Came from working with Vectric software and was disappointed to find this super-useful, efficient V-carving CAM process was absent. In fact there doesn't seem to be a way to define v-carvers to begin with.
V-carving's method is two things- one, it follows a path and uses the tool's depth to change the cut's width (since it's V-shaped) across a 2D sketch of closed shapes. But if we have a long rectangle, we end up with semicircular ends since that's what the bit makes. But it doesn't stop there- it starts a new cut with the tool tip at the surface and ramps down in to join the down-the-length toolpath make true corners at the surface.
Thus a long rectangle would be 5 segments, the length and 4 corners, done as 3 separate toolpaths.
V-carving works from 2D sketches alone, since the tool's depth is determined by the feature's width. It typically means a bit with no specified tip radius (assumed small) and just and angle and max depth. Some bits have vertical cutting past the V-cutting edge, but that is a different mode to use that surface.
It is of greater end quality, and vastly faster, than using CAD to make equivalent V-carved lettering in the design and telling it to raster.
I have told Vectric software to generate V-carve toolpaths for generic 2D sketch graphics. What the CAM process is "supposed" to do once you move away from narrow lettering sort of breaks down. The results are pretty strange and hardly "efficient". But the basic functionality for lettering is simple and invaluable.
3 Comments
Forums Links
Can't find what you're looking for? Ask the community or share your knowledge.