Moving from carbide create to vcarve

[Rxman (Tom)]

Considering a move from carbide create v530 to vcarve desktop. I know I’m not alone, but asking what quirks I may encounter . I like carbide create, but some options in vcarve are desired that are not in carbide create v530. Plan on using the carbide motion as a post processor. Read some regarding issues with bit setter, tool catalog, tool bit change pausing. Knowing this is not new, is there a verbose topic on this? Just trying to avoid a mess. If there is a preferred post processor, this would be helpful also. Tom

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

I wrote a bit about this sort of thing at:

Vectric tutorial overview

Vectric makes a line of popular software products. Here is one example of a workflow to create a G-Code file using these applications. Of especial interest is Design and Make, available from: http://www.designandmake.com/ — AIUI, this application / web site was originally a 3rd party, but was purchased by Vectric. The software “Design and Make Machinist” is freely available, and will allow one to use free and purchased clipart, adjusting and repositioning it as desired, then export it into a fo…

and see:

How to set up the BitSetter with Vectric Products

Either edit the post-processor you are using, or get one which supports tool changes: (note that Vectric support has been sharing that file to customers who ask after this) See: Vcarve Pro and Post Processor for further details.

[Julien]

@Rxman

If there is a preferred post processor, this would be helpful also.

I suggest you go with @neilferreri 's post for VCarve, Vectric support is apparently providing it to Shapeoko users anyway, and many many folks here use it.

You can go and read that entire thread too for the “verbose” part, but it all boils down to using that post and generating Gcode in mm rather than inches, for better precision and for dodging precision/rounding-related issues in arcs.

[AndyC (Andy Corteen)]

I use @neilferreri 's Vectric post-processor, and also adapted it for rotational A-axis work. I’ve not seen better.
I have both the tool change and non too-change versions (don’t have a Bitsetter, but another machine I have is easier to use if all paths are output as a single file).