I am trying to cut a simple 1/8" path into a piece of plastic. This will be used to guide a stylus on a quilting machine for my wife. She gets the designs in SVG format and all in good when I import them into Carbide Create.
However, when I create a “no-offset” path it inserts a line connecting the endpoint back to the beginning.
How can I avoid this extra line being added?
Sorry if the answer is obvious, this is my first project.
Hearts Groove Board.c2d (599.0 KB)
Cabide Create doesn’t like open ended paths so it’s closed it for you. One thing you could do (if you have Inkscape or another drawing program to open the svg file) is to open the file, give the path a 1/8" stroke then convert that stoke to outlines. You’ll end up with the original single line doubled up with it’s ends closed. You can save that and import it into CC and create a pocket toolpath.
Unfortunately, Carbide Create does that with open paths — I’m frankly mystified as to what the point of allowing them is, since this makes it impossible to use them in any way I can conceive of.
The work-around is to expand the path before importing into Carbide Create, making it a closed path suitable for cutting as a pocket. (it will need to be 10% wider at its narrowest point than the endmill diameter.
Or, connect to the machine and extract the plain text version of the G-code and edit out the connecting line.
Alternately, use a tool such as MakerCAM which will allow a follow path operation on an open path.
What I do, is copy and paste the code to an text editor and dry run the program paying attention to where the unneeded line (number) begins and ends, Then I edit that section of the code out. What a real pain in the butt.
Thanks so much! I ended up taking @JaredHooper advise and brought the SVG into Illustrator, setting the stroke to just over 1/8" and converting it to outlines. Everything worked great. The only downside is that slightly smaller path size made the cut take almost twice as long. But I got it done without a lot of hassle.
Thanks again…you made my wife very happy.
–Scott
