3D cutout edges aren't smooth???

[randyb]

I know its not a mechanical issue, I use this machine with cut 2d to cut out parts for lockers that I build all the time, the compound curves etc are perfect, you can hear the machine almost sound like its singing when its running a curved pattern and the straight edges are perfect.
When I run the cut3d pattern for these check fixtures even if I run the cutout pattern with no bit in the machine, no material on the board the edge cuts are not smooth, you can see and hear the machine jogging back and forth following a jagged edge pattern.
I do a rough cut with 1 inch bit, the picture I attached was finished with a 1 inch ball nose starting at 40 % overlap and then again at a different angle with 20% overlap and then another angle change at 10% overlap.

I then ran the cutout with a 1/4 inch bit, I also assume that cut 3d automatically cuts outside the profile and not on the profile. I'm trying to also figure out why it came up 1/8 shorter than it was supposed. to.
I really appreciate all the help and suggestions you guys are throwing at me, keep them coming, I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow.
Randy

[mrmfwilson]

I was designing a leg tonight with Sketchup and output it to a stl. I noticed in the simulation that I had scalloped edges. I reduced the step over and they went away. It doesn't sound like the step over is your problem. 10% of a 1 inch ball nose should produce a fairly smooth surface. I keep going back to the smoothness of the stl. I think you should start there. Get another file with the smoothness set to the max.

Mike

[Ms Wolffie]

I was designing a leg tonight with Sketchup and output it to a stl.

Mike

Your wife"s leg?
Just could not help myself.
Cheers
Wolffie

[mrmfwilson]

I was designing a leg tonight with Sketchup and output it to a stl.

Mike

Your wife"s leg?
Just could not help myself.
Cheers
Wolffie

No but it was a nice shape!

[Adrian]

Completely vertical sides are a problem for both Cut3D and Aspire with only 3D toolpaths. It's just the nature of the pixel based way they work.

The best way to tidy it up on a shape like that is to use a 2D toolpath. With VCarve you would import the Cut3D file and then create and overlay a vector to do a profile toolpath around the edges.

In Aspire I would create that part in a similar way with a mixture of 2D and 3D toolpaths.

[randyb]

Thanks for letting me know about the overlay process, I've got VCarve Pro so I'll do some research on how to do that.
Randy