A question or three before buying DFX Importer

[Carrott]

If I import a DXF file created in V-Carve Pro, does the designer software follow the same tool paths retaining the depth and size of the V-Carve project?

Will it prompt me for the tool bit changes or at least ask me what bits and depth I want to use?

Does the DFX file even have this info in it?

Ne Help Appreciated

TIA: Carrott

[Cabinetdesigner]

the dxf importer just simply imports the the lines. Once imported into designer you are able to assign tools and depth. I love the dxf importer.

[Carrott]

the dxf importer just simply imports the the lines. Once imported into designer you are able to assign tools and depth. I love the dxf importer.

But can you actually pick a tool and depth. I wish you could at least bring the work into the designer and maybe even preview the toolpath. I just dont want to spend $200 and only be able to do the same as if I would just import a bitmat image into the designer.

Carrott:confused:

[dbfletcher]

But can you actually pick a tool and depth. I wish you could at least bring the work into the designer and maybe even preview the toolpath. I just dont want to spend $200 and only be able to do the same as if I would just import a bitmat image into the designer.

Carrott:confused:

Yes, It will create vector object which you can assign a bit and depth. When you import a bitmap you are createing a rsdter pattern which only can use the 1/16 carving bit. If you have a drawing program that can export to adobe illustrator 8, I would play around with ai2mpc to see if it meets your needs.

[Carrott]

Yes, It will create vector object which you can assign a bit and depth. When you import a bitmap you are createing a rsdter pattern which only can use the 1/16 carving bit. If you have a drawing program that can export to adobe illustrator 8, I would play around with ai2mpc to see if it meets your needs.

I have autocad architecure 8 and I also have v-carve pro V5, photo vcarve, and cut 3d. Usually I just save the toolpaths as a mach 3 file and run it through a CNC machine. However the carvewright does not support importing g-code, so I probably have to import each cut path seperately. I no longer have access to a CNC which is why I purchased this puppy, and am having a hard time getting the results that I desire on it though. For instance I bought Centerline Text and decided to make a clock face. The numerals all turned out to be noticably different sizes and depths even though I made sure every one was set up the same in designer. I even put the 1 and # in seperately for the numbers 10, 11, 12. I used to spend 20 minutes on the computer, make a test carve, and maybe fix a thing or too. Now I spend 8 hours on a project, waste 30' x 15" of material and every time I change one thing 3 others change with it.

Carrott

[Ike]

Sounds like you need a g-code cnc! I have a 2514 K2 CNC I never used, I too have V-Carve pro V4 and photo V Carve and Cut 3D and Mach 3 and don't have a clue how to use any of the software! I even sold a never used Shopbot 4896! All because of the CW and I learned the designer and it does all I want. Now you make me wonder if I ever get around to using my K2 before I sell it, will there be that much of a difference? We seemed to have opposite issues!

You know if you post your mpc, we can take a look and see if we see anything.

Ike

[Carrott]

[QUOTE=Ike;145651]Sounds like you need a g-code cnc! I have a 2514 K2 CNC I never used, I too have V-Carve pro V4 and photo V Carve and Cut 3D and Mach 3 and don't have a clue how to use any of the software! I even sold a never used Shopbot 4896! All because of the CW and I learned the designer and it does all I want. Now you make me wonder if I ever get around to using my K2 before I sell it, will there be that much of a difference? We seemed to have opposite issues!

You know if you post your mpc, we can take a look and see if we see anything.

I learned to use V-Carve at college so I find it easy to use. I have no instructor here except the tutorials and the forums. (PS. What is with the audio in the tutorials, I can hardly understand through the static.)

NEWAY here is my clock face... If you flip the board you will see the cutout for the clock works. It usually goes off center when I carve the project for some reason or another.
Lemme know whats I'm doing wrong plz.

Carrott

[AskBud]

[QUOTE=Ike;145651]Sounds like you need a g-code cnc! I have a 2514 K2 CNC I never used, I too have V-Carve pro V4 and photo V Carve and Cut 3D and Mach 3 and don't have a clue how to use any of the software! I even sold a never used Shopbot 4896! All because of the CW and I learned the designer and it does all I want. Now you make me wonder if I ever get around to using my K2 before I sell it, will there be that much of a difference? We seemed to have opposite issues!

You know if you post your mpc, we can take a look and see if we see anything.

I learned to use V-Carve at college so I find it easy to use. I have no instructor here except the tutorials and the forums. (PS. What is with the audio in the tutorials, I can hardly understand through the static.)

NEWAY here is my clock face... If you flip the board you will see the cutout for the clock works. It usually goes off center when I carve the project for some reason or another.
Lemme know whats I'm doing wrong plz.

Carrott
Carrott,
Your carve, on the back, is centered correctly (Centered Vertically).
However, your drill hole, shows it was Centered Horizontally in error and then set a specific distance from Horizontal center. Go back and set the drill hole to Center vertically, and I think you will be OK.

Sometimes we get mixed up, and loose track of what is Vertical & Horizontal, as we rotate the design board.
AskBud

[dbfletcher]

The one thing I notice is the the numbers are no equidistant from the edge. Was this by design? For example, the 6 is about 3/4" a way from the clock circle edge, while the "12" is less than 1/2" a way

[Carrott]

Carrott,
Your carve, on the back, is centered correctly (Centered Vertically).
However, your drill hole, shows it was Centered Horizontally in error and then set a specific distance from Horizontal center. Go back and set the drill hole to Center vertically, and I think you will be OK.

Bud, actually... we were discussing the Carvewright DXF Importer and kinda wandered to this topic. I stated that I bought the Centerline text and attempted to make this clock. (the center of the clock is where I want it as text goes above the clock and a logo or emblum below it.)

It was the font on the clock face I wanted someone to look at. Check out the number 9 compared to the number 3. When carved it looks awefull yet all the numbers are the same depth and size in the carvewright settings.

Carrott

[dbfletcher]

Carrott,
Your carve, on the back, is centered correctly (Centered Vertically).
However, your drill hole, shows it was Centered Horizontally in error and then set a specific distance from Horizontal center. Go back and set the drill hole to Center vertically, and I think you will be OK.

Bud, actually... we were discussing the Carvewright DXF Importer and kinda wandered to this topic. I stated that I bought the Centerline text and attempted to make this clock. (the center of the clock is where I want it as text goes above the clock and a logo or emblum below it.)

It was the font on the clock face I wanted someone to look at. Check out the number 9 compared to the number 3. When carved it looks awefull yet all the numbers are the same depth and size in the carvewright settings.

Carrott

You best bet there would be to choose a fixed stroke width font. But I do see what you mean. Becuase the 9 is so much "wider" than the 3, it carves deeper.

[AskBud]

Carrott,
Your carve, on the back, is centered correctly (Centered Vertically).
However, your drill hole, shows it was Centered Horizontally in error and then set a specific distance from Horizontal center. Go back and set the drill hole to Center vertically, and I think you will be OK.

Bud, actually... we were discussing the Carvewright DXF Importer and kinda wandered to this topic. I stated that I bought the Centerline text and attempted to make this clock. (the center of the clock is where I want it as text goes above the clock and a logo or emblum below it.)

It was the font on the clock face I wanted someone to look at. Check out the number 9 compared to the number 3. When carved it looks awefull yet all the numbers are the same depth and size in the carvewright settings.

Carrott
Yes, I saw that problem but bypassed it in favor of the off-center hole.

It appears that you Flipped/rotated your numbers, which changed the perspective of the character.
If you change the Angle, as shown in the attachment, your perspective will hold.
In some cases you may need to do some resizing, but the perspective should hold.
AskBud
41268

[Cabinetdesigner]

the big atvantage I found to the dxf importer is being able to split a design among multiple boards easily. I have sign I am doing for the highschool that would have been imposible without the dxf importer. I am just waiting for the tempature to raise to be able to cut it. If you know aoutcad and are wishing to carve vector art it is money well spent in my opinion.
Joe

[Carrott]

the big atvantage I found to the dxf importer is being able to split a design among multiple boards easily. I have sign I am doing for the highschool that would have been imposible without the dxf importer. I am just waiting for the tempature to raise to be able to cut it. If you know aoutcad and are wishing to carve vector art it is money well spent in my opinion.
Joe


Well I finally bought it, and I did manage to create a project I have been working on for a while. It did make it a lot easier.
I will probably get back to the clock thingy by downloading a picture from the colouring pages and creating vectors with v-carve, then import it into carvewright.

Thanks to all for the help!

Carrott

[Ike]

Carrot let me know how it works using V- Carve then importing to the designer. I would imagine you would be import in DFX format? I would think the STL software would work also, problem no money to find out! Lol guess I should learn how to use my K2 CNC I paid $3500.00 to collect dust rather them making! I still have plastic around the Z motor!

Would you mind me asking some questions on how to get started through e-mail or maybe calling you?

Ike

[Cabinetdesigner]

Another thing I do with dxf importer is type my text in autocad then explode it and import it into deigner and this gives me more controll of my depth of the letters. I do have centerline text but sometimes I like to have options to do it different.

[Carrott]

Carrot let me know how it works using V- Carve then importing to the designer. I would imagine you would be import in DFX format? I would think the STL software would work also, problem no money to find out! Lol guess I should learn how to use my K2 CNC I paid $3500.00 to collect dust rather them making! I still have plastic around the Z motor!

Would you mind me asking some questions on how to get started through e-mail or maybe calling you?

Ike

Yup... I import it with the dfx software, I believe the STL importer is more for 3D images rather than 2D. Just like the cut 3D package with V-Carve.

Does this site support PMing?

Carrott

[Ike]

Yup... I import it with the dfx software, I believe the STL importer is more for 3D images rather than 2D. Just like the cut 3D package with V-Carve.

Does this site support PMing?

Carrott

Yes you can PM in here!

Ike

[Digitalwoodshop]

the big advantage I found to the dxf importer is being able to split a design among multiple boards easily. I have sign I am doing for the high school that would have been impossible without the dxf importer. I am just waiting for the temperature to raise to be able to cut it. If you know aoutcad and are wishing to carve vector art it is money well spent in my opinion.
Joe

I am resurrecting this old post as I now have a big interest in the DXF importer after seeing it work in MT's Video of Tips and Tricks... Doing a project over a few boards has my interest peeked.... So how did the multi board project work out?

AL

[Cabinetdesigner]

I am resurrecting this old post as I now have a big interest in the DXF importer after seeing it work in MT's Video of Tips and Tricks... Doing a project over a few boards has my interest peeked.... So how did the multi board project work out?

AL
Al
The programing turned out great, however I have not ran any of them yet, they keep changing the design and I have other projects that keep getting in the way. I am glad you posted this. When I read this I instantly said oh crap I forgot about that project

[Cabinetdesigner]

I finnally got started on this project here is a photo not complete yet 53884
Al
The programing turned out great, however I have not ran any of them yet, they keep changing the design and I have other projects that keep getting in the way. I am glad you posted this. When I read this I instantly said oh crap I forgot about that project

[easybuilt]

That big sign is looking great! Nice work and design.

[Cabinetdesigner]

That big sign is looking great! Nice work and design.

Thanks I can't wait to get the letters painted and remove the contact paper

[Cabinetdesigner]

54093Here it is painted and finished

[eelamb]

Great looking sign