I apologize if this has been answered elsewhere. I searched and didn’t find it. And it doesn’t seem to be covered in the user manual.
I’m trying to engrave a logo (imported from DXF) on a workpiece, where the logo has several curves that overlap, or join at “T” intersections. CC seems to have the paradigm that all contours need to be closed loops. So these curves appear pink in CC. And when I use the “Join” tool, it draws a straight line from one endpoint to the other in an apparent effort to “close the loop”. Since I’m engraving, these don’t need to be closed. This is maddening. How do I get it to recognize the lines as toolpaths?
What I end up doing is converting the vector file to a bitmap and then trace the bitmap back to a vector. Seems crazy, right? In doing that, it closes all the loops so you can do a pocket or Vcarve.
I started with a bitmap logo in SolidWorks. I traced it to make vectors, and exported that as DXF. I imported this into CC. What I want is for the router to do contours with zero offset on these curves, just to engrave the logo outlines. I don’t need pockets or V-carving.
Unless something has changed in more recent versions than I am forced to use, you do not need “closed loops”. The work-around to use open lines in CC, assuming you’re using SVG’s, is to place an extra point very close to the beginning of the line. (It’s been awhile, maybe it’s the end of the line. But I hope not!) I’m not sure why Carbide has not dealt with this issue.
You can assign a no offset toolpath to open paths — the limitation is it won’t work with a V endmill in terms of the preview since V endmills only properly preview when using a V carving toolpath.
