Setting efficient cut paths

[aowood]

Hello!

I have been using vcarve for about 3 years, mostly self-taught or from watching videos or reading tips. I have made numerous versions of this file and I am considering offering them online; however, I have an issue. I am an efficiency nut (possibly some sort of undiagnosed condition) so I am looking for help in this area. I understand there is a difference in the estimated time of this project (~30mins) vs the actual cut time (~1.5 hours) and I believe the program chooses the most efficient path, please correct me if I'm wrong.

The help I'm really looking for is ideas to clean up the image maybe or otherwise adjust things so the cut time speeds up which obviously will speed my production and make it more feasible to offer to a wider audience. The machine wants to cut a bit at the top, then move to the bottom or side then back, here and there, etc. which seems to not be the best. I appreciate any help or critique!

[highpockets]

Don't see much of a way to increase efficiency. Can you cut more than one at a time? Maybe use Array Copy Toolpath.

If you have VCP v10, my one suggestion for cleaning up the badge a bit will actually cost more machine time, but will produce a cleaner badge. Use Clearance Tool (I used 1/8") on the V-Carve Toolpath.

Nice badge by the way....

[ezurick]

I agree with Highpockets... I don't see a way to make it any "faster" or more efficient. Quite honestly, it isn't really that bad of a carve time imo. Although personally on my 6040 Chinese machine, I'd have to slow the 60 Deg down a bit. Perhaps my machine could handle the 100ipm speed. But I am more comfortable with speeds around 40ipm. But that's just me. I assume this would be a plaque since it is 15 x 10? I switched the tool to a 45 Deg and used a 1/8" EM to clear and it looked pretty good in preview. But of course, carve time increased. Sorry couldn't be more help.

[newmexico]

Efficiency? Ha!
Great question.

I wish vcarve pro was controllable in the way it moves around the graphic area. If it could start at 12 and go clockwise... 1-2-3-4. Instead, it jumps around from 1 to 8 then back to 1 then 7.
Also, I wish we could stop the CLEAN UP cut of an already cut path. I don't need to go back and forth for a path that is already cut.

However, the real time saver is inside our graphics. Most of them have way too many nodes. For example...
A CIRCLE only needs two nodes.
a SQUARE only needs four nodes.

Many of the graphics can be cleaned up from excessive nodes. This can help with cutting times.
It's an easy thing to do in a robust CAD program like Adobe Illustrator. We use the "SIMPLIFY PATHS" command to get rid of excessive nodes.
Many graphics can be reduced as much as 80% with the node count without any degradation of the design.

Great question!

[TReischl]

Efficiency? Ha!
......

Many of the graphics can be cleaned up from excessive nodes. This can help with cutting times.
It's an easy thing to do in a robust CAD program like Adobe Illustrator. We use the "SIMPLIFY PATHS" command to get rid of excessive nodes.
Many graphics can be reduced as much as 80% with the node count without any degradation of the design.

Great question!

Vectric also has the ability to reduce nodes, substantially. Edit/Curve Fit Vectors. It works really well, offering several different methods, tolerance control and corner control. Works extremely well.

Not sure about how that helps with cutting times unless your control is being overloaded and starts stopping to catch up. On my machine reducing the nodes does not impact cutting times. This is easily proven by drawing a line with two nodes and then creating the same length line with several thousand nodes. One caveat, the machine will begin hesitating at very high feed rates as the look ahead buffer is depleted. This is due to something commonly called "control cycle loop time". The software in a machine control runs in a loop, in that loop it does a lot of stuff. Check if the E stop has been pushed, process commanded moves, see if a limit switch has been tripped, etc. To perform that loop takes a certain amount of time. If the machine is moving fast enough it will complete moves before the loop has returned to the beginning, in which case since the motors are not being told to do anything, include move, the machine itself stops. Operators call it "the jitters". Since I am feeling blabby this morning. . . . some of the commercial machines that need really high speed cutting use parallel processing to reduce that loop time. Machines like laser sail cutters. Parallel processing is extremely powerful. I am not talking about threads but true parallel processing, like a Turing machine. One of the best implementations I ever worked with was the ANCA series of controllers out of Australia, IIRC it was two boards, one handling the mundane stuff the other dedicated to controlling the motion.

[adze_cnc]

Don't see much of a way to increase efficiency.

I agree with Highpockets... I don't see a way to make it any "faster" or more efficient.

I'm surprised no one has stated the obvious: enable the "Use Flat Area Clearance Tool" (UFACT) in the "V-Carve / Engraving" toolpath.

• without UFACT: 39:41
  with UFACT using a 1/4" end mill: 22:54

Steven

EDIT: mea culpa --- I didn't read the fine print of John's post where he mentioned clearance tool of 1/8"

[ezurick]

EDIT: mea culpa --- I didn't read the fine print of John's post where he mentioned clearance tool of 1/8"

Apparently you missed my post also which I stated I switched to a 45 deg and used a 1/8" EM to clear the area.

[aowood]

Thank you all for the info! Even hearing that it is about as efficient as I can get is a relief instead of watching it cut and thinking I'm the only one carving forever haha.

I will try the clearance tool and look at the nodes which I am becoming more and more familiar with. I have used the clearance tool on other projects just never one of these as I carve them on cherry and haven't wanted to risk really messing one up. I'll have to get some cheaper material or maybe try it when I finally make one for myself. Thanks again!