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View Full Version : Depth of Cut in Vector 9



gwb
11-23-2001, 12:01 PM
Mostly I do my conversions from DXF to SBP with the SB converter, but I wanted to try Vector again, I don't have any problems going through the process of loading the DXF drawing through to generating the SBP file providing I have one depth of cut. How do I associate a different depth of cut to a different color in Vector 9? There is no place @ the cut & paste screen to set different "Z" depths or am I missing the obvious.
Thanks GW

imserv@imsrv.com
11-23-2001, 12:46 PM
Edit Paste, "Displacement" minus value is the depth of cut in Z.

gwb
11-23-2001, 01:16 PM
Thankyou Fred, but that is not the problem.
I hame some 1500 lines and arcs in the drawing with some drawn in different colors so that the depth of cut can be associated with that color, what I need to know is how to assign each color its own depth so I can do a select all, cut/paste to set depth setting and continue on to generate nc and SBP

gerald_d
11-23-2001, 02:24 PM
Gary, what did you use to draw the .dxf? We use AutoCad LT2000 and there we have an easy facility to select lines of a certain colour and give them a specific z-value before going to Vector.

If you e-mail the file to me, I will assign the z-values for you - just give me a colour/depth table.

bill.young
11-23-2001, 02:25 PM
Gary,

Click "Edit", then "Select" and you'll get a dialog box that has ( among other things ) a box with all colors in your drawing. Pick the color that you want and then Cut it and Paste to the depth that you want for that color.

Bill

gerald_d
11-23-2001, 02:42 PM
Gary, offer withdrawn - Vector does it faster than AutoCad! Thanks Bill.

gwb
11-23-2001, 02:56 PM
Thanks Gerald & Bill
Bill that was the process that was evading me, I new it had to be there, brain fade!

imserv@imsrv.com
11-23-2001, 03:42 PM
Gerald, can I quote you? ;-)

Garyb for another idea for fast selections, use layer names and colors to differentiate between your different depths. Then use the "pick & match" button. It is the 4th one from the right on the Vector Cad tool bar.

Click the first line that is on the desired layer, then "pick and match", all lines on the same layer will be selected.

gerald_d
11-24-2001, 12:50 AM
Fred, yes :-)

gwb
11-24-2001, 02:02 AM
Bill tried your method of "edit" "select" to associate a depth to a color, without a doubt the most time consuming process I have been through, by the time I got to color/depth #22 I had worked up a sweat{G}. Will try Fred's method using layers next.
Gerald, even though we have Turbo Cadd and Autocad Lt we generate all our drawings in Generic Cadd (Dos)which I believe was the forerunner to Autocadd Lt which Autodesk killed off. GC was the poormans version of Autocadd which included GCadd and Autocadd menus but it also has one of the best DXF converters around.

bill.young
11-24-2001, 07:54 AM
Gary,

I can see how it would be a pain with 22 colors; I've never needed to do it with more than 3!

Just out of curiosity, what are you making that has all those distinct depths?

Bill

gwb
11-24-2001, 10:10 AM
Bill,
I'm doing an engraving to a entry foryer column for one of my customers, the reason for all the depths is due to the gothic style in the design. Normally I would only have about 5 colors max.

rgengrave@aol.com
11-24-2001, 02:19 PM
Gary I should send you the file I did last year,54 colors, I had to invent colors just to get a # and it took 7 1/2 hours to cut.

Ron V

gwb
11-24-2001, 04:14 PM
Ron, Just send me your customer with the deep pockets that would pay for 7 1/2 hrs of cut time plus design{G}
But I am curious what progam and method you used to set all your depths of cut.

gary

rgengrave@aol.com
11-24-2001, 08:42 PM
Gary it was a custom made desk I made, and I used Turbocad.I just wrote down all the color #s on a sheet I use and then I can just enter the depth I want for the color #.

I can now run 1 file and it will cut out a complete desk in 2 hours or complete cabinets.

I have tried so many ways to cut files that I just stick to the simple way.

The trick is to just enter the offset as you make the file, when done you have nothing to do but cut it, so if you needed to cut a circle 12 inches and you were going to use a 1/2 bit, just draw the circle 12-1/2 inches and your done.

I do not cut in layers because you might not have any control if it cuts wrong, but with colors you just have to edit the bad 1 only.

To me it is more simple to run more then 1 file, this lets me be able to change bits and not worry about correct depths in large files, and the best part about it is I control what will cut 1st, 2nd and so on.

Ron V