Sequence of Cutting?

[jwhllh55]

Can someone tell me in what order does a cutting pattern cut? I have an Afghan Loom I'm making and it wants to cut out everything before drilling the holes. Making the Loom come loose in the machine. If I could get the machine to drill the holes first and then cut it out, it would work great. Need help with the order of cutting... Thanks.

[hamburgrd]

every thing I have cut out has done the cut out last

[Digitalwoodshop]

I couldn't open the file as I am still using 1.120

I would make a new file by making the correct size board. Keeping it open then open the problem file.

On the problem use the cut list to the left to select all the holes. Use the Control key as you select them. Once you have all the holes selected place you cursor over on of the selected holes and right click and select copy.

Go to your new board keeping the other one open to maintain the memory. Paste and it should be in the correct position.

Go back to the problem artwork and doing the same select all the cut path's. Then paste them in the new board.

The reason I say to try this is sometimes when you make spelling corrections to text it will carve the corrected letter last leaving a blank at first.

Hopefully when it compiles the project it will drill the holes first....

Worth giving it a try.... But it may not work.

Good Luck,

AL

Can you post a picture of your project when done please.

[Dirtydan]

It sure would be nice, if everyone would identify what file format their uploads are... You know.... Attached files are in the 1.120 format or Attached Files are in the 1.124 format. Just a thought... :rolleyes:

[TIMCOSBY]

a cut path to it and it will leave small tabs about 1/8"x1/8" at the bottom to hold every thing together.

[Dirtydan]

a cut path to it and it will leave small tabs about 1/8"x1/8" at the bottom to hold every thing together.

Tim,

I don't know where that comment came from, but speaking of the Cut-Path Option, has anyone ever used it with a sled? What were your results?

Does Cut-Path cut just through to the indicated thickness of the material being cut, or does it cut to a constant depth through the material?

The reason I'm asking is because I made a new sled for a 0.250" thick corian and used 0.250 material for the base, sides, top, and bottom. When I cut-path on the project, it cut all the way through the corian and the Base...leving the attaching tabs on the base... I don't remember that happing on sled's I've used with a 0.500 base thickness... Is there something I've missed?:confused:

[jwhllh55]

Yea, I using 1.25 and the MPC file is in that format. Sorry, I didn't say anything. I assumed everyone would update. My machine runs a lot better with the update. No more board sencor problems and the machine seems to run faster and not a loud.
The question I was trying to ask, " Does the cutting start from the bottom of the cut list or the top, or is there another order it will follow?" The software should, like another list have an order and each should be numbered to tell you what order it will cut. As it is, it's a guessing game.

I'll try putting the cut order in a new file to see what happens. Worth a shot.

[ChrisAlb]

It sure would be nice, if everyone would identify what file format their uploads are... You know.... Attached files are in the 1.120 format or Attached Files are in the 1.124 format. Just a thought... :rolleyes:


I think everyone should just upgrade to the latest 1.25. My machine has NEVER run better and I still haven't had a single error after 5 carving and 3 probe runs.

I know some have posted they are "missing parts" on upload and a few others glitches but, being a computer engineer, I know it's just not possible for software to work for some and not for others. I also know that with computers, anything from a virus to slightly corrupted OS file can cause bad file transfers when all else on the computer appears to be running fine.

Only a suggestion but anyone experiencing problems with the 1.25 should investigate their machine before assuming it's the software.

I'll be happy to help if needed.

Chris

[ChrisAlb]

Tim,

I don't know where that comment came from, but speaking of the Cut-Path Option, has anyone ever used it with a sled? What were your results?

Does Cut-Path cut just through to the indicated thickness of the material being cut, or does it cut to a constant depth through the material?

The reason I'm asking is because I made a new sled for a 0.250" thick corian and used 0.250 material for the base, sides, top, and bottom. When I cut-path on the project, it cut all the way through the corian and the Base...leving the attaching tabs on the base... I don't remember that happing on sled's I've used with a 0.500 base thickness... Is there something I've missed?:confused:

As far as I know, it cuts from the top (surface) to whatever depth you set the board thickness to. In your case, with a 1/4" sled and a 1/4" corian, your board thickness should be set to a 1/4". Once it finds the surface, it "Should" know where the bottom is whether it's on a sled or not.

:cool:

[Jeff_Birt]

The board thickness in Designer only controls the 3D view board depth, nothing else. The machine attempts to measure the material thickness when doing a Cut-Path. It does this by touching the bit down on the squaring plate and the surface of the wood. It will use this measured thickness as the cut depth. If the total thickness of your material is over 1" you will get a Fatal Error 2.

The only to use a sled and cut path is to make you sled 14.5" wide and insure that the total thickness of sled and material is less than 1". In this case the machine can't reach the squaring plate so it will stop and prompt you to enter stock thickness on the keypad.

[twehr]

" Does the cutting start from the bottom of the cut list or the top, or is there another order it will follow?"

One of the things you will discover is that when the Designer compiles the project to download to the card, it groups cuts by the bit that is involved - all carving, followed by all 90 degree cuts (for example) followed by the next profile, etc. until it ends up with the 1/8" bit for cut outs.

If you watch the cutting done with any of the bits used for vectors, you will see that the vectors are not cut in any order that you will be able to associate with the vectors in your design. What it does is determine the order by proximity of the cuts. Basically, it wants to have the least amount of travel time (between cuts) or the least overall length of travel (including cuts). These are variations of what is know in computer science as the "traveling salesman" problem - "what is the shortest path in which a traveling salesman can make all of his required stops?" This approach is very common in CNC work, although many CAM applications will group the vectors similarly to the way you do (all of a certain word/phrase, etc) while applying the shortest path algorithm to that group.

As you can see, I have taken the very long path to come to the point that you will never be able to predict (or enforce) a particular cutting order. The closest you will come is to have different designs (projects) for each of the cut groupings, and then run them in the order you want. With the exception of placing centerline text on a non-top surface, I see no real reason to do this.

[Digitalwoodshop]

So Jeff,

As I understand that if you want to do a cut path on a sled then you use a 14.5 wide sled. This lets you use the keyboard to enter thickness. What happens if you enter a .99 board thickness with a 1.25 thick sled board combination?

AL

[Jeff_Birt]

The total thickness of the board + sled must be no more than 1".

[mtylerfl]

So Jeff,

As I understand that if you want to do a cut path on a sled then you use a 14.5 wide sled. This lets you use the keyboard to enter thickness. What happens if you enter a .99 board thickness with a 1.25 thick sled board combination?

AL

Hello AL,

I believe that your total actual thickness (sled+board) needs to be 1" or less as Jeff had mentioned - otherwise you'll get an error

[Digitalwoodshop]

Thanks for the Clarification... Now back to the cut list sequence..... If you copied and pasted the drilled holes first then the cut path will the holes drill first?

AL

[mtylerfl]

Thanks for the Clarification... Now back to the cut list sequence..... If you copied and pasted the drilled holes first then the cut path will the holes drill first?

AL

Hi AL,

I believe all cutpaths are always done last.

[Dirtydan]

As far as I know, it cuts from the top (surface) to whatever depth you set the board thickness to. In your case, with a 1/4" sled and a 1/4" corian, your board thickness should be set to a 1/4". Once it finds the surface, it "Should" know where the bottom is whether it's on a sled or not.

:cool:

This I thought to be true, but with the material thichness set to 0.250 it still cut through everything... I'm going to make a new sled with a 0.500 thick base, and run it again this week...:rolleyes:

[Dirtydan]

That "B" true.... ;)


Hi AL,

I believe all cutpaths are always done last.

[TIMCOSBY]

in his file maybe i'm nuts but if you use cut paths instead of vector cuts it doesn't friggin matter the order.

[hwdesigns]

Jeff Birt, never mind the following question. This is an edit. I've located other threads with responses by you which deal with this question, and it is clear that I do indeed understand you correctly. I'll be making a 14.5 inch wide sled right away..... Thank you for your kind responses to so many questions on the forum.
__________________________________________________ ___________

Jeff Birt, I think you may have just solved a problem for me, but I want to be sure I understand you before I make a new sled.

My first sled had a 3/16 hardboard bottom that a 3/4 inch material to be carve rested on. I set the board thickness to 3/4 inch in designer, but when the cut paths were done, it cut completely through the project piece and the sled bottom.

If I understand you correctly, by making the sled 14.5 inches wide, the machine will be forced to ask me for the true board thickness (3/4) and the machine will cut only through that, leaving the little tabs in the project piece.

Please let me know if I am understanding your correctly. Thanks.

[jwhllh55]

in his file maybe i'm nuts but if you use cut paths instead of vector cuts it doesn't friggin matter the order.

I was just trying to get a loom for the wife, I didn't think about Vector Cuts vs a cut path. I didn't want one end bigger then the other. Yea, I learning.
Thanks for the clear answer...
John Hammett

[TIMCOSBY]

seemed everyone was talking about everything BUT your problem. you will have to have closed figures to use the cut path option. glad i could help.

[jwhllh55]

seemed everyone was talking about everything BUT your problem. you will have to have closed figures to use the cut path option. glad i could help.

It's been too cold in the shop to work the last few days, and all the firewood is under a foot of snow. However, I'm going to brave the weather today and get the shop warmed up to crave the loom again. It's been 10 degrees and snowing the last five days. I hope the shop isn't too cold to stand on for a few hours. Getting to old for that..
Thanks everyone.
John Hammett

[TIMCOSBY]

raised in kentucky and went south till i hit water.....don't know how you all put up with all that cold. its getting cold here for the next couple of days but it will warm back up into the 70's within 3 or 4 days.