Centerline in a carve region
I believe carvewright already has the tools to make this work. A feature could be added to the text tool; call it "centerline in a carve region" or whatever. When the project carve got to the point of adding this text, the machine would first ask for the installation of the probe instead of a carving bit. The CW would then proceed to measure the surface depths along the path of the desired centerline text. This probe data path would then be "added" to the centerline path information resulting in a new centerline data path adjusted for the actual surface where the text will be carved. The operator would next be asked to install the appropriate bit as usual to carve the centerline text.
Centerline near edge of region
Hank,
That could be a problem if you were using the wide 60 or 90 degree bits. However, you can get 1/8" wide bits for CL from Ron Justice that would solve that problem.
New software now available, "Conform Vectors"
There is now a new software package to handle Centerline text in a recessed area. It is titled "Conform Vectors".
Here is a thread that speaks to some members initial testing upon release.
http://forum.carvewright.com/showthr...112#post140112
Here is a link to the LHR sales page.
http://www.carvewright.com/2010CWweb/cwsoftware.htm
AskBud
Are there limitations to conforming vectors?
I picked a scroll from the patterns depot. I applied to the cross with dove pattern and used conforming vectors and centerline text to carve out the lettering. This worked fine when my project was 3/4" thick and the letters surface were like 1/8" down from the original board surface. The cross carving gave me a lot of headaches cleaning it up afterwards so I decided to create the next one by carving just the dove and the scroll and gluing it to the cross. I just laid out the scroll on 3/4" board and used conforming vectors to carve the lettering. The carving came out fine, but when it came time to change bits and carve the lettering, the 60 degree v bit started carving the letters in space instead of the lowered surface. Then the machine failed with a Z-Axis stall. Huh??? It didn't carve any letters in the new surface of the scroll. I had the new surface down at about 5/8" inches, leaving 1/8 inch thick flat surface of the scroll to write on. The Designer 3, shows it just fine and that's what I expected the machine to do. It failed. After a 3 hour carve, how do I salvage the scroll and lettering??? I'm rarely able to complete a project without this machine failing in one way or another. It's very frustrating.