3d tool paths

[steveh537]

In cut 3d what exactly controls the depth of cut in the roughing and finishing tool path?
I set up a job and then imported into v-carve pro and for a .500 deep carving the roughing tool path cuts .498 so that only .002 is left for the finishing tool path. That seems like way too small a depth of cut. This is the first time I imported into v-carve pro so it's the time I actually saw the depth of cut for the tool paths. I'm pretty sure other jobs I've run the finish tool path cut much deeper, you can't see the depths of cut in the cut 3d program and I never thought to check the g code to see the depth of cut.
Thanks for any help.

[Ms Wolffie]

You select the total cutting depth and the program selects the final cut according to the bit you have chosen.
Cheers
Wolffie

[eph210]

In Cut3D you set the machining allowance for the roughing toolpath and the finishing toolpath does the balance. You enter the machining allowance in section 3, Roughing Toolpath near the middle of the column.

Euan

[tmerrill]

Steve,

All the toolpath parameters are set up in Cut3D and import with the toolpaths into VCP. Once in VCP you would need to go back to Cut3D to make any toolpath changes and then re-save and re-import.

In Step 3 you control the Pass Depth of the roughing toolpath by using the input box circled in the screen print below. This is the maximum amount of material the roughing bit removes at any time.

The maximum depth the roughing pass will cut is controlled by the 3D shape and the Machining Allowance as Euan suggested. This setting is the second input box circled in the snip and I keep mine at 0.04". This value represents the remaining amount of material to be removed by the finish toolpath.

In all Vectric products the finish toolpath is always a single pass down to the actual 3D surface, which is why a properly setup roughing toolpath can be very important.

Tim

[steveh537]

Thanks everyone, it was the machining allowance, I don't remember changing it but I must have because earlier carvings are good.
Again thanks

[Al Toidian]

Steve, I am glad you asked this question. I had exactly the same problem and could not find any help topic covering it. I would get a warning about pass depth and then after "calculate" for roughing pass, the message pop up saying, "no tool path created". I had no idea what the message meant. Color me dumb, but, for a newby, it was very frustrating. So, I just started changing parameters and kept notes on what I did until finally I hit on the right combination. Too bad the makers don't explain that a bit more in 'help'. I think it is because they call the same thing by two different names. Pass depth, cut depth and machining allowance are a little (not much but just enough) confusing. Although, like most things, once you solve the problem, you do a forehead slap and say, "Oh, of course! Why didn't I see that?" But, at the time, it's very frustrating. AT