Diamond drag toolpath issues.

been playing with a new diamond drag tool and have seen this a few times.

the path doesn't go straight to the end but curves right near the end.

Any tips to resolve this?

http://www.pdxmc.com/uploads/CRP4896...ddragissue.JPG

H'mmmm... What Software have you used to create that toolpath ? It looks like it is zig zagging thru the image edges rather than lifting, moving over and coming back down for the next pass. The latter is what something like Signlab would do for the type of pattern you appear to have.

At first I thought you might be running one of those controls that slop its way thru the corners, but I'm leaning towards the toolpath.

Have you looked at that toolpath in a stand alone code viewer of sorts ?

Vcarve pro 8.5 quick engrave toolpath.

One thing VCarve still is not is an actual "Engraving Program". That's a shame. I unfortunately still use Signlab for this type of work and frankly, I wish I could just go 100% to Vcarve. But the example you show is one of the reasons.

BUT, its not all VCarve doing what you have there. I think your control is rounding corners. Are you using Mach3 or one of the other controls where you are required to choose between an "Exact Stop" toolpath following or sloppy lookahead methods rather than something that can handle both without the management of such ?

I have not looked at the Quick Engrave path for a long time because of what I saw when it came out, but I just created a quick test. It does create nice square/tight corners which do not look like your toolpath. I suppose they call it "Quick" because it does just create a continuous zig zag within the confines of the outer shape, but this also means there will be a million spots where the tool will traverse the SAME area twice.

So much better if they actually offered the number of options true engraving programs have for years and years, one of which would be to pick up and put down the tool at each and ever start and end point of those paths. Even then, a control where you have to accept built in rounding would perhaps run this path correctly.

So, if you happen to have a control like this, you probably would need to create a grid pattern of lines over your outline, then trim or weld them so they end at your outline.... but then, you also might have to alter the start and end point of each of your engraved lines in order to save time, which is just one of those automatically built in features that true engraving programs have had for eons.

I love VCarve... Love it. Best thing that has come along in years. But they still ignore the needs of the fellow doing real engraving unless they don't mind doing 4 times the work necessary to get the results desired.

FIRST THING though is look at your control. If you can run that same toolpath in "Exact Mode", I have a hunch it will clean up considerably, though take longer to run.

It could be look ahead in mach3 causing it, i will try running in exact stop mode.