New to the art

[navy_jax]

I just bought my first CW machine, I have been working with wood for a few years now, mostly working on military coin holders. I would like to know how to convert the picture attached to a carvable format. Any and all help would be great. I have not fired up my machine yet, I have only started reading the books and messed with the software a bit. I still have to do the maintenance and build a table for my shop. My plan for my CW is to make signs and plaques for my brothers and sisters in arms.

[Digitalwoodshop]

WELCOME !!!!

That is impressive Art.... I am a Retired Chief Fire Control Tech. Something else for homework is the Tips and Tricks page on the LHR site. Many Pilot Errors trip up new users and Tips and Tricks helps as on a Saturday Morning when you get a error you have a clue as to what it is and don't need to wait until Monday to call LHR. WE are always here to help and use the " " with the search to find answers. Almost any problem you encounter has been asked and answered many times before.

Lots of Military Patterns on the Pattern thread HERE for FREE... And MANY in the Depot and a few other Fantastic Pattern Designers. RESIST buying the Pattern CD's on eBay as that person is taking the FREE Patterns from HERE and SELLING them.... eBay looks the other way because they make money from the "DEALER"...

The patterns sold through the LHR Depot have a electronic Serial Number assigned.... SO if you were to buy one the Designer would get paid as well as LHR. The Advantage is that you cannot share that pattern as it will show up in RED and it won't carve UNLESS you register it. This keeps patterns from being SOLD by Dealers on eBay... Many of the Pattern Designers will turn your ART into Fantastic Patterns for a price. But it won't have a Serial Number and if your not careful will end up on eBay.... not sure what the answer is to that problem... The Pattern Designers here have done SO much FANTASTIC work..... It is a ART turning out good patterns.... Anyone can turn out a BAD Pattern.... Including ME.... LOL... LHR has helped... With NEW Software Tools.... If you have not, get Centerline Text... WELL Worth it... And Get Contour too.. It lets you put the text into a carve region... IT will help greatly with your projects....

Good Luck,

AL

FCC(SW) Retired.

[Alan Malmstrom]

To be able to get that kind of detail out of a created height map image you would have to carve it bigger than the paper it's drawn on. To get the scales to carve with a good contrast it would be best to carve it out at 13 inches in the width of the board. To get all the curves and shapes created as a height map image would be a lot of work. It would be like hiring an artist to paint a high quality piece of art. I could do that in about 20 hours. I would take on a project like that for the right price.

The head of the dragon on the right doesn't look right. I would probably want to change it.

[mtylerfl]

...I would like to know how to convert the picture attached to a carvable format...

Hello and Welcome!

To create a nice dimensional relief carving from drawings, you will need additional software.

Last year, CarveWright released the 2D and 3D Software Suites just for that purpose. There are some video tutorials at the CarveWright website that show you the procedure.

Basically, you will first import the drawings into Designer as a guide for drawing vectors (i.e., tracing/outlining the drawing's components...sort of how a children's coloring book looks...it's just outlines). The tool for this is contained in the 2D Suite. Watch the jet plane video tutorial to see how that is done.

Then, you will create dimensional shapes from your vectors. Both the jet plane and the ray gun videos demonstrate this procedure nicely. The 3D Suite contains the tools for doing this.

After your model is done, you can save it directly from/within Designer as a carveable pattern (i.e, the PTN file format).

[Alan Malmstrom]

I was thinking something along these lines. Which I'm sure we would all agree cannot be done using 2D 3D suites.

[lynnfrwd]

I bet if joe lovchik were here, he would take that as a challenge.


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[lynnfrwd]

But you are correct about the time invested.


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[mtylerfl]

That could be done, but the scales are challenging to be sure. I envision a lot of manual placement!

ArtCAM 2012 has a new added feature that makes applying a scale texture (or any texture for that matter) much easier and very realistically...the texture can "flow" along a shape. Problem...I don't think many folks want to spend between $7500 to $10,000 for ArtCAM.

There is a much simpler method for some "artistic-ish" individuals. Sculpt a clay model and scan it with the CW Scanning Probe. I like to use Sculpy Clay.

Basic steps are as follows...

1) Make a copy of your drawing at the size you want to end up with
2) Buy a cheap ceramic tile that's large enough for the model you are about to make
3) Roll out some Sculpy clay onto the tile at the thickness you want (I use a pasta roller to condition/soften it first)
4) Lay your drawing over the clay and trace over the lines with a ballpoint pen to "impress" the lines onto the flat rolled out clay
5) Sculpt, overlay, trim, scoop, add detail with clay tools or anything you have handy to get the desired result
6) Put the tile into the oven and bake at 275 for about 20 minutes
7) Allow to cool/harden
8. Buy some thin CA Glue from the hobby store. Squirt some onto the baked clay model and brush (FAST!) with a disposable flux brush to make a thin, hard-shell coating over the entire model. The "run-off" actually serves to affix the clay firmly to the tile
9) Scan the model using the techniques outlined in this Tips & Tricks...http://www.carvewright.com/assets/ti...icks_Jun08.pdf
10) Import the MPW scan file into the Pattern Editor software and save it as a PTN

I did a lot of that before investing in all my fancy software. See the example below. That was a scanned clay model I sculpted myself!

[Alan Malmstrom]

The 2D 3D suites do really nice things like make boarders and puff shapes and sweeps and all. It's cool stuff.

Joe said that some new PE type software was in the works. I've sent him a file showing how I do real cool things with raster software. Textures, dual shaping layer type stuff and controlling height and depth with sliders. Alpha brushes would be great.

I've tried molding clay and I gotta tell ya it's so much easier drawing with the computer. Once you get over the fact that it takes time to do things.

[mtylerfl]

But you are correct about the time invested.


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Well, it sure wouldn't take 20 hours, for heaven's sake. Heck, I made the entire detailed Victorian House project, totally in a $79 photo editing program. I started on a lark just to see if I could do it. Well, I did (obviously) and I did keep track of my time...it took me just over 50 hours. I've posted about this some years back.

Guess what? That was when I decided to buy ArtCAM (which was the only "game in town" at the time). I will likely never go back to much in the way of greyscale modeling...too time consuming. Much easier to use modeling tools such as the CW software Suites, ArtCAM, and Aspire (I own and use all three).

Funny thing about the clay sculpting. I found it very easy to do. Shocked myself though. I had never done any sculpting prior to that.