Hi everyone! Is it possible to get an SVG export of the profile of a pocket that is cut? Obviously, we’re limited on the curve radius by the bit size, so when designing inlays that I will laser cut, it would be good to have a representation of what was actually cut in the pocket. Anyway, to do this? Thanks!
The “Check Cutter Access” command shows you the region, but doesn’t save it (yet).
A combination of the “Fillet All” and/or “Corner Tool” should get you close using the radius of the tool.
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Insetting or offsetting by tool radius will get one close.
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Just to nerd out here, I think it would be:
- Offset inward by the radius with sharp corners.
- Offset outward by the radius with rounded corners.
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… for inlays, both convex & concave corners need the rounding, right?
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The internal corners on an hourglass shape, for instance, would remain sharp, but the top and bottom would end up with a radius (for a pocket anyway), so that’s how you’d emulate it in the design tools.
But, if it’s a straight inlay cut on a CNC, you’re correct.
This all falls apart for anything but an endmill though.
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I missed “laser”, but I suppose that’s treated like a very small endmill for programming.
And “inlay” presumes 2 pieces, with opposite corners, so all corners should have a radius equal or greater than the cutter radius, yes?
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Good question- I think you and I ran off on own own tangent.
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My spin here would be to set the geometry in Carbide Create to match what is being cut, or a tool-radius-width offset from that, then the geometry from Carbide Create could be sent to the laser, if need be, after offsetting as appropriate.
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Does the laser app have it’s own offset capabilities ?
If so export the center line.
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Once you have this, you can select the new geometry and export it as an SVG from CC.
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Carbide Create won’t spit out an SVG of the as-cut pocket wall directly — the export is still your design geometry, not the tool’s swept path. For laser inlays the useful trick is to build that profile yourself: take the pocket outline, then fillet every inside corner to the radius of the bit you used (half the diameter). That filleted outline is what the cutter actually left.
Outside corners of a pocket stay sharp in the model, but inside corners become arcs at tool radius, so match those when you cut the insert. If you already ran the job, measuring one inside corner with a radius gauge or calipers and using that value for the fillets is more reliable than trusting the nominal bit size. Export that cleaned-up vector as SVG and the laser piece should drop in without fighting the rounded corners.
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