Colour Code in Toolpath? V-carve is orange not red

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

Hello Carbide Community,

I’m engraving various text on wood and I’ve notice some of the engraving is not fully red but orange in the toolpath editor. My text size is min 0.2 in height and 0.7 in width. Is the orange an indicator that the engraving is too small? Also the blue line that usually shows the v-crave path is not visible. Not sure what I’ve done wrong.

Is there a colour code listing o help me identify this problem? Here’s a screenshot of my problem.

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

I’m using a V mill bit
Diameter 0.562
Flute: 0.437
Angle: 30
#of flutes :30

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

This is most likely a problem with path winding — it’s supposed to be fixed in newer builds of Carbide Create. You can usually fix it by drawing in a bit of additional geometry and unioning it with the problem geometry. See:

Fixing path winding in Carbide Create

Sometimes, when one imports a file and processes it in Carbide Create, a path may not be included when processing a V Carve: [CCBE-3] The solution for this is to get that path to have the proper path direction — there are commands and scripts to fix this in software such as Freehand, Inkscape, and Adobe Illustrator, but one can finesse it in Carbide Create by: drawing a small bit of geometry w/in the bounds of the path clicking on the path control clicking on the added geometry (to add it t…

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

@WillAdams

Thanks Will. The thing is I didn’t import the text, I used the text design tab in carbide. I don’t have the option to Boolean union or join any broken paths when I click on the text.

Any other suggestions?

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

You can still use Boolean union on the text (it’ll just cease to be editable as text) — just draw in some additional geometry as described to enable the option…

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

I followed the example but it doesn’t work.

1.) There is no option to boolean union text alone, or fixing the broken path (I am using a 2015 copy of Carbide). I have to click on the entire section on the drawing including holes, text and contour outlines. When I group these together by boolean unioning them, the holes and text delete. If i do the opposite, boolean subtraction, holes, text and outlines stay in tact but then I can’t actually select the text in the toolpath editor.

I’m following the example you’ve sent and still not sure what is wrong. Should I up date my carbide Create?

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

You wrote:

1.) There is no option to boolean union text alone

That’s why I noted you should draw in additional geometry to enable the Boolean Union option.

Please update to build 313: http://carbide3d.com/carbidecreate/

Post the file here (may need to zip it) or to support@carbide3d.com and we’ll do our best to work this out.

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

Thanks Will.

I don’t understand what you mean additional geometry (to add it to the selection). What like a line or a box? I’m not clear on this.
I’ve emailed the file to support. Thanks for your help.

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

Additional geometry == draw in an additional closed shape as noted in the link I provided at: Fixing path winding in Carbide Create —please click on and read through that.

[bluepurplebananas (Athanasia)]

Ok, I read and followed the steps a few times with adding additional geometry. The text is still not recognized in the toolpath editor.

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

It should be if you’re using CC313. Please update.

if that doesn’t work, please post a file with specific instructions calling out the difficulty.