@christian-knuell, any chance that EstlCam auto generate engraving features could have checkbox option to enable generated tool paths to have engraving depth based on the SVG line/arc’s stroke thickness/width?
Looks like EstlCam is in vb .net (with German class/property/variable names), am happy to sign NDA, and attempt putting a pull request together if that would help?
Would like to make better CNC’d/Lasered Holograms which have lots of engraving marks… Ideally the engraving pressure/depth (or laser power-speed combo) would vary depending on stroke thickness.
Maybe be able to optionally specify a “depth ratio” that’s based on the stroke width. This allows fine tuning auto generated toolpath depths without having to mod the upstream image.
Am editing HoloZens to generate SVGs with different line thicknesses. Initial goal is to help generate hologram arcs are shallower than front profile lines.
Ideally, if EstlCam optionally supported setting toolpath depth to be a ratio of SVG line thickness * some depth, then…
With that feature change, and some more edits to HoloZens, I might be able to generate SVGs with a wide spectrum of stroke thicknesses, that when used with a laser (somehow mapping line thickness, using a configurable ratio, to a power-speed combination) could result in some interesting color variations on stainless, maybe…
For now though, as a first step, would like to be able to auto generate different engraving depths for the green lines here (pretend they were thicker than the arc lines)…
To get the something like what you were looking for, variable width around the line, I used a tool called Power Stroke to get a varying-width stroke around that curve:
Thanks Alan, I’ve been using Object to Path for text and I now get the difference between it and Stroke to Path. I looks like Aza wants to use different sizes of fixed width lines so he only needs the Stroke to Path and Path properties (to remove the fill and color the outline). Using the Carve tool will cut depths relative to the line widths and using V-bits with greater/lesser angles will reduce/increase the depth to width ratio.
… Using V-bit Engraving and setting different depths for different sets of lines (VS outlines, on different DXF layers to make selecting/grouping easy) would accomplish the same thing.
Am trying to automate engraving light to heavy pressure single line scratches based on SVG line thickness, am using a diamond drag bit, with mount relatively flexible in Z axis. Was thinking a mod to how engravings are auto generated might help.
However, maybe I can get something similar by carving with varied stroke widths. Taking a look…
Worse case, I end up creating gcode directly, would’ve like to avoid. Will also check out other options too, especially if I end up with a laser, some how…
Engraving the paths will be simpler/seems more appropriate for a drag bit, no attempt to square the corners with 2.5D paths. The Edit : Group function makes selecting and editing like (depth) paths easy: Auto generate your paths (delete any unwanted), Ctl A (select all), Shift click to deselect all but the largest group of paths that will be cut at one depth, Right click and Group them (v11, v12 Group is in the lower left corner of the screen, both have a menu Edit : Group). Reselect all paths and Shift click any path that is part of that first group to deselect all the paths in that Group. Repeat until only the smallest group of like depth paths is left and Group them. Now all your Groups of various depth paths can be selected/edited w/ a single click.
