i was hopping to get an understanding of how the software works for the chosen cross section on a two rail sweep. attached is a pic of a shape. the two drive rails have a different distance between them at either end. what happens to the chosen cross section shape along the rails? does it compress / stretch in scale ?
Depends on whether you check "Scale cross section with width". Whether checked or not, the profile is stretched between the rails. If checked, then the cross section will expand in height. If not checked, then the cross section just gets stretched between the rails but doesn't change in height.
Steve Godding
Not all who wander (or wonder) are lost
OK so i thought i understood but did not get the results i thought. attached is a sketch of what i'm trying to achieve.the circle is over sized for my table so i did the following. i made four blank shapes . each shape i choose the two drive rails. hung a cross section on one end of the drive rail and another cross section that matches the distance between the drive rails at the other end. repeated theses steps on the three shapes. when i put the four shapes together the cross sections do not align to each other. the only thing that i can think of is the the drive rail direction arrows were not all the same. any thoughts on this? i have yet to find this situation in help tutorials other than tileing which i could not do because of yeild of material.
1. Make one shape with the complete sweep and use only one sweep vector which will automatically stretch as you go around the rails, rather than four with different sweep vectors. Then split up the large shape into the four pieces you want to carve separately using "Split the selected component using a vector". They should all match now.
2. The 2" ring on the outside should not be part of the sweep. I would make the sweep only the curve on the inside of the ring. Make the ring with "create shape from vector outlines and just make it a flat profile.
Steve Godding
Not all who wander (or wonder) are lost
http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V9 ... ideo_id=68 The first topic in this tutorial is "Apply multiple cross sections". I would draw your design like you have it on paper and put your different cross sections exactly where they need to be and see if that will work for you....joe Ooops, don't know about version 4. Look on YouTube for an older but similar tutorial that shoes how to place different cross sections....Good luck...joe
I don't remember when the "split component" function came into the software, but even in the older versions you could accomplish the same thing by making 4 copies of the component, then drawing appropriate vectors and using "Clear area of selected component outside of selected vectors" to cut away the parts you don't want from each copy.
Steve Godding
Not all who wander (or wonder) are lost
so i was able to use the split component function . started to maching the first part . rough cut worked fine. 3D cut has created random Plunge cuts. What would cause this. attached a screen shot of the tool path.
A zero plane is not the same thing as the z zero. It's a special component used to allow the software to "see" the edge of a shape inset into the material. The offset in the finishing toolpath is used to make sure that the tool goes fully over the edge of the shape as it's calculated from the centre.
