Question on working with imported images.

[NLAlston]

A little while back (and before having the Designer Demo program at my beck & call), I had become aware as to how at least one CNC machine manufacturer offered optionally purchased software for Photo Carving. I thought that something like that would be SO NICE to have, and was quite surprised to have found that this Designer program seems to offer something very similar. Tonight, I imported a photo, and had it laid out on the virtual wood piece in the program. What was shown wasn't too bad at all. In fact, the only concern that I had with it was the cutting depth. If this had been a project that i wished to truly create -but desired a slightly deeper cut, how would I have gone about that?

Advanced thanks, as always.

Nathan

[CNC Carver]

Here is a good explination you can set depth and height.

Originally Posted by TerryT
Here is my understanding of the height versus depth issue. Using it in this manner works well for me even if not technically correct.

When a pattern is designed it will have a height and depth built in. In other words, when you place a pattern on your board it will automatically be set at a depth. That depth may be 0.250 or 0.381 or whatever the designer felt made it work best. The height will always be 100 when you put a pattern on the board.

Depth is the distance that the bottom of the pattern is set into the board from the surface. If it is 0.25 then the bottom of the pattern is set a quarter inch down from the top of the board. At 0.500, the bottom of the pattern will be set at half an inch from the top of the board.

Height is the designed thickness of the pattern. It is the distance from the top of the pattern (not top of board) to the bottom of the pattern. Think of this as a percentage. If the height is set to 100, that is 100% of the designed thickness of the pattern. If the height is set to 200, that is like 200% or twice the normal thickness from the top of the pattern to the bottom. Visualize drawing a picture on a balloon. As you blow the balloon up the picture will grow to 200 or 300 percent of its original size. Unfortunately it may also distort somewhat due to stretching it. The more you stretch something the thinner and more delicate it becomes. Stretching a pattern may result in increased chipping and rough surfaces.

Varying the height of a pattern is especially handy when combining two or more patterns and when layering your patterns. Reducing the height below 100 can be used to place one pattern behind another or move a pattern further into the background but will also flatten or reduce detail.

[chebytrk]

Great explanation in terms that most should understand. Sometimes someone comes up with a way that makes light bulbs turn on every where. LOL Now... here's another..... Like moving text (or a picture) from front to (or back to front) as one does in for instance a powerpoint slide. That's a pretty simple process cause it's just a drop down menu to do that. How is that done in Designer? is it by using + or - merge tool? Does that actally hide a portion of the text(or picture) behind another? Personally when I do that it may put one behind the other,but it doesn't hide the portion that's behind the top portion... even if I play with carve depth of either one. so... just asking & putting it out there.

Here is a good explination you can set depth and height.

Originally Posted by TerryT
Here is my understanding of the height versus depth issue. Using it in this manner works well for me even if not technically correct.

When a pattern is designed it will have a height and depth built in. In other words, when you place a pattern on your board it will automatically be set at a depth. That depth may be 0.250 or 0.381 or whatever the designer felt made it work best. The height will always be 100 when you put a pattern on the board.

Depth is the distance that the bottom of the pattern is set into the board from the surface. If it is 0.25 then the bottom of the pattern is set a quarter inch down from the top of the board. At 0.500, the bottom of the pattern will be set at half an inch from the top of the board.

Height is the designed thickness of the pattern. It is the distance from the top of the pattern (not top of board) to the bottom of the pattern. Think of this as a percentage. If the height is set to 100, that is 100% of the designed thickness of the pattern. If the height is set to 200, that is like 200% or twice the normal thickness from the top of the pattern to the bottom. Visualize drawing a picture on a balloon. As you blow the balloon up the picture will grow to 200 or 300 percent of its original size. Unfortunately it may also distort somewhat due to stretching it. The more you stretch something the thinner and more delicate it becomes. Stretching a pattern may result in increased chipping and rough surfaces.

Varying the height of a pattern is especially handy when combining two or more patterns and when layering your patterns. Reducing the height below 100 can be used to place one pattern behind another or move a pattern further into the background but will also flatten or reduce detail.

[NLAlston]

Here is a good explination you can set depth and height.

Originally Posted by TerryT
Here is my understanding of the height versus depth issue. Using it in this manner works well for me even if not technically correct.

When a pattern is designed it will have a height and depth built in. In other words, when you place a pattern on your board it will automatically be set at a depth. That depth may be 0.250 or 0.381 or whatever the designer felt made it work best. The height will always be 100 when you put a pattern on the board.

Depth is the distance that the bottom of the pattern is set into the board from the surface. If it is 0.25 then the bottom of the pattern is set a quarter inch down from the top of the board. At 0.500, the bottom of the pattern will be set at half an inch from the top of the board.

Height is the designed thickness of the pattern. It is the distance from the top of the pattern (not top of board) to the bottom of the pattern. Think of this as a percentage. If the height is set to 100, that is 100% of the designed thickness of the pattern. If the height is set to 200, that is like 200% or twice the normal thickness from the top of the pattern to the bottom. Visualize drawing a picture on a balloon. As you blow the balloon up the picture will grow to 200 or 300 percent of its original size. Unfortunately it may also distort somewhat due to stretching it. The more you stretch something the thinner and more delicate it becomes. Stretching a pattern may result in increased chipping and rough surfaces.

Varying the height of a pattern is especially handy when combining two or more patterns and when layering your patterns. Reducing the height below 100 can be used to place one pattern behind another or move a pattern further into the background but will also flatten or reduce detail.

Thanks Terry.

What you have written kinda makes sense to me, even those these are virgin areas to me. But, from what I do seem to understand from your contents, the method you have described has to do with the usage of previously created patterns. In my situation it wasn't a pattern that I had pulled onto my virtual workpiece but, rather, a photo that I had shot. I had wanted to see what it might look like as a wood-carved project. I have a lot to wrap my understanding around, and it appears that I may need more (software-wise) to offer realization of what I had hoped for. I had also read, somewhere here, about a member mentioning about his creation of 'Height Maps' - or something to that effect. Though I had no clue as to what he was actually talking about, I am of the assumption (from what you wrote) that it had much to do with what I am aiming for.

One other question, if you don't mind. Are you at all familiar with the Scanning Probe'? Initially, I had thought that this device was utilized for scanning the shaped structure of objects only. But I read that it is also used for scanning photographs. Being that photographs can be imported, and applied to a workpiece, what additional benefits would be obtained by scanning same?

[dbfletcher]

But I read that it is also used for scanning photographs. Being that photographs can be imported, and applied to a workpiece, what additional benefits would be obtained by scanning same?

I'm not aware of anything you can use the probe for in regards to scanning photos.

[eelamb]

I believe he may be mixing the probe and the PE software, that comes with the probe. PE is for editing the photos pattern or any pattern you created after importing. Nothing to do with the actual probe, after all a photo is a flat object.

[dbfletcher]

Ahhhh.. that makes perfect sense. My mind didn't make that leap.

[blhutchens]

There is a tutorial on photos in tips and tricks of the main carvewright site. I think there is also one on lithopanes. I have found the shallower carves work better in wood then you usually have to stain to bring out the detail.

[CNC Carver]

NLAlston you can make these adjustments to your photo's once they are on the board same as a pattern.

[NLAlston]

...after all, a photo is a flat object.

Yes it is. And that is what confused me about what I had read. I don't dare say, however, that there was anything out of whack regarding what that OP had disclosed. More than likely, it was I who misinterpreted what he had authored .