to save your files un a folder located in the "Files" subdirectory. This folder (an actual directory) can be created from Galaad "File" menu. You will get a much cleaner organisation. In the installation directory can be found some sample files under external formats, for import functions, and parameter files. These files are: Galaad.ini for application general parameters; Galaad.net for network parameters; Galaad.cus for restrictions parameters; Galaad.too for the tool library; Galaad.sta for tool statistics; Galaad.cnc for machine parameters; Galaad.xyz for memorised machine positions; and Galaad.mac for the last machining parameters. Parameters in these files are directly accessible from Galaad, except some rare advanced parameters for special applications.

Integrated CAD-CAM-CNC Software for Windows

First of all, please do not forget that you can download here the complete user's manual, in PDF format. The manual contains much more information that this page could ever display, including chapters dedicated to learning to draw and learning to mill, or technical matters, basic or very advanced. This manual has been updated in February 2020.