laguna IQ cnc router

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Dorothea
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laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

Hi everybody, I am knew to v-carve and photo vcarve.. I am having trouble even getting the picture saved and to my material to set toolpaths. can anyone help on how to save the picture and get it to the material?
I have watched the videos, gone through the book and still am having trouble.
help!!!

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mtylerfl
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by mtylerfl »

Hi Dorothea,

Did you watch the Photo VCarve videos and follow all the steps shown?

You mentioned you have “gone through the book”. What book is that?
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Xxray
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Xxray »

* Open Image, self explanatory
* Set Material Size, do that and click apply
* Set Cutting Parameters, do that and click calculate

Presto, you now have toolpaths to run
Doug

Dorothea
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

the vcarve book I downloaded and printed to help me learn...but a lot of reading

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mtylerfl
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by mtylerfl »

Dorothea wrote:the vcarve book I downloaded and printed to help me learn...but a lot of reading
Ok, Dorothea.

So, if we understand correctly, you own both the PhotoVCarve software as well as the regular VCarve software. Is that correct?

Are you wanting to use just the PhotoVCarve software to create an engraving of a photo? If so, then the Vectric PhotoVCarve video tutorial should give you all the info required to do so.

Or, do you want to import the PhotoVCarve Toolpaths into the regular VCarve software? If so, there is a video tutorial for that as well, and should provide all the steps required to do that too.

Let us know in more detail exactly what software you are using and exactly what you are trying to accomplish.

Oh, one more question...do you already know how to use your Laguna CNC?
Michael Tyler

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-ShopBot Buddy PRSAlpha CNC

Dorothea
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 10:46 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Laguna IQ

Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

I do have now the photo vcarve and the vcarve pro 9... am just learning to operate the cnc.. I run a cnc mill at work and this is so different, different software. I've actually got the machine doing photo's but the images are not clear. Do I have to purchase the photo editing so the backgrounds on the photos can be altered. I'm not sure if it is the tool I'm using or the wood that's making the photos not show up well.

Dorothea
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Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 10:46 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Laguna IQ

Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

thanks for the help.. image was easy to load ..pretty self explanatory on that part...

Dorothea
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

Xxray wrote:* Open Image, self explanatory
* Set Material Size, do that and click apply
* Set Cutting Parameters, do that and click calculate

Presto, you now have toolpaths to run

thanks for the help.. image was easy to load ..pretty self explanatory on that part...

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Xxray
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Xxray »

Dorothea wrote:I do have now the photo vcarve and the vcarve pro 9... am just learning to operate the cnc.. I run a cnc mill at work and this is so different, different software. I've actually got the machine doing photo's but the images are not clear. Do I have to purchase the photo editing so the backgrounds on the photos can be altered. I'm not sure if it is the tool I'm using or the wood that's making the photos not show up well.
Photo editing can help, for instance if you had a pure white background you could darken it for better results. There is an old saying among those who try to reproduce objects from photos, and thats "garbage in, garbage out". If you have an image that is blurry or otherwise flawed, those flaws will be faithfully reproduced in the litho. I once did a photo for a lady at work, it was 2 children and presumably the parents, I tend not to get nosy when dealing with personal things with other people. The pic was horrible, pretty much a wallet/purse kept Polaroid with a nasty crack running right through 2 faces . I highly advised using another photo, and she said it had to be that one. She volunteered that the lady was her sister, kids her nieces and the guy former brother inlaw - He flipped out years ago and killed them all, then himself. She said that was the only pic she knew of with them together and smiling, and it had to be that one.

So I did the best I could, I managed to blur and blend in the crack a bit and sharpen the image. Turned out surprisingly well and the lady was thrilled, but there were flaws all over the place that my eye could easily detect, and couldn't do anything about them.

So it would all depend on the level of your editing skills and the extent of the flaws. I do all my lithos from corian and have never tried wood, but the same concepts should apply [wood is probably more challenging to get good results than corian].
Doug

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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by LittleGreyMan »

As Doug said, better give your first try on a Solid Surface as Corian. If it's a photocarving you can also use PU board or MDF. In this case, surface the material before engraving..

I suggest you give your first try with a sample which comes with the software, without changing the settings. If it doesn't look good, there is something wrong with your process (machine, tool or the way you setup the machine).

If you use a personal picture and it doesn't look good, you won't know if the issue is the picture or your settings.
Best regards

Didier

W7 - Aspire 8.517

Dorothea
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Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 10:46 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Laguna IQ

Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

mtylerfl wrote:
Dorothea wrote:the vcarve book I downloaded and printed to help me learn...but a lot of reading
Ok, Dorothea.

So, if we understand correctly, you own both the PhotoVCarve software as well as the regular VCarve software. Is that correct?

Are you wanting to use just the PhotoVCarve software to create an engraving of a photo? If so, then the Vectric PhotoVCarve video tutorial should give you all the info required to do so.

Or, do you want to import the PhotoVCarve Toolpaths into the regular VCarve software? If so, there is a video tutorial for that as well, and should provide all the steps required to do that too.

Let us know in more detail exactly what software you are using and exactly what you are trying to accomplish.

Oh, one more question...do you already know how to use your Laguna CNC?

yes, I do have the vcarve pro 9 and photo vcarve and have watched the tutorials... several times..
would like to create an engraving of a photo and be able to import off the internet... was able to do that but it looks like crap. the photo needed the background removed and I have now learned that I need photo editing to do this. The wood ended up fuzzy.. so I don't know if it was the tool being used or the type of wood used.. Yes, I know how to run the machine, I run a cnc mill at the machine shop I work in..it's the software that has me stumbling.. I hope to figure it all out but have to ask questions and appreciate your reply's and help

Dorothea
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 10:46 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Laguna IQ

Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

Xxray wrote:
Dorothea wrote:I do have now the photo vcarve and the vcarve pro 9... am just learning to operate the cnc.. I run a cnc mill at work and this is so different, different software. I've actually got the machine doing photo's but the images are not clear. Do I have to purchase the photo editing so the backgrounds on the photos can be altered. I'm not sure if it is the tool I'm using or the wood that's making the photos not show up well.
Photo editing can help, for instance if you had a pure white background you could darken it for better results. There is an old saying among those who try to reproduce objects from photos, and thats "garbage in, garbage out". If you have an image that is blurry or otherwise flawed, those flaws will be faithfully reproduced in the litho. I once did a photo for a lady at work, it was 2 children and presumably the parents, I tend not to get nosy when dealing with personal things with other people. The pic was horrible, pretty much a wallet/purse kept Polaroid with a nasty crack running right through 2 faces . I highly advised using another photo, and she said it had to be that one. She volunteered that the lady was her sister, kids her nieces and the guy former brother inlaw - He flipped out years ago and killed them all, then himself. She said that was the only pic she knew of with them together and smiling, and it had to be that one.

So I did the best I could, I managed to blur and blend in the crack a bit and sharpen the image. Turned out surprisingly well and the lady was thrilled, but there were flaws all over the place that my eye could easily detect, and couldn't do anything about them.

So it would all depend on the level of your editing skills and the extent of the flaws. I do all my lithos from corian and have never tried wood, but the same concepts should apply [wood is probably more challenging to get good results than corian].

wow!! that is something.. have not looked at any litho's.. I like to work with wood but the software I'm having to learn a little at a time... I really don't know anything about litho but will do some reading to find out.. thank you for replying

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Xxray
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Xxray »

Dorothea wrote:
Xxray wrote:
Dorothea wrote:I do have now the photo vcarve and the vcarve pro 9... am just learning to operate the cnc.. I run a cnc mill at work and this is so different, different software. I've actually got the machine doing photo's but the images are not clear. Do I have to purchase the photo editing so the backgrounds on the photos can be altered. I'm not sure if it is the tool I'm using or the wood that's making the photos not show up well.
Photo editing can help, for instance if you had a pure white background you could darken it for better results. There is an old saying among those who try to reproduce objects from photos, and thats "garbage in, garbage out". If you have an image that is blurry or otherwise flawed, those flaws will be faithfully reproduced in the litho. I once did a photo for a lady at work, it was 2 children and presumably the parents, I tend not to get nosy when dealing with personal things with other people. The pic was horrible, pretty much a wallet/purse kept Polaroid with a nasty crack running right through 2 faces . I highly advised using another photo, and she said it had to be that one. She volunteered that the lady was her sister, kids her nieces and the guy former brother inlaw - He flipped out years ago and killed them all, then himself. She said that was the only pic she knew of with them together and smiling, and it had to be that one.

So I did the best I could, I managed to blur and blend in the crack a bit and sharpen the image. Turned out surprisingly well and the lady was thrilled, but there were flaws all over the place that my eye could easily detect, and couldn't do anything about them.

So it would all depend on the level of your editing skills and the extent of the flaws. I do all my lithos from corian and have never tried wood, but the same concepts should apply [wood is probably more challenging to get good results than corian].

wow!! that is something.. have not looked at any litho's.. I like to work with wood but the software I'm having to learn a little at a time... I really don't know anything about litho but will do some reading to find out.. thank you for replying
I'm a wood guy too but corian is a highly versatile material and machines beautifully, CNC creation is all about options - And if you already have PVC, all you need is some corian and a proper bit to get started.

Plenty of great litho threads here, here are a couple of mine

http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.php? ... 96#p218196

http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=30943

http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=21782
Doug

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mtylerfl
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Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by mtylerfl »

Hi Dorothea,

I have an idea...

Please upload the actual photo you tried to carve, as well as your PhotoVCarve file (or your VCarve file - whichever software file you actually used).

If the PVC or VC file is too large to post here, no problem. Post the file to your DropBox account and post the link to that file here. (If you don’t have a DropBox Account, you can create one - it’s free.)

Also, please take a photo of your actual failed carving, so we can see what the outcome was.

Armed with those three things (your subject photo, your project file, and the photo of the carving), we have a good chance to offer some additional helpful suggestions for you.

Thanks!
Michael Tyler

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Dorothea
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Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 10:46 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Laguna IQ

Re: laguna IQ cnc router

Post by Dorothea »

I'll do my best to get the information and get it uploaded... I don't get to use the machine every day or mess with it ... but will certainly try within the next couple of days.
I am trying to learn this software and hope you can be patient with all my questions. thank you again for answering and trying to help.

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