Learning PVC.. How am I doing?

This forum is for general discussion about PhotoVCarve.
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Adrian
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Re: Learning PVC.. How am I doing?

Post by Adrian »

Samson wrote:
Adrian wrote:Looking at some of the previews and results being shared here I think there is some confusion over PhotoVCarving an image and creating a lithopane/relief image. They are not the same thing.
That's what this software does. It cuts based on the gray scale, so the more resolution one might want, the more 2.5D it begins to show, instead of a bunch of varied depth lines.
If a person wants a true engraved photo, this isn't the correct software. VCarve Pro would be the better choice.
With Photocarve, you will always be cutting a litho, just in varying resolution and depths.

Some detail will be lost with this method, because it isn't cutting based on the gray scale, only a set depth.
The actual internal process of the software is the same regardless of the outcome but the settings to produce the different effects are very different and in my years on the forum I've seem many people tie themselves in knots trying to follow the instructions for a lithopane when what they wanted was a stained line engraving.

LittleGreyMan
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Re: Learning PVC.. How am I doing?

Post by LittleGreyMan »

Adrian wrote:The actual internal process of the software is the same regardless of the outcome but the settings to produce the different effects are very different and in my years on the forum I've seem many people tie themselves in knots trying to follow the instructions for a lithopane when what they wanted was a stained line engraving.
+1

BTW, what you call 2,5D is 3D. With little Z variations and on one side of the material, but it is actual 3D.

2,5D is a set of 2D operations as various but constant Z values, as pockets of different depths and cutouts in a board.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2.5D_(machining)
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Didier

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Re: Learning PVC.. How am I doing?

Post by stevelod »

I've found if you use a very fine engraving bit, set your line spacing to .005" (no need for crosshatch) and be very patient the results are pretty good. After I do the engraving I fill them with tinted epoxy to bring out the grayscale but all the detail is from the engraving.
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Re: Learning PVC.. How am I doing?

Post by MTSO »

Stevelod
What is tinted epoxy and how do you make it?. That outcome is amazing! more detail on how you do it would be gold.

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Brian

stevelod
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Re: Learning PVC.. How am I doing?

Post by stevelod »

It's just epoxy with black tint. The trick is determining how deep I need to cut the wood for the image I'm doing and how to tint the epoxy just right, but that part takes some practice. The image I posted was done by staining the image area white before I poured the epoxy. I get a better image that way but I don't get any wood grain in the light areas so that makes it look more like a photo than wood art. Heres a link to some other examples of the stuff I made. All the others are done without the white stain. http://thestuffimade.com/product-catego ... ngravings/

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