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I do most of my art in 3d and stl is the most common that i use from obj. My issue with the stl importer is that when it unwraps a figure it doesn't work with arms or legs or any object thats away from the main body it always fills it in instead of carving it out. Anybody that knows a work around it would be appreciated since the object of having a cnc is to have it carve most of the figure so that only details and sanding are necessary.Attachment 86425
This is a limitation of the machine. If you think about it how would the bit be able to carve the backside of say one of the arms? It would have to plunge from the opposite side past centerline and them some. That would require a very long bit. And, it would be impossible if there were another arm in the path of the plunge required to do it.
You would need a machine with more than 3 axis to do what you want to do.
It could be the way the file was created and\or the way it was imported. Are you using one of the long carving bits? If you can, attach the .stl file and the .mpc file. Otherwise, its just guess work on our part.
OK, here's an illustration with a simpler figure. Suppose I want to carve this cactus with two "arms". Let's consider how the slice in red would be carved. The machine can only plunge the bit straight towards the center of the cylindrical blank. So most of the trunk of the cactus can be carved. But when it comes to the arm, the arm is going to prevent the trunk from being carved - the grey area cannot be removed. The bit would need to change its angle - another axis - to remove that area.
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Viewing this video may provide a method of doing what you want. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmEekEYZSf4