Help: How Do I Reduce Tool Travel by Machining Holes Before Roughing in VCarve?

Hi everyone,

I have a 3D model in VCarve that includes 2 holes. When I run the 3D roughing pass, the toolpath travels a lot around these holes, which adds extra time. Is there a way to machine these holes first to minimize tool travel in the roughing pass? and later in finish path ?

Also, is there a method in VCarve to accurately select or create toolpaths for the holes directly from the 3D model? I’m open to any tips or workarounds, especially if there’s a way to import vectors for the holes.

I tried adding vectors slightly bigger than the holes and run 2D cut to make the holes before the 3D rough but still I get the same result. Check photo

Thanks for any advice!

Why not leave the holes out of the 3D model and cut w/o them, then have a separate toolpath (or toolpaths) to fashion the holes?

Look for the Z level strategy (as opposed to 3D raster).


Reference: 3D Rough Toolpath

Good point about reducing tool travel one way to make your machining process more efficient in VCarve is to machine the holes first and then set your roughing toolpaths to start closer to those areas, minimizing unnecessary movement. Grouping your operations or adjusting toolpath order can really help, and setting custom start points often makes a noticeable difference too. Have you tried separating the hole drilling and roughing passes onto different layers to see if it improves the toolpath flow?