Enhancements to Carbide Create (464) and Motion (513)

Software
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Having recently bought my ShapeOKO XL and started to produce some lovely ‘find out how’ projects, there are a number of features in the software that I would find really useful.

In Carbide Create (464);

  1. Snip and Extend - draw vectors and, like Solidworks or Fusion360, have the ability to snip one to length against the other, or to extend one to meet the other

  2. Update or Delete Toolpath containers when the objects they are based on change, or are themselves deleted

  3. Consider a user-settable option to auto-update ‘Use Stock Bottom’ to auto-track changes in the stock thickness in the design. Turned off (suggest this be the default) would be to maintain current functionality in that each tool-path, once set, requires manual update

  4. Enhance the ‘Show Simulation’ functionality to accurately represent VEE tool cuts, even if they are specified as the tool for Contour toolpaths.

  5. Speed of operation when bitmap files are loaded into the Model (registered/paid version) is poor. It all works, but speed is not it’s strong point. It would also be useful to edit the grayscale Z-Depth AFTER importation, rather than have to delete the bitmap and start over

  6. Grouped Objects, when copied leave the copy non-grouped. I don’t know what general opinion is on this, but I would find it more intuitive that copying non-grouped items = copied items not grouped, copying a grouped item = copied item is grouped as-per the original (a second group)

  7. Create an Array, rectangular or circular, of the selected object or grouped objects. Setting out, for example a peg-board, or a threaded insert base-board for the ShapeOKO, is a good example of being able to generate an array and substantially improve speed of editing. Choose the ‘reference point’ for the object, specify X and Y replication and +/- direction (rectangular) or for Circular, choose the ‘reference point’ for the object, select a drawn circle as the ‘to replicate around’, specify the number of instances to divide into the circle and whether or not to rotate the original object whilst replicating. Similar to point 6. above, if the original object was a group, make the ‘n’ array copies resulting also grouped to match

In Carbide Motion (513);

  1. Have the ability to book-mark GCODE, and to start, or re-start machine runs from a given bookmark. It may also be useful to have an auto-book-mark that tracks the last completed cut operation such that in the event of hiccup, tool breakage, or power loss, it would be possible to rescue a project easily

  2. Ability to zero a new tool DURING a job. Whilst it is entirely possible to split jobs into separate GCODE/.NC files per-tool, I have forgotten to split files and found a tool-change required but no ability to re-zero the Z axis for the new tool. If the ‘Tool Change Required’ dialog had the option to hop into Z-axis zeroing and continue the job once confirmed, this would be really useful.

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A more substantial enhancement to Carbide Create would also be to enable multi-tool pocketing, similar to the Advanced VCarve utility. An example project that I have been looking at making to improve my knowledge and skills is a maize-platter with a pocket for a ball-bearing - the idea being to roll the ball around the maize. Using Pocket with a 1/8" cutter estimates at 5hrs 58 and much of that time is spent clearing out areas that a 1/4" cutter could cover more quickly. The issue today is, someone correct me if I am wrong, is that I can’t do a rough-cut followed by a fine cut that is aware of what material has already been removed. I will explore the 3D Finish and 3D Rough in the registered version to see if I have missed something here, but not found my answer as yet

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This is known as “rest” machining — you can simulate it manually by offsetting paths so as to create the uncut areas as separate geometry which you can then assign toolpaths to

See:

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