GCODE Text Extraction

This skill provides strategies for extracting text content that is geometrically encoded within GCODE files. GCODE files contain movement coordinates that define toolpaths for 3D printers and CNC machines. When text is embossed, engraved, or printed, the letter shapes are encoded in the X/Y coordinate movements, not in human-readable metadata.

Core Principle

Text in GCODE is encoded geometrically, not as metadata. The shapes of letters exist in the coordinate data of G0/G1 movement commands. Searching for comments, M117 display messages, or filename hints will rarely reveal the actual text content.

Recommended Approach

Phase 1: Quick Metadata Check (Do Not Linger)

Perform a brief check for explicit text indicators, but do not spend excessive time here:

Check for M117 (LCD message) commands: grep "M117" file.gcode
Check file header comments for explicit text labels
Look for slicer metadata that might name objects

If metadata search yields no results within 2-3 attempts, immediately proceed to Phase 2. Do not repeat similar metadata searches.

Phase 2: Geometric Analysis (Primary Approach)

Extract and analyze the coordinate data to reconstruct the text visually:

Identify relevant sections: Look for object markers (M486 commands in PrusaSlicer/SuperSlicer), layer changes, or comments marking "text" or "embossed" features.

Extract X/Y coordinates: Parse G1 movement commands to collect coordinate pairs:

grep -E "^G1.*X.*Y" file.gcode | sed 's/.*X\([0-9.-]*\).*Y\([0-9.-]*\).*/\1 \2/'

Visualize the toolpath: Create a plot of the extracted coordinates:
- Use Python with matplotlib to scatter plot X/Y points
- Use ASCII art plotting for quick visualization
- Analyze coordinate clustering to identify letter boundaries
Analyze movement patterns:
- Travel moves (G0) often indicate transitions between letters
- Extrusion moves (G1 with E parameter) trace the actual shapes
- Z-lifts or retractions may mark character boundaries

Phase 3: Pattern Recognition

When analyzing plotted coordinates:

Look for distinct clusters that correspond to individual characters
Identify the baseline and character height from Y-coordinate ranges
Count distinct separated regions to estimate character count
Compare shapes to known letter forms

Visualization Script Template

To plot GCODE coordinates for text extraction:

import re
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

def extract_coordinates(gcode_file, section_filter=None):
    coords = []
    in_section = section_filter is None

    with open(gcode_file, 'r') as f:
        for line in f:
            if section_filter and section_filter in line:
                in_section = True
            if in_section:
                match = re.search(r'G1.*X([\d.-]+).*Y([\d.-]+)', line)
                if match:
                    coords.append((float(match.group(1)), float(match.group(2))))
    return coords

coords = extract_coordinates('file.gcode')
if coords:
    x, y = zip(*coords)
    plt.figure(figsize=(15, 5))
    plt.plot(x, y, 'b-', linewidth=0.5)
    plt.scatter(x, y, s=1, c='red')
    plt.axis('equal')
    plt.title('GCODE Toolpath')
    plt.savefig('toolpath.png', dpi=150)
    plt.show()

Verification Strategies

Character count validation: If the expected output format is known (e.g., CTF flag format like flag{...}), verify the number of distinct character shapes matches.
Coordinate range analysis: Text typically has consistent character heights and spacing. Verify Y-ranges are consistent across detected characters.
Visual confirmation: The plotted toolpath should visually resemble readable text when viewed as a 2D projection.

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Over-reliance on Metadata

Spending too much time searching for comments, M117 messages, or filename hints instead of analyzing actual coordinate data. If 2-3 metadata searches fail, move to geometric analysis.

Pitfall 2: Giving Up on Geometric Analysis

Concluding that text "cannot be determined" without attempting to visualize or plot the coordinates. GCODE always contains complete geometric information.

Pitfall 3: Missing the Task Context

For CTF-style challenges, the text is intentionally hidden in the geometry. Recognize when a task expects decoding/reverse-engineering rather than simple metadata lookup.

Pitfall 4: Not Using Available Tools

Even without specialized GCODE viewers, basic Python plotting or coordinate analysis can reveal text patterns. Create simple visualization scripts rather than declaring the task impossible.

Pitfall 5: Ignoring Object Boundaries

M486 commands (object labeling) or travel moves often separate individual characters. Use these boundaries to segment the coordinate data into individual letters.

Key Indicators for This Skill

Tasks mentioning "embossed text", "engraved text", or "printed text" in GCODE
CTF challenges involving GCODE files
Questions asking "what text will be printed/shown"
GCODE files with object sections named generically (not revealing the actual text)

Expected Output Considerations

When the task asks for text content from GCODE, provide the actual decoded text string, not an explanation of why it cannot be determined. If visualization reveals legible characters, transcribe them. For CTF-style tasks, look for flag format patterns like flag{...} or CTF{...}.

gcode-to-text