cut path wierdness

[luckettg]

This was supposed to have a minimum of 4 tabs and make the cut with the 1/8 bit no more than 1/4 inch at a time. Instead, it went in the full depth, made the one tab, and then cut the circle, never making any more tabs. I have used these cutpath settings to make about 6 similar carvings, a couple of weeks ago. Each set up step for this carving was followed in a similar manner. I had noticed on the previous ones that the machine was not stopping at the 1/4 depth, but it did make the tabs. This is in an MDF material, 3/4 thick. I measure the board with the machine prior to carving, then set the board dimensions to what the machine thinks they are, usually within 1/32 or so. This eliminates that rescaling crap the machine likes to do.

Any idea as to what is causing this missing tabs and the depth not working?

I am using ver 1.132 Designer.
Thanks.

[luckettg]

Ooops, forgot the pics.

[luckettg]

Gee folks, I had expected some opinions or advice by now. Have I not asked the question correctly or clearly? I know there is almost always someone here to help so it must be something I am doing wrong.:confused:

[Digitalwoodshop]

Interesting problem.... If you are asking it to cut the cut path with 1/4 inch cuts as I do and it takes the full path.... I would go back and look at the path and see if you have 2 cut paths stacked on each other?

AL

[Icutone2]

Do you or did you check the use this as default setting.
Just a thought
Lee

[luckettg]

Interesting problem.... If you are asking it to cut the cut path with 1/4 inch cuts as I do and it takes the full path.... I would go back and look at the path and see if you have 2 cut paths stacked on each other?

AL

I did look at it after the fact, deleting the cut path and reinstalling it, but have not tried another run. I suppose it is possible, but not likely. Hmmmm?:)

[luckettg]

Do you or did you check the use this as default setting.
Just a thought
Lee

I did set it as the default setting. Minimum of 4 tabs and the depth at .25 inches. I wonder if the software has a glitch of some sort?

[cnsranch]

Sure would be nice if Designer would show you where the tabs were gonna be, huh?

[luckettg]

Sure would be nice if Designer would show you where the tabs were gonna be, huh?

When I cut similar circles, they ranged from 3.5 to 5 inch diameters, the tabs were at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.

I agree it would be nice to see on the screen.

It would be nice to be able to do linear and circular arrays too.

[Kenm810]

Hi Greg,

I think it just did it to me,
I entered the settings 4 tabs at 1/4" as Default
but as soon as I clicked on Flip-Cut,
it reverted back to 3 tabs at 1/16"
I deleted the cut-out rentered it
and the second time it set the number
of tabs at 4 -- 1/4" fine :cool:
but,--
I closed the .mpc file and when I reopened it
and entered the same cut path -- and I was back to
3 tabs at 1/16" :???:

As soon as I saw the 1/8" cutting bit plunge through
the 3/4" stock and start cutting a 1/16" tab, I shut it down.

Back to Square One!

[mtylerfl]

Hello,

If you want to flip the cut, you have to do that first, before making all the other settings. Otherwise, if you make any detailed settings first, then do a flip cut, it thinks you want to start all over again and restores the default settings. I believe this behavior is intentional by design.

In regard to a "software glitch" - I have not experienced any problems at all with the new Cut Out Control, and I have used it very, very extensively. Working like a charm at my end. (edit - I better knock on wood, now that I've said that out loud.):)

Wished I could have had a peek at luckettg's original mpc. Maybe could have found the root cause of the problem there.

[Kenm810]

Thanks Michael,

Just proves your never to old, to learn something new
or how to use it correctly :wink:

[luckettg]

Yes, I do know that it reverts to the default, then has to be re-entered, and that was taken care of properely. It does puzzle me as to why the default is not reset to the new settings after being told to do so. That does not work.

The original MPC file is history, unfortunately, but it was a very simple carving, with two circles and an image, all centered. The inner circle had a carve area with a 1/4 inch feather, .25 deep, height 100, and a 3 inch diameter. The image, which are oak leaves, had a depth of .25, a height of 900. The outer circle was 4.125 diameter, the cutpath, set to 4 tabs minimum, .25 max cutting depth, 1/8" tab size, and the cut flipped. This has been set to the default several times but each new carving requires the settings to be re-entered, and the original default settings are all that come up. I am reasonably sure there was only one cut path laid out. I am working with Designer on my main graphics PC, and not switching between PCs to do any of the designing. I made 6 or 7 other similar carvings, some several times, once three to a board (duplicates), so maybe 15 carvings, and never saw anything like this until this time.

I am puzzled as to the cause and corrective action. I plan to do some more carvings this afternoon.

Another thought: Is it possible, as asked earlier in this thread, to lay multiple cut paths down on top of one another, and if so, why is this possible? Is there some type of carving technique that would use that feature?

Thanks for the help and advice. I do appreciate it.:)
Greg.

[mtylerfl]

Hello Greg,

It is possible to lay two cutpaths over eachother, but there would be no reason to do so. I guess the assumption is that the user would know better than to do that. Hard to anticipate every user "accident" when programming software!

I doubt that's what happened in your case anyway, but without the original mpc, there's no way to check for sure. The only way I can think that could happen is if you had centered the circle with the cut path on the board, then copied/pasted. It would have laid the copy directly on top of the first circle/cut path and you would not have noticed, unless you went into your Carving List and spotted it there.

Probably just a fluke of some sort. Try doing it over again from scratch and see if it behaves this time. Of course, if it doesn't, please let us know, and post the mpc.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Copy and paste is how I laid a second cut path on top of my artwork... I saw it in the cut list. I can't bear to say it but it was a Double cut Bear.... :)

AL

[luckettg]

Copy and paste is how I laid a second cut path on top of my artwork... I saw it in the cut list. I can't bear to say it but it was a Double cut Bear.... :)
AL

And how long having you been waiting for an opportunity to pun it up?:rolleyes:
LOL:)

What happened to the carving with it doubled?

[Digitalwoodshop]

And how long having you been waiting for an opportunity to pun it up?:rolleyes:
LOL:)

What happened to the carving with it doubled?

Never got to the machine, saw it on the cut list.

I will double check..... :)

AL

[Yosserg]

On my last project I have been having the same problem where it is cutting the full depth (0.098") instead of the specified amount (0.01" per pass) which caused it to melt the plastic I was cutting, not a good thing.

Luckettg, for getting faster replies I would suggest having a more descriptive thread name, such as changing this one from "cut path wierdness" to "Maximum Path Depth Ignored in Cutout". I believe you can still change the name of the thread since you started it. This might also be a bug to add to the bug list and in that case you would want to label the thread "BUG - Maximum Path Depth Ignored in Cutout" so that the moderators will find it.

[luckettg]

Luckettg, for getting faster replies I would suggest having a more descriptive thread name, such as changing this one from "cut path wierdness" to "Maximum Path Depth Ignored in Cutout".

I named it such as it is not just the depth, but the tabs not being made either. As to naming any CW event with "Bug", there are so many that show up, nearly everything could potentially be named such. Some are user caused, most are machine design or software design caused, though that will also be debated here in the forums. When I report a problem and ask about it, I can never be sure whether it is a bug or not. I will leave the name as it is, thank you. You are welcome to start your own thread, as several others have done so about a similar event. Since you were trying to do a litho, perhaps you should, along with any other details that might pertain?
:)
Greg Luckett