as requested on support…
Given a design file:
and the request:
best toolpaths and bits for this project.
There are two possible approaches:
- model in 3D (which should yield the possibility of a more organic appearance)
- directly cut using selected tools and toolpaths
my understanding of my imprimatur is that the latter is a better fit, so…
First, group:
and center everything:
OK
and then Ungroup so as to allow selection of individual elements.
The first elements which will need to be selected are those which are decorative (as opposed to structural/functional), so shift-click on elements which will actual work as pockets/receptacles/outline to remove them from the selection:
and then assign a suitable toolpath:
V carve is usually best for decorative elements:
Selecting a V tool is a tradeoff of depth of cut and detail where a more acute tool will cut more deeply, and will be a bit more forgiving of slight variations in thickness at the surface, while the tool used for pocket is larger tools remove material more quickly, but may not fit into smaller regions, while smaller tools will take longer — there is an interaction with this for clearing with a V tool (which can take rather a while).
Note that the depth was limited to 0.25"
A further consideration is tool ordering — in this case, since the V tool will not be used again, and the #201 Square tool will be, convenience would argue it should go first, so:
We then select the areas for the pockets:
which we wish to inset so as to have a rounded form at the bottom of the pockets — however, there are two very narrow regions:
Fortunately, the scale of the project is such that insetting by the radius of a #202 Ball-nose should work:
Assign a Pocket toolpath with the previously used #201:
which now previews as:
Rather than directly re-use the original geometry, it is best to simply use this geometry for the perimeter, cutting with a #202 Ball-nose to the same depth:
using a No Offset Contour:
Lastly, we select the perimeter geometry:
and offset by tool diameter plus 10%:
and cut it and the perimeter as a pocket down to tab height:
Then select only the perimeter:
and assign Tabs:
then assign a No Offset Contour starting at the depth of the previous pocket, cutting through to the t(hickness):
which then previews as:
