"Plate production" cutting plates at once and not seperate?

[Roelli]

Hi.

Iam using "plate production" in vcarve to engrave and cut small signs out of a big plate.

But I want to optimize the cutting process. At the moment the tool cuts around the plates and it cuts more then needed.

This is how it was calculated by "plate production"
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fg1r2ufd9ti9g ... ate.jpg?dl=0

But I want to have it like this:
Just single cut lines from left to right and top to bottom. (straight lines of course... not the terrible lines I tried to draw)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bro3fvwfzgt8 ... h.jpg?dl=0

Thanks!

Roelli

[Adrian]

You'll need to create/edit the lines to reflect what you want. Bear in mind that the rotational forces of the bit may cause you issues depending on the material.

There's no way to do it as a "one click" operation. Many different ways of doing it. Offset and welding is one way.

[Roelli]

and welding is one way.

I can use node editing, but that's a lot of work.

Isn't it possible to weld two lines together? Like this:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bxmzi1wehr654 ... p.jpg?dl=0

I always get an error message when there are overlapping lines and I never figured out how to make one line out of two. (other then cutting one line and closing the vector)

Thanks,
Roelli.

[Adrian]

You can only join lines at their end points. There's no way to join two open vectors as a T for example.

With your example you can use the standard join tools no problem. Weld isn't the correct tool for that as it's designed for closed vectors.

You shouldn't need to join the lines though. Typically the type of operation you want to do is performed as a profile cut set to be On the line rather than Inside/Outside. That toolpath will work with multiple open vectors.

[Roelli]

I found a new way to do it... I just draw seperate lines around the actual plate. (half the distance as the tool diameter so that I can cut on the line, as you said)
I can let the open vectors beeing closed by vcarve... but only the vertical lines.
It seems to work when selecting all horizontal lines at once and then start closing the open vectors.

Maybe it's faster to just draw one line and copy it at the right distance between the plates.

https://youtu.be/xy4LK1sOOfs

Well... I hoped that i was just too silly to use the software and that there is a hidden feature or so. Because... with this kind of plate production you always have a longer machine runtime because the toolpath are doubled.
And a much higher risk that something can go wrong. (with the unneeded cutting lines as the spindle will move through the cutted toolpath again... we all know that a cutter will still cut some more material off, so chances are that the fully cutted piece will fly away when it comes in contact with the spindle after it is beeing completely cutted out)

Thanks,
Roelli.