Projects on the memory card are saved in a dramatically different format. Some information can be translated back into an .mpc, but most of the valuable information is either not present or can't be converted back.
For example, the depth data stored on the card for patterns and carved regions includes the feathered edges. And, the depth data has been modified by the "height" parameter and the bit optimization setting. Thus, recovering the exact original pattern data would be very difficult, if not impossible in most cases.
Font carving is a similar problem. Recovering the font type, size, kerning, other attributes, as well as the text itself is highly problematic (none of this data is on the memory card).
Even simple vector data is stored different compared to the .mpc files. The card data for a line from point A to point B contains not only point A & B, but several interpolated points in between.
That makes very good sense and is the answer I was looking for. However, sometimes, as a wish list, I really think if the software designers and writers would think outside the box, it would be possible. I have written a lot of software and I would think my wish wouldn't be that big of a thing.
Thanks for the update..
John
I believe the basic TV Screen is made up of 512 scan lines. So if you freeze and image on a TV Screen each line would be like a colored straw, 512 of them, laying on it's side making up the big picture. So very much like the carve machine, it compiles the MPC into what I would call scan lines. As you watch the Carve Machine, it acts like it is printing a TV Screen building the image one line at a time. I am talking about a carving only not Centerline Text. Centerline Text plays by a different set of rules.
So what happens when the project is compiled is it creates all the instructions for each line of the project or for each step of the X the Y travels back and forth and the Z goes up and down creating the image one line at a time, slightly deeper as you go.
SO the software to convert all that line data back to a MPC would be very complicated and expensive.
AL
From the PM's I got there are a bunch of guys out here that know a whole lot more about the card data than me.... Thanks AL
Last edited by Digitalwoodshop; 10-29-2007 at 03:58 PM.
a command to mirror all selected objects to the back of board and put them in the right place for double sided projects.
If there was one thing I wish for is a easy software package one could buy to use wiith CCW and have first class 3D cravings without spending hundreds of dollar for PTN files. VectorArts3D really does a good job, but everything I want cost way to much...
Any suggestions?
I hope one day to see a function in the software that allows you to restart a project from the previous point it had stopped.
i.e. if you get some sort of error while running a project and have to reboot, it would be great if you could start right back up from where the error occured instead of starting completely over.
You can already finish a partially completed piece, it just take a few extra steps to do so. I'll go through the process briefly, more in depth information can be found with a 'Search' of the forum.
Let's say your project stopped about 50% through. Go back to your computer, pull up the project in Designer. Create a rectangle that completely covers the area already carved (leave it about 1/2" short of where it quit carving). Make the rectangle a carve region with a depth of 0.00". The has the effect of 'filling in' the area already carved in Designer. Save this project with a new name and upload it to the card.
When you go back to the machine you may have to mask over the already carved area of the board with painters tape and/or craft paper so the board sensor won't be fooled by the already carved area. Start up your modified project. The cutting head will park at the front of the machine until it get past the area that you filled in (it looks like its stuck but it is OK). Then it will start carving again.
Happy carving , Jeff Birt
Check out www.soigeneris.com for CarveWright Accesories.
Home of the 'Carving in the Dark' back lit LCD kit!
Currently, we are limited to a max 3/4" cut depth using the carving bit. It would be great if the software were capable of making multiple passes over a carve area so that the 3/4 inch maximum cut depth were not exceeded but we could then go as deep as 1.5 inches in two passes or 2.25 in three.
Doug
Newbie in NW Ontario, Canada