Odd question with copied STL's

[Mark Bolton]

I have had this happen a few times and wondering if anyone has any input. I can try to make a copy of the file available but thought I'd toss it out there first.

We often times create 3D part in Sketchup Pro and bring them into Vcarve either for 3D carving or just to project a toolpath on. Several times in the past, and again here recently on a production job I have imported an STL, projected a toolpath onto the single STL in Vcarve, and run a test and it will run similar to an imported Sketchup segmented curve. i.e. the toolpath will result in a 3D move that will be slow hitting vector endpoints.

If I then simply copy the STL as if I were fixturing several parts on a palate (doing nothing but click-ctrl-move in vcarve, and run the part the SECOND stl will run smooth and fast while the first will remain slow/chunky. No smoothing, no nothing applied in Vcarve to either. Simply import, and lay a projected vector into the drawing, and toolpath it.

This recently popped up on a job where we had a short run and I didnt care to fight with it so I imported the STL, drew the fixture in Vcarve, then select-ctrl-move another copy of the STL to the other location, copy same vectors up to the second location, run the parts, and the first part runs like a slow segmented vector (understandable given the STL came from Sketchup) and the second location, just copied in Vcarve, runs faster and smoother.

Ideas?

[mezalick]

I would compare the G-Code between the first STL and the second.
If they are exactly the same ( except for eh location of the parts ) then it would be an issue with the machine controller.

'Just an idea,
Michael