adding pocket areas to save time, right method?

[Ton80]

Hi.. been a while since I asked a question .. I am running a job and it's based on an old model that was created for the Carvewright machine which is not really capable of running jobs like I can with V Carve Pro. I have the model you see in the screenshot and it's really only the mermaid that has any true 3d depth... everything else is pretty static. Would you traced out just the Mermaid with a vector area and set that as the area for the model and create pocketed areas for the text, stars and flat background?

Thanks, John

[newmexico]

Yes!
I would isolate all the graphic elements and eliminate the black and gray circles.
OFFSET PATH is your best friend here.

[martin54]

This Tutorial from the 2015 user group meeting might help, there are also a couple of other videos on efficient maching of 3D parts if you have a look.

https://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V ... g3D_2.html

[IslaWW]

Ton...
You have the right idea. For most 3D cutting I use the Z level raster at sub .1" pass depths This of course, removes material well in prep for the 3D finish, but are very conservative for removing when removing a lot of material. The following shows a 3D Uke neck where the 3D roughing is constrained closely to the model and a rectangle surrounding it out to the material edge is pocketed at much more aggressive pass depths and feedrates.

Video shows beginning and end of each toolpath, but is sped up in the middle: