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new guy with CNC questions

Ron Swanson

Plastic
Joined
Jan 31, 2022
Hey everybody. Hope this winter is treating you well. Now that I've been frozen out of my shop for a while I've been nosing around the net for some new ideas and came across what was probably a more popular art form in the 70s, but is still quite captivating....parametric wall art design (pic below)...which of course led quickly to studying the gorgeous CNC machines that produce these designs and their associated software.

I like the tiling feature the X Carve Pro offers but I haven't read about it being offered on any other CNC machine. What Inventables calls 'tiling' is where you can cut pieces larger than your CNC table by sliding your wood/material through and let it do one section at a time.

1) Is there any way to make the AVID PRO 510 do this tiling function or is this something only Xcarve has right now?

2) V Carve Pro is SO expensive! Is there ANY way to get it cheaper than it's retail price? I've seen where you can get an activation code if you're part of an educational group, so wonder if that could be cheaper. Also, would be nice to be able to split a subscription with someone.

3) I believe I've seen where Fusion 360 was suggested as a good program to use if you're working with parametric designs. Any opinions on this?

4) And last, I'm still searching for the best forum to ask these kinds of CNC and software questions. If there's a more appropriate place than here please do let me know.

Thanks

art.jpg
 
I dont use any of those machines but I built a CNC router and use Fusion 360 to model and create tool paths. Any CNC router will have the capability to do the tiling you want, its not the machine, its the gcode.
All you have to is take your 3D model and slice it up into tiles,(very easy in F360, not sure what you use to draw)and run a separate gcode program for each tile.
Then run the code for tile #1
Move the work piece
Re-establish your origin/start point
run code for #2
Repeat

Unless you are very savvy with gcode, You will need a post-processor for F360 that outputs a program specific to your machine.

The main limitations will be your ability to move the piece accurately to establish the new zero.
And you will have to look carefully at the entry and exit points of the tool paths for each tile and make sure that that you dont cut into tile #1 when you start #2
 
All you have to is take your 3D model and slice it up into tiles,(very easy in F360,


APD, could you describe how this is done? I use Fusion 360, just returned to my little cnc router after a 5 year hiatus, and couldn't remember or figure out how to do this. No country for old men...
 
In the solid modeling tab

Just create construction planes at your desired spacing

Then use the split body function, select each plane as the splitting tool. create a new body for each split.

Then bring each body into the CAM extension, generate tool paths for each body/tile
 
Hey everybody. Hope this winter is treating you well. Now that I've been frozen out of my shop for a while I've been nosing around the net for some new ideas and came across what was probably a more popular art form in the 70s, but is still quite captivating....parametric wall art design (pic below)...which of course led quickly to studying the gorgeous CNC machines that produce these designs and their associated software.

I like the tiling feature the X Carve Pro offers but I haven't read about it being offered on any other CNC machine. What Inventables calls 'tiling' is where you can cut pieces larger than your CNC table by sliding your wood/material through and let it do one section at a time.

1) Is there any way to make the AVID PRO 510 do this tiling function or is this something only Xcarve has right now?

2) V Carve Pro is SO expensive! Is there ANY way to get it cheaper than it's retail price? I've seen where you can get an activation code if you're part of an educational group, so wonder if that could be cheaper. Also, would be nice to be able to split a subscription with someone.

3) I believe I've seen where Fusion 360 was suggested as a good program to use if you're working with parametric designs. Any opinions on this?

4) And last, I'm still searching for the best forum to ask these kinds of CNC and software questions. If there's a more appropriate place than here please do let me know.

Thanks

View attachment 340940

how DARE you take the name of the great Ron Swanson!
 








 
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