Im trying out the cutout toolpath on a project cutting parts out of a 2x4 piece of baltic birch. Set up tabs. Sometimes when I run the simulation the tabs show up and sometimes they don’t. Same thing on the actual run. Sometimes they’re there and sometimes they’re not. All else is the same. I’ve upgraded to the latest beta release.
Sounds like a bug and they previously had issues with tabs and the cut out toolpath. Just make sure after creating the tool path you go back and put the tabs in. I have setup the tabs in the tool path but forgot to go back in Design and place them.
I was living under a rock and that was a change for me to have to set the location of the tabs in the design then enable them in the toolpaths.
Please upload a file which you are having this difficulty with and we will do our best to look into it with you.
Can anybody steer me to any training or instructions on the Cutout Toolpath. I know I’ve seen at least one thread but couldn’t find it with Search.
For example, what criteria does the software use to choose between wide and normal? What are the differences between a normal (single path) cutout path with a breakout value and a contour path with a use material bottom + a small value?
I don’t have all the answers to your questions but these discussions may help if you haven’t seen them yet…
https://community.carbide3d.com/t/new-cutout-toolpath-in-cc-v8-beta-build-853/104722/6?u=jeffish
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Thanks Jeff, I don’t know why I called it a cutoff tool path. That’s probably why my search didn’t work.
TEMP A copy.c2d (2.3 MB)
When I first opened your file, the tabs weren’t showing, but once I rebuilt them in the current stable version, 853:
the tabs show as expected:
Like I said, sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. (Several decades ago I had some experience in software support and I guess I’m the kind of asshole that used to drive me crazy 
)
Actually, I found a problem with that file after I sent it to you. I noticed it was huge compared to similar project files. I just got a Dell (refurbished) Desktop to run Carbide Create since you’re not supporting my Intel iMac anymore. And my subscription just renewed, you devious …
Anyway, experimenting with Array, I created an array of small circles with about 30 circles on top of top of each other. I just went in to delete them and found you can only delete the top circle one at a time.
I wound up creating another layer. Moving everything in the first layer except the circles to the new layer and deleting the old layer now with just the circles. The file went from 2.3 mb to 188 kb.
The file was sluggish on the PC. It has minimal RAM and I just ordered some more. Could that have caused some erratic behavior with the file?
I may have just answered one of my own questions. I first ran a project with a lot of cutout paths on 18 mm Baltic birch. The software automatically chose dual (wide) paths.
I also ran the project on 12 mm Baltic birch an it chose a single (normal) path. Does the software decide between wide and normal based on the thickness of the stock?
Hmmm. I guess I’ll experiment and see if it also uses the diameter of the cutter in the decision. A smaller cutter would be more likely to stress in a single slot so given the same stock thickness would smaller cutters result in wide paths while larger diameters opt for single paths.
Yes, auto choosing normal or wide is determined by an interaction between the diameter of the tool and the thickness of the stock.
A given preview should be persistent for a given version once toolpaths are calculated, so if you have a file which doesn’t show tabs for the current stable version, please let us know.
If you’re stuck with the last Intel build, then a work-around would be to pull the Cutout toolpath short by tab height, then have a second Contour toolpath which finishes the cut.
That said, the new Apple silicon is amazing in terms of efficiency/coolness/battery life (and they sure cost a lot less than the $2,495 I paid for my first (128KB) Mac).
Not to get off topic to much but if your looking for a way to get around the Intel Mac issue with software look for used M1 MacBooks. I picked up a beautiful M1 MacBook Air for a shop computer for $300.00 on Marketplace.
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