Inlay Pocket Tool path

[markbachman]

Why does V Carve create a tool path like shown below? There are multiple raise and plunge moves that do not remove any additional material after the pass around the perimeter. This happens at each depth pass and greatly increases the cut time. I see no option to optimize tool path.
CRV file attached, look at tool path Pocket Inlay 1

[scottp55]

Mark,
Not fully caffeinated yet, and there will be other opinions/methods, BUT
Ran into this a BUNCH years ago doing 3D Owls in kid's building blocks for gifts....I'd make a boundary vector for the Model, and it Offset cut BEAUTIFULLY until the last 1% of cut...
And then my machine started doing a "Sewing Machine" imitation that took half as long as the cut itself.
I fudged/fixed it by using Curve Fit Vectors (Bezier) and Offsetting Inwards by a hair (and cutting to Selected Vectors with appropriate tolerance), and was soon cutting them 40% faster.

So I tried your file, and changed the original Female with a .005" tolerance....a Little better.

Then tried .05"tolerance which distorted the Butterfly too much, But cut Lifts WAY down.

Somewhere in between those two tolerances(OR Node edit the Female?) should be a decent cut? THEN copy THAT to the mirror layer and mirror it.
Brain should start working after this second cup...and I'll go DARN...there's an easier way....but I'll post now anyways.
scott

[TReischl]

What you are seeing is the software calculating that there is a bit of material left between the .25 dia tool and the .125 dia tool. So it removes it.

I rarely use that large clearance tool option when doing pockets.

There is a lot more control over what is happening by using a pocketing tool path without that option and then creating a separate profile tool path. For instance, you can leave whatever you would like for a finish cut on the sidewalls of the pocket. Another thing is that you will get a lot more options on the profile tool, like ramping the cut instead of stepping down.

Here is a pic of what that profile tool pass looks like when the large clearance tool option is not selected:

Yanno I get the idea that just clicking a checkbox and selecting a tool is really convenient, but it seems that convenience comes at the expense of having control over the toolpaths. And that seems to be what you are wanting, so give it a try.

[markbachman]

Ok I understand that there may be bits of material between the outer detail pass and the clearance pass. But why cannot it just stepover inwards and remove the material.
How can I submit this to the support team?

[markbachman]

Ok I understand that there may be bits of material between the outer detail pass and the clearance pass. But why cannot it just stepover inwards and remove the material.
How can I submit this to the support team?

[highpockets]

support@vectric.com

[TReischl]

Ok I understand that there may be bits of material between the outer detail pass and the clearance pass.
But why cannot it just stepover inwards and remove the material.
How can I submit this to the support team?

Probably is a good idea to send it off to support. I think your issue is an indication of a bigger problem:

Notice that the tool path of the profiling tool has crossed over the vector in several places resulting in rounded corners rather than sharp ones.

Interestingly if the vector is cut using a regular profiling pass on the inside this does not occur. A definite anomaly.

[scottp55]

Ted,
That seems to be the standard behaviour for the normal Inlay Toolpaths(taking radius of the bit into account for Male and Female for a perfect fit).
But then I just finished surfacing a ratty piece of Oak firewood with a knothole in it...so what do I know

[Adrian]

Notice that the tool path of the profiling tool has crossed over the vector in several places resulting in rounded corners rather than sharp ones.

Interestingly if the vector is cut using a regular profiling pass on the inside this does not occur. A definite anomaly.

That's what it's supposed to do otherwise the inlay won't fit. A profile pass is a different animal as it doesn't need to worry about the shape of another part.

[TReischl]

Thanks guys, for some odd reason I thought he was using a standard pocketing routine with a clearance bit.

I quit using the inlay tool a long time ago.

So my bad.

That said, I would still use the pocket and profile tools to get more control of something like this, but hey, that is just me!