I am trying to create a CNC file that will creat a fibonacci spiral with pockets like the following
I have attached the V-Carve file. I have created the shape but I have no idea how take the overlapping "pockets" created by the spirals and turn them into their own vectors so that I could then do an inset on them to create the walls.
Is there an easy way to do this with V-Carve? Or a trick to do this that I am unaware of?
1. To make this easier, set the XY datum position at the center.
2. As there are 16 axis of symmetry, trim the vectors to two radial lines so you have a 1/16 sector. Leave the radial lines.
3. You have some duplicate vectors, so remove them.
4. Offset all of the lines both sides to achieve the amount of wall thickness desired. Check the Delete Original box. I used .125 both sides for the attached file. (Or you can experiment to offsetting the lines to one side only to see if that is closer to what you want.)
5. Trim and vectors to eliminate overlapping parts. Extend to the radial lines as required. Trim other lines back to the radial lines. Don't have the Rejoin trimmed sections box checked.
6. Mirror the vectors about one side.
7. Make a circular array of remaining vectors. Rotation center 0,0. Check the Rotate copies box, 8 copies, total angle 360.
This would be very time consuming with Aspire or VCP, so I did it in Rhino and exported them as a dxf file, then brought them back into Aspire. You also had a lot of open vectors. This is what I did:
1. Select the outside vector and offset it 1/4".
2. If you notice, there are 8 heart shaped vectors. I took one, deleted the originals. I offset it 1/4" and did a polar array to produce 8 new ones.
3. I trimmed at all the intersection. This took about 5-minutes in Rhino. Because of the zillions nodes, it would of been very slow using Aspire or VCP.
4. After all the cuts, I joined all the vectors.
5. I imported them into Aspire and did two Create Shapes, one base and the extrusion of the pattern.
I attached the dxf file if you don't want to go through the exercise. Gary
garylmast wrote: Because of the zillions nodes, it would of been very slow using Aspire or VCP.
The trim tool (scissors) does it rather quickly. Much easier than node editing. There is also a Trim Selected Objects to a Boundary tool that is useful for a job like this.
Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement.
The trim tool (scissors) does it rather quickly. Much easier than node editing. There is also a Trim Selected Objects to a Boundary tool that is useful for a job like this.
Mike, Apparently you was posting at the same time I was, and after reading your post, I said to myself "yeah, you can do it that way too". You know that old saying, "you can ask 10 woodworkers the same question and get 10 different answers.". Gary
I will have to try to recreate your process FixItMike. I think I get it but will be back if there are questions. I have used Inkscape for everything so far and just got V-Carve and need to relearn how to create everything with the new approaches that are presented by the V-Carve product.
Thanks PaulRownTree. I was going to end up going down this route if there was not a better solution provided here. I have used Inkscape a lot to do the same thing. However, I bought this great $750 software and want to learn to use it where possible and understand its limitations and capabilities.
