I’ve searched but can’t find discussion on what I need. I’ve watched videos but they don’t seem to cover the topic of tiling an outline cutout. I have a project that exceeds my bed Y size. No problem, I’ll just tile the work and pocket tool paths. I have that part down, but what I’m missing is how to setup the outside contour cutout tool path in order to be able to cutout the outline of the design without cutting down the middle of my material. I’ve seen how it’s done in other software, but How do I accomplish this in Carbide Create? How do I setup my contour tool path to cut out the bottom half of this and then the top half? Thanks in advance.
I don’t think that Carbide Create is able to do somthing like this. You have to use some different software as Fusion 360…
CC can do it, but it’s a bit tedious. First duplicate the shape, you’ll need it again for the other half.
What you want to do is create geometry so that you can cut a pocket that ends up being the outline of your shape.
Both halves are similar, here’s what you do:
- Select your shape, then Offset Vector. Offset to outside, and pick a width a bit larger than the diameter of your endmill. For example, if you are using a .25, maybe use .30
Draw a “Clipping Rectangle” that covers the half you are working on. Select that and one of your shapes, and do Boolean Intersection.
Repeat for the other shape.
So now you have two shapes, one a slightly inflated version of the other, which covers half your design. Select both, and create a Pocket toolpath. This should remove the material between the two shapes, which effectively cuts out the inner shape.
Repeat for the other half.
You may find that right at the joint between the two you don’t have a clean cut, to fix that instead of having the clipping Rectangle go to exactly the boundary, have it extend beyond it by 1/2 the tool diameter.
It’s late here, if this isn’t enough to get you going I’ll write up more details tomorrow.
While new versions allow cutting geometry and converting closed paths to open, it’s best to do this as pockets.
Please see:
Ahh OK… I get it now. the drawback to this method is that I loose the ability to create tabs, so I’ll have to resort to blue tape/ca glue hold down method. thaks @WillAdams and @mhotchin for your replies. I can only mark one as “solution” so i’m giving Michael the check mark, seeing as he answered first. 
You can still use tabs — you would just need to further break up a copy of the geometry so as to implement them manually, or break up copy into open geometry and be sure to get the inside/outside right and put tabs on that, having the initial pocket only cut to the top of the tab, then finish the cut leaving the tabs.
Gotcha, thanks. I guess the time it takes to design and layout the first one will get made up on the 2nd, 3rd, etc project that uses it…
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