Combining toolpaths

[Len-Tikular]

I would like to add James 'Rope border' to some of me designs.

Can I combine two of James models on one Cut3d toolpath.

Example could be my 'Dished' Pony head with a rope border around it.

[tmerrill]

You can only work with one model at a time in Cut3D but there would be an approach that could provide limited design possibilities.

If you look at the 3rd post down in this thread you can get an example of how multiple models could be imported into a single VCP project and machined:

http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=13989

Instead of the owl model in the center, surrounded by the rope model, picture your dished pony head model.

Of course, with Aspire the design possibilities would be endless.

Tim

[Len-Tikular]

You can only work with one model at a time in Cut3D but there would be an approach that could provide limited design possibilities.

If you look at the 3rd post down in this thread you can get an example of how multiple models could be imported into a single VCP project and machined:

http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=13989

Instead of the owl model in the center, surrounded by the rope model, picture your dished pony head model.

Of course, with Aspire the design possibilities would be endless.

Tim

Thanks Tim,

That helps,I'll do a test cut soon and try this.

George

[Len-Tikular]

You can only work with one model at a time in Cut3D but there would be an approach that could provide limited design possibilities.

If you look at the 3rd post down in this thread you can get an example of how multiple models could be imported into a single VCP project and machined:

http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=13989

Instead of the owl model in the center, surrounded by the rope model, picture your dished pony head model.

Of course, with Aspire the design possibilities would be endless.

Tim

Tim (this may be a bit of a thicko question) would you recommend I use the regular rope artwork from James rather than the recessed (Dished)

George

[tmerrill]

Hi George,

I believe you could use either. The regular one would produce results similar to the example I did for the thread I linked to above. You would need to pocket away both inside and outside in VCP, or create some type of outer decorative edge using the toolpaths available in VCP.

With the rope model in the dish, you would need to pocket away just the center before doing the pony in the dish.

Here would be the major steps for either model. You need to do some planning on model thicknesses and where the models are positioned relative to themselves in the material.

Assume the material is 0.75" thick. These are just example numbers, you can change them for your project.

In Cut3D prepare the rope model, size it and set the model thickness to 0.125 inches and set it up for the top of the model to be flush with the top of the material. Calculate the toolpaths and save that file.

Start another Cut3D project and setup your pony model and size it. Lets say you want that 0.375 inches in Z height so you would set that and adjust for it to start 0.125" from the top of the material. Calculate the toolpaths and save that file.

Start VCP and set up your new project. If you haven't done it yet, return to the VectorArt3D site, find the rope model and download the free .eps outline.

Now import into VCP the Cut3D rope file, Cut3D pony file and .eps outline.

Be sure they are all centered around the same point and resize the rope .eps outline to the same size you set for the rope model in Cut3D. It should match the edges of the rope grayscale image.

Use the inner rope shape vector as a boundary for a pocket set to 0.125" deep to match the thickness you made the rope model in Cut3D.

Preview the rope model toolpaths, preview the pocket toolpath and then preview the pony/dish toolpaths. If everything looks good, this would be the sequence you would run the toolpaths in when you actually cut it.

Sorry if it sounds confusing. If you think your way through it, I believe it will make sense and the process will be logical.

Ask if you have questions.

Tim