Try using a small ball nose bit.Originally Posted by Switcher
Try using a small ball nose bit.Originally Posted by Switcher
The 2 images below show the effect of changing the stepover on quality.
The first image shows a design 10" wide, cut with a 60 degree V cutter and small stepover = high resolution and good quality
The estimate machining time is approx 12 minutes.
The second image is the same design and cutter settings, but using a larger stepover, hence lower quality and will take approx 6 minutes to cut.
Cutting the same job using an 1/8th Ball nose cutter to get the 'Embossed look' would take around 2 hours to machine.
Hope this helps with the difference between the grayscale emboss approach and how PhotoVCarve works.
Tony
Tony,
Something I noticed in your program, when you have the cursor over a dark space (Cut) after it has generated a cut path, at the bottom it shows in the right hand corner, the usual "X" & "Y" cursor location.
What I found unique, was your also showing the depth of cut in "Z" (See photo). Ive never seen anyone do that. Cool!
.
Hi,
I have a question: If the background is many colors and shapes and shades, how I make it transparent. I could not do it. If I selected one color outside of subject it affects also the subject and the transparency is where areas of same color are. In all examples I have seen i.e. baby head the background was one color, it means that I must prepare the photo before with some other software? If yes, what are the recommendations?
Zoltan
Switcher - Well spotted. The X, Y and Z coordinates are displayed in real time as the cursor is moved over the design in the 3D window. This is also the same in VCarve Wizard, and is very useful for seeing exactly what the depth of cut is at any point on a design.
Zoltan - If the background colours in a picture are very similar, for example a blue sky, then the using the Transparent Tool multiple times with Shift + Ctrl pressed will make multiple colours transparent.
If the background is very 'busy', for example lots of different shapes / things and colours, then we recommend using something like Corel Photo-Paint, PaintShop Pro, PhotoShop etc. the paint a solid colour around the 'subject you wish to carve or engrave.
We did this for the Baby Boys face - painting the background yellow. Making the yellow areas transparent then limits the toolpath inside the required detail, giving very good results and reducing the cutting time.
Tip - The toolpath can be viewed on its own by using,
View > Toggle Preview / Toolpath
Hope this helps?
I will make a video tutorial and post the link later today.
Regards,
Tony
All of the examples above are still displayed from the program's generator. Does anyone have some actual photos of the completed piece? I would be interested in the final rendering on different materials.
A few examples of different settings rendered onto a specific material would be nice!
To see what effects regarding constrast using stains would also assist in getting an idea of how this works.
John (bloy)
John have you been to their gallery yet: http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectr...vc_gallery.htm
It shows a few examples in real (not virtual) wood and metal.
Bill
Hi John,
This PhotoVCarve design is based on a Free Clipart sample from Dover Clipart and I would recommend registering as you get free samples every week.
I'll try and get the design machined this week and post the results.
Apart from Laser Machining, I'm not aware of any other way that this type of pencil sketch can be CNC machined?
The design below 24" high and cut 0.08" deep and should take less than an hour to machine!
Ths image below steps through the process of loading the image, sizing, toolpathing and previewing the results.
Tony
Zoltan - The link below will run a short tutorial showing how regions of a photograph or image can be made transparent using image editing software such as Corel Photo-Paint, Paintshop Pro and PhotoShop etc. to paint over unwanted areas.
Video Tutorial
Hope this is useful,
Tony
Great. Thank you.
Zoltan
I cut the Pencil sketch of the Golden Cat into Clear Plexiglass / Perspex today using a 60 degree included angle 0.1mm tip diameter cutter.
The material is 100mm x 100mm x 3mm thick the Max Carving Depth = 0.3mm with 120% line spacing and it took just over 10 minutes to engrave.
The key to making the process work is 'Creating the contrast' between the material surface and the machined areas. For this project I simply painted the machined grooves with black paint and wiped the excess off the surface using Thinners.
Here is the Finished piece
The engraved surface doesn't look very good untl it's painted, as you can see below,
Tony
Ah! Now that's nice!! I've heard of putting light to the edge of the glass/plastic which causes the cut areas to highlight! But anyway, I'm impressed!
John (Bloy)
Hey Tony attached is the cat engraving inverted as a negitive...
I wonder if you inverted it in PhotoVcarve that it might look like this without the black paint since the plexiglas turns white when etched this would work well with side lighting too.
Bill
Hi John,Originally Posted by Bloy2004
A PhotoVCarve customer has cut these designs into aluminium and posted the pictures on the Vectric Forum
The trick is simply painting the groves.
Tony
A couple PhotoVCarve designs engraved by - Hood - in Scotland.
"The picture of the Buzzard is carved into 5083 Alu and size is 160mm x 132mm (6.5" x 5"). It took about 30mins to alter in a graphics program and go through the steps in PhotoVcarve then only took 12mins to machine and probably about the same to clean up the paint."
"Next time I will mask a bit round the edges to make things quicker. Will also make the lines closer so that the detail stands out even more."
"Impressive program"
General question about photovcarve and vcarve. I have not downloaded a trial version yet because I still have to finish making my cnc router first. My understanding is that the trial version is fully functional. Is there a limit on how long the software is active (does it shut down after a number of carvings) or are we left on the honor system as to actually purchasing it.
Personally I've worked with a number of pieces of software that were on the honor system and if it was found to be useful have always purchased it. But I was wondering on how ling a trial period we could work with the software for.
Also, I assume that photovcarve is a standalone piece of software and does not require anything from vcarve to run (i.e. photovcarve is not a plugin to vcarve or anything like that), so you can purchase only photovcarve and not be required to get both as a package.
Steven
Hi Steven,
The Trial versions of both VCarve Wizard and PhotoVCarve are not time limited. However, VCW will only let you save the CNC Toolpaths for the sample files that are provided. It will load your own designs, calculate toolpaths, preview the results but not save these.
PhotoVCarve will save toolpaths for the sample files so you can cut these, plus your own photographs, but these will be water marked.
Yes, PhotoVCarve is a stand-alone product so you don't need to have both.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Tony
I've always have been interested in engraving picture's and such! When V-carve came out I thought "Just another topography program trying to do the impossible" So I tryed the demo and thought ,NOT BAD, but still waited to buy!
Then V-Photocarve came out and the price isn't to steep, so I said what the heck!!!
The photo has not been touched up any, I purchased the program online at around 10:00am and just after lunch I was able to download and install!
I created a custom tool size and feed and speeds adjusted in the program.
I used a custom post that I had requested for V-carve and saved the program
to floppy!
I then put on our Haas router and ran graghic mode, no problems there ,so I set up a tool and let it run and in about 45 minutes It was done!
This is just the begining!
I like it!
Hi Larry,
Nice one and thanks for the positive appraisal.
Tony
where is an in-expensive place to get 60° v-bits and also 1/8" ball nose?
Thanks, Joe