Basically I need to mill away the negative space so the linework is proud of the surface, which will then be inked and used to print on paper, fabric, etc.
I traced a frame from a popular animated show using my wacom into inkscape.
I flipped on the vertical axis and exported the linework as DXF
When it comes to EstlCAM, I’m hitting a wall. I import it, size it, then try using a 12mm vbit to carve it. but setting it up is confusing me.
I’ve set up a carve with a 12mm v-bit and clicked all the negative space i want to remove.
I often find there are some open gaps in the drawing and so estlcam’s cuts leak into the linework - which I need to keep for my purposes. So I need to work out how to fix that, which I think is probably going to be in the design side rather than the CAM side.
I also find the vbit does not remove the ‘tighter’ areas, like the remaining white areas in the pic below. How can I get in there? I guess it needs a tool change with a smaller (flat) bit? I also have a ballnose bit I bought to experiment with - would this job be a good candidate for that?
Short answer, right click on the outside line in the white areas until all the white is gone. Also try the Automatic > Create objects/paths function that I mentioned in my last post (ESTLcam won't let me select carve side - #5 by dalrun). As orob said, you’ll likely want to to add a Pocketing tool (and set a depth limit).
All drawing shapes are best closed/fixed in the drawing program, but some issues/leaking can be bypassed using the manual path setting option.
There are examples of most of the above in Christians carving video (https://youtu.be/hHdiHjDC-mQ) which is reasonably easy to follow with automatically translated subtitles.
Those leaks almost always come from tiny gaps left by the tracing step, often well under a millimeter, so you cannot see them at normal zoom. In Inkscape switch to the node editor, rubber band over each spot where two lines should meet, and when you catch two end nodes use join selected nodes to weld them shut. Estlcam reads SVG directly, and Inkscape’s DXF export can introduce new gaps of its own, so feeding it the SVG skiups one source of trouble. On the tight white areas a ballnose will not reach into corners any better than the V bit, the real cures are a narrower angle V bit or simplifying those spots in the drawing
I just got an obvious AI email at work today, just rolled my eyes and moved on. If you want to share information share it plainly in whatever capacity you can.
Personally, I use spell checker tools, and AI tools for grammar/clarity. I’d lean on such tools even more if I was posting to a public site that’s not in my native language. I don’t mind either way, as long as people/clankers are genuinely helping each other out, and sharing cool stuff they’re up to I appreciate some folks here would prefer a carbon filter that excludes content from silicon/clanker entities.
Noted, @azab2c . Thank you for continuing to be a compass here on the forum for me. I’m being too harsh. I’ll work on that. You get the credit.
Interesting.
You added a new meaning to a word in my vocabulary today.
My concern is observational- some folks around me are doing incredible work using the emerging tooling for assistance. Here in the forum, for example we have Jason’s amazing pendant work or Jamie’s OpenSCAD generators. That’s kick-butt awesome.
The problem for me, though, is that i see a rapidly growing population of folks that refuse to think for themselves. They’re blindly trusting a clearly flawed emerging technology in a way that causes problems for me literally every day. That’s a tough bias to overcome. I’ll work on it.
, yeah, I appreciate seeing the stuff people are making and sharing. Watching @Tokoloshe claude experiments and journey has been neat.
, agree, these models are enablers for dulling or sharpening critical thinking depending on the User. Folks too busy to invest time digging into the details, into grounded evidence backed truth, and critical thinking risk being led astray…
I appreciate some folks here would prefer a carbon filter that excludes content from silicon/clanker entities.
, yeah, I appreciate seeing the stuff people are making and sharing. Watching