Cut all the way to the edge

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dryphi
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Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

How do I make VCarve to push a toolpath all the way to the edge of a part?

I would like to have VCarve generate the toolpaths to machine fillets in the square corners of my work piece. I am not very familiar with the software so I'm just importing an STL file from SolidWorks and using Trace Bitmap to make vectors. Then I'm attempting to use a Finishing Pass to generate the toolpaths. It seems the toolpaths "stop short" and won't machine the full round on the edges; they simply stop at about half the drill diameter from the edge. I've even tried entering a boundary offset which doesn't seem to do anything.

What I'm looking for is a bit difficult to explain using terminology so I'm attaching some images. On the left is a simple SolidWorks part with a fillet on one edge and on the right is what I'm seeing in VCarve.

Thanks in advance.
Attachments
VCarve_help_fillets.png

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mtylerfl
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by mtylerfl »

Howdy,

Please post your actual Vectric file. (Not your toolpath code, not a screenshot, but your actual VCarve file.)

We can guess and guess and guess without it. Or, we can "instantly" tell what the issue is if you post your file. BTW, my "guess" would have been to use an offset, but you said you tried that and it didn't work, so...

If your file is too large to post here on the forum, upload it to DropBox and post the download link here instead.
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dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

Okay thanks. The part is at work and I don't have the necessary programs installed so I'll have to send it tomorrow.

To make this as simple as possible I literally just made a 50mm cube with a 5mm fillet on one edge, exported as STL, and imported into VCarve. From there I used Trace Bitmap (checking every one of the grey colors) to produce vector(s) and selected the result to generate the toolpaths.

I'm using a 1/4" ball nose end mill and I initially tried no boundary offset, then 6.35mm offset and even increased it to 12.7 and it didn't seem to make a difference. I also tried each of the boundary options (Model, Material and Selected Vector) each time and those didn't do anything different either. Finally I decreased my stepover down as low as 10% to no avail.

Will post the file tomorrow... just wanted to give some background in case you had any other ideas. Thanks

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mtylerfl
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by mtylerfl »

Sounds good - hope you can make the file available soon.

Depending what we see, a couple of us might make some suggestion(s) regarding the STL file you imported (you may not need that model at all for this).
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martin54
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by martin54 »

Posting the file is your best way to get help because at the moment it is difficult to know what you are doing, just to explain a bit further the roughing & finishing toolpaths are for machining 3D models such as your STL file, there are no vectors involved unless you create some & use them as a machining boundaries.
If you auto trace a bitmap it will produce vectors that would then need to be cut with 2D toolpaths such as the profile or pocket toolpaths :lol: :lol:

So what you have said is a bit of a mix between the two :lol: :lol:

dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

martin54 wrote:just to explain a bit further the roughing & finishing toolpaths are for machining 3D models such as your STL file, there are no vectors involved unless you create some & use them as a machining boundaries.
How would you generate toolpaths on an imported part without first making vectors?

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Adrian
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by Adrian »

dryphi wrote: How would you generate toolpaths on an imported part without first making vectors?
You don't need vectors to machine a 3D model. The roughing and finishing toolpaths work on the model boundary itself or the whole material depending on what you specify in the toolpath. You can optionally create vectors to limit the extent of the toolpath but if you're machining the whole model that isn't needed.

It may well be that you don't need a 3D model at all and what you're trying to is purely a 2D vector operation as others have said.

dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

Adrian wrote:You don't need vectors to machine a 3D model. The roughing and finishing toolpaths work on the model boundary itself or the whole material depending on what you specify in the toolpath.
Huh. VCarve might be easier to use than I thought. We routinely work from 3D models and honestly I've been having trouble machining them. Thought the only way to generate toolpaths was from vectors... maybe you can teach me an easier way? :)

Still working on the file... Attempting to install the program on my laptop.

dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

I couldn't find the install file so I just downloaded the trial edition to use on my laptop for now until I can get back to the computer at work.

Attached is my VCarve file. Looks like it's doing the exact same thing.

The "3D Finish 1" toolpath was created by just going straight to a 3D finish toolpath on the imported STL model.
I then went and created a vector using the Trace Bitmap tool and used that to generate the "3D Finish 2" toolpath.
Both appeared to yield the same result.

Also I think I like the second method better because the first seems to machine the entire top surface which is unnecessary. Is there a way to prevent that?
Attachments
VCarve_fillet.PNG
Fillet1.crv
(46.5 KiB) Downloaded 83 times

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mtylerfl
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by mtylerfl »

Thank you, but your file cannot be opened by anyone else since you chose to use the Trial version for some reason!

We need the "real deal" file. Just send it from the work computer. (A little puzzled why you didn't already do that - and really puzzled you say you can't find the install file - its downloadable from your Vectric Portal Account.)
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dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

mtylerfl wrote:We need the "real deal" file. Just send it from the work computer. (A little puzzled why you didn't already do that.)
Sorry, I wasn't working at that site today. Waiting for a coworker to email me the installer.
Huh... that's annoying :) I actually have the license code already but there doesn't seem to be any place to enter it in the trial version. Also it's for version 8.5 ShopBot Edition so it probably wouldn't work with this one... Wish there was some way to download that version.
Last edited by dryphi on Sat Apr 07, 2018 12:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

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mtylerfl
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by mtylerfl »

dryphi wrote:
mtylerfl wrote:We need the "real deal" file. Just send it from the work computer. (A little puzzled why you didn't already do that.)
Sorry, I wasn't working at that site today. Waiting for a coworker to email me the installer.
Huh... not a very useful trial version then :)

Oh boy...I'm not sure what to tell you. It sounds as if you are not the actual registered owner of the software. Also not sure if it's ok for you to install on your personal laptop if you are not the registered owner. We may have to hold up on this until you get back to your work computer.
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dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

mtylerfl wrote:It sounds as if you are not the actual registered owner of the software. Also not sure if it's ok for you to install on your personal laptop if you are not the registered owner. We may have to hold up on this until you get back to your work computer.
The ShopBot is in our lab at school. As an education tool various students might use the software from time to time.
Anyway, there's no use for the software without the ShopBot itself.

The university offers lots of software which can be accessed remotely by logging in through their VPN.

Didn't mean to alarm you but rest assured everything is above board here.

dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

Okay sorry about the delay. Busy day. Friend just finished a meeting and sent me the file. We're working on the same project.
How's this one look?
Thanks
Attachments
Fillet2.crv
(237 KiB) Downloaded 95 times

dryphi
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Re: Cut all the way to the edge

Post by dryphi »

mtylerfl wrote:and really puzzled you say you can't find the install file - its downloadable from your Vectric Portal Account.)
What's the Vectric Portal Account? We have the ShopBot edition so it's probably different.

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