Pattern editor

[oldjoe]

I just read the latest issue of the Carvewright newsletter and noticed that they are now selling the Pattern Editor Software the cost only $199. What are you going to be able to do with it and I guess from that I will determing if its something I need.
Also they are offering classes.
And one last and important thing they are taking a survey so please make sure that you take the time to fill it out. In my little mind it shows that they care and are willing to listen.

[jpaluck]

Noticed the same thing...can you import any sort of actual 3d file?

[jpaluck]

just got off the phone with LHR..no 3d files..only image files...so now my question is - I currently have been using displacement maps in 3d programs with pretty good results...how much better can the pattern editor do?..loaded question I know...wish they had a trial version

[ncamp]

I took the survey this morning. They are asking about what tv shows you watch, etc. It is a survey to help them target their adverstisments.

There are no questions about the machine itself.

[poisdoux]

Pardon me, but when I bought the machine, carvewright bragged about all it could do. ONE of the things was Photos! I bought it for photos (mainly) then carvewright admits that it's not that great at them and (new info) "it's not really made to DO photos".
Now, the pattern editor to make it to where photos look "right" will cost an extra! $200!
I thought that would be included in the Software Updates! which were suppose to be free.

I was about to buy the Corel software everyone is using in an effort to make photos look right but was waiting on the Carvewright Software Upgrade. I just knew it was coming.

" clean up your imports and optimize your custom projects" jeeze, seems like that should be a given. I'm a sucker, I'll buy the software, so I can (maybe) do what I bought the thing for to begin with.

Oh, and how considerate of them to have classes... @ $200.00 A PERSON... in HOUSTON!!!

Let me drive for 7 hours and pay $200.00 A PERSON for a 4 hour class, oh but don't forget the snacks. I love the $99 hotel prices posted too.

Man! You guys are just TOO good to us! You really listen.

I've got to give this to them... they've got great commercials! The first one I saw, I went right out and bought it!

Peggy
Who thought carvewright was making all my dreams come true. *sigh
Don't get me wrong... LOVE the machine, it has great potential!

[oldjoe]

I just thought of another question. Is that the same software that you get when you buy the probe? If so why not get the probe then wouldn't that be a better deal?

[Ken Massingale]

Pardon me, but when I bought the machine, carvewright bragged about all it could do. ONE of the things was Photos! I bought it for photos (mainly) then carvewright admits that it's not that great at them and (new info) "it's not really made to DO photos".
Now, the pattern editor to make it to where photos look "right" will cost an extra! $200!
I thought that would be included in the Software Updates! which were suppose to be free.

I was about to buy the Corel software everyone is using in an effort to make photos look right but was waiting on the Carvewright Software Upgrade. I just knew it was coming.

" clean up your imports and optimize your custom projects" jeeze, seems like that should be a given. I'm a sucker, I'll buy the software, so I can (maybe) do what I bought the thing for to begin with.

Oh, and how considerate of them to have classes... @ $200.00 A PERSON... in HOUSTON!!!

Let me drive for 7 hours and pay $200.00 A PERSON for a 4 hour class, oh but don't forget the snacks. I love the $99 hotel prices posted too.

Man! You guys are just TOO good to us! You really listen.

I've got to give this to them... they've got great commercials! The first one I saw, I went right out and bought it!

Peggy
Who thought carvewright was making all my dreams come true. *sigh
Don't get me wrong... LOVE the machine, it has great potential!

I have to agree, Peggy. I had to sacrifice other things to afford the machine and again for Centerline text, and as much as I feel I need the features of the Pattern Editor, that just isn't possible.
Centerline and Pattern Editor together are $300, that's up there with top end graphics and office suites. I just don't see the return on investment.
So, the probe with Pattern Editor can be had for $300, so will the probe now be offered without the PE software for $100? I don't think so.
I like the machine and the folks I have dealt with at LHR have been helpful and nice, but some of the recent prices and such are looking like they are getting out of the ability of the average working/retired woodworker to have access to, and that's sad.
ken

[Jeff_Birt]

Peggy, the machine does a great job of carving lithographs of photos. CW has show example of this as have many forum members. I think perhaps you saw a lithograph and mistook it for a carving.

Photographs have no 3d information in them, so no machine can take a photograph and directly carve a 3d relief of it, it is impossible. It would be like me showing a picture of a nice set of cabinets to my table saw and expecting it to make them on its own. Now, my table saw can cut out all the parts needed to make a nice set of cabinets, but it requires me to design the cabinets, lay out all the cuts, install the correct blades, and feed the stock. Similarly the CW machine cannot take a simple photograph (imported as a pattern) and carve a 3d relief of it directly. Our eyes and brain know how to interpret a photo and realize that it is a 2d representation of a 3d scene but piece of software (a machine) has no idea. However, if you have the correct software and skill you can transform a photograph into a nice 3d relief.

Generally to get a 3d relief out of a photograph you use a 3d modeling program (like ArtCAM, to basically trace the photo (by hand) and add depth in the proper places. It takes the human skill to know what a person looks like in 3d to add that information back to a photo. (Think of it like trying to sculpt a human figure from clay by going by a photo, you would naturally know what a real person looks like so you would fill in the missing data without even thinking about it.

The pattern editor has nothing (directly) to do with making photos into reliefs either. It does give you some tools to help with the creation and editing of patterns. It can help you make your custom made patterns even better. Many people use other programs to create their own patterns and use the built in image->pattern converter that comes with Designer. Most of all I would hate for you to buy the Pattern Editor and then realize that it won't do what you want. I think if you do a bit more research into creating a 3d relief from a photograph the process will be more apparent.

[jpaluck]

@ $199 there should most definitly be atriasl version

[Amonaug]

Personally I think that is way too pricey for a SIMPLE image editor. The pattern editor isn't going to magically change a photo into a carvable image and you can get a lot better programs for a lot cheaper (some even free) that do a much better job than what the pattern editor does.

You can get a full 3D program for less than $100, import 3D models and use the render options to get a greyscale heightmap to use in CW designer.