How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

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Mikehell
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How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by Mikehell »

I'm usually a 2D guy, lived in CorelDraw and Illustrator type vector software for the past 30 years or so. Never ventured in much into 3D software.

Just started a new job. As is typically the case, I got thrown I to using Rhino3D and existing Rhino files with nobody knowing anything about how things used to be done (guy before me left on bad terms). I'm learning Rhino, but now I'm at the point where I need to export into something V-Carve can import with little tweaking. I know there has to be an easier way to do this.

Right now I have to rotate everything flat so it'll export in the correct orientation. Then I can export and import into V-Carve. However, curves export as hundreds of line segments instead of arcs or bezier curves and other oddities. I know there has to be an easy way

All our stuff is cut from 2D material such as plywood. Modeled up in Rhino then cut on a ShopBot. I have no idea how he was getting the g-code (or ShopBot code) generated. Can't find many of his cut files, looks like he deleted most of his work before being walked out.

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TReischl
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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by TReischl »

I use the .dwg format most of the time if I am doing 2D work in Rhino. The thing to do is create a small sample file and try different ones.

The rotating flat thing is pretty simple to solve. If you are doing 2D work then do your drawing in the Top view.
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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by Mikehell »

TReischl wrote:
Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:22 pm
I use the .dwg format most of the time if I am doing 2D work in Rhino. The thing to do is create a small sample file and try different ones.

The rotating flat thing is pretty simple to solve. If you are doing 2D work then do your drawing in the Top view.
Let's say you create a cabinet in Rhino. All the pieces are there, but in Rhino it's assembled. I have to disassemble it, then lay all the parts out flat to export.

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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by adze_cnc »

re: assembled cabinet to exportable geometry

The DupFaceBorder command will help. After you’ve selected all the faces in one plane you can Group them together and then rotate them flat relative to the top view.

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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by ger21 »

Is this the main type of work you do?
If so, unless you have software to automate the process, you're wasting your time creating 3D models. Unless every cabinet is a one-off custom and you need 3D for one reason or another. But it's definitely not the way to do it in a production environment.

I've been programming CNC's in a commercial cabinet for almost 20 years, and almost never do anything in 3D.
Gerry - http://www.thecncwoodworker.com

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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by Mikehell »

ger21 wrote:
Fri Mar 19, 2021 6:00 pm
Is this the main type of work you do?
If so, unless you have software to automate the process, you're wasting your time creating 3D models. Unless every cabinet is a one-off custom and you need 3D for one reason or another. But it's definitely not the way to do it in a production environment.

I've been programming CNC's in a commercial cabinet for almost 20 years, and almost never do anything in 3D.
Same here. But in this circumstance the customer wants to see a 3D rendering before we build it.

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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by ger21 »

If it's not too complicated, I'd just do 2D drawings real quick. Probably even if it was really complicated, too.
Unless you have an automated solution, you'll spend more time trying to bring the 3D parts in.
Gerry - http://www.thecncwoodworker.com

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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by TReischl »

I would agree with Gerry 100% about automating the process.

Why anyone would try to use Rhino to run production is beyond me.

That said, you might want to dig around in the Grasshopper stuff and see if there is a cabinet program. If the guy before you was good at Grasshopper he may have created a definition that automates the whole thing. I did some work with it about a year ago and it would definitely have the ability to automate cabinet design. Not as good as a dedicated system I don't think. Of course that depends on how much time someone would put into it.
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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by Mikehell »

ger21 wrote:
Fri Mar 19, 2021 6:00 pm
Is this the main type of work you do?
If so, unless you have software to automate the process, you're wasting your time creating 3D models. Unless every cabinet is a one-off custom and you need 3D for one reason or another. But it's definitely not the way to do it in a production environment.

I've been programming CNC's in a commercial cabinet for almost 20 years, and almost never do anything in 3D.
Yes. Every cabinet is pretty much a one-off. Not a production run. He'll, if it was a production run I'd probably not be using a ShopBot either.

I think maybe I'm thinking about this all backwards. I typically design in 2D (V-Carve, Corel, etc). Maybe I should design in V-Carve then just import into rhino for the dog and pony show.

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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by Mikehell »

TReischl wrote:
Fri Mar 19, 2021 7:57 pm
I would agree with Gerry 100% about automating the process.

Why anyone would try to use Rhino to run production is beyond me.

That said, you might want to dig around in the Grasshopper stuff and see if there is a cabinet program. If the guy before you was good at Grasshopper he may have created a definition that automates the whole thing. I did some work with it about a year ago and it would definitely have the ability to automate cabinet design. Not as good as a dedicated system I don't think. Of course that depends on how much time someone would put into it.
It's not what I consider a production run. I wouldn't do a production run on a ShopBot. I probably wouldn't do a serious production run with V-Carve either because V-Carve is certainly not set up to program larger dual headed machines with drill heads, etc.

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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by TReischl »

Mikehell wrote:
Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:00 pm
.....
Yes. Every cabinet is pretty much a one-off. Not a production run. He'll, if it was a production run I'd probably not be using a ShopBot either.

I think maybe I'm thinking about this all backwards. I typically design in 2D (V-Carve, Corel, etc). Maybe I should design in V-Carve then just import into rhino for the dog and pony show.
You have run into going from a 3D design world to a 2D cutting process. Since you are not a cabinet shop it is pretty much something you will have to live with. I would not design in VCarve and then move to Rhino, that is backwards at best.

Here is something I did a day or so ago that I will be cutting shortly:
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Rhino is something that takes a while to learn. After I spent almost two months learning it (we are talking every day, all day for two months) I figured out what I use from the tool set in the type of work I do. I then customized the user interface since I am an icon guy, not a command line person. Also changed the hotkey setup to suit me. One of the key things to get parts rotated into the flat is using a hotkey to relocate the gumball. Rhino has a bunch of stuff that I typically do not use so I streamlined the user interface.

As you can see in the pic above I got all the pieces oriented into the flat, then extracted all the edges and moved them to the xy zero plane. The same can be done with any carving that needs to be done on the top surface.

Trying to design that chair in a 2D world would be hit and miss when it comes to interferences, etc.

BTW, that chair was originally a Norm Abrams design, but it sat too low and was difficult to get out of. So over the years I have kept tweaking it until I was happy with it. The back actually forms a curve that makes it very comfortable (that was in his original design).

I do not envy your situation, learning Rhino while trying to be productive has to be a royal PITA.
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Re: How to export from Rhino3D to V-Carve?

Post by garylmast »

I'm not sure about V-Carve, but Aspire, Rhino files (.3dm) as long as they are Rhino 5 or older can be directly imported (not opened). Rhino 6 or Rhino 7 files cannot.

Gary

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