Modeling a LARGE 3D/Relief design in Aspire

[Brady Watson]

Sometimes you have to step back from the world of pixels and voxels and look at the big picture. If the components had very high detail on them - as in, enough to require machining with a 1/16" bit, then that would be one thing...but machining a model that is 12' long is something totally different. Running a 1/4" ball (and probably even 1/8" - but more likely 3/8 or 1/2") will get you where you need to be on that model. I would not pay a lot of attention to the 'jaggies' at the model boundaries, as your pics show - but instead, rely on good clean vectors and a 2D profile to clean them up on the machine.

No matter what you do there is always going to be some disparity between 2D (the profile) and 3D reliefs when machining. Use it to your advantage.

I would also cookie-cut out a section of your full scale model by drawing a 12" square and machine that to give you an idea of what you'll get in the tangible/real world. It's too often that we want super-tight precision with these projects, only to find we will never achieve it because of the table being off or material warping or backlash etc anyway. Your test cuts will give you more info to go on that anything anyone could write in advisement.

-B

[GeneMpls]

I have googled Brian Moran of Vectric and get lots of interesting things- but does he have a page or something at Vectic with more good explanations?

[Chuck Keysor]

Thank you Brady for your advice which I will help me as I move forward.

Also, someone privately asked me if it doesn't make more sense for me to ask these Aspire questions on the Aspire forum...... I felt a bit silly, as it is a logical question. Comments?

Thanks Chuck

[adrianm]

I have googled Brian Moran of Vectric and get lots of interesting things- but does he have a page or something at Vectic with more good explanations?

Brian is the managing director of Vectric. He is (?)/was the principal programmer on all the Vectric products and a founder of the company. He often posts here and, obviously, on the Vectric forum.

Also, someone privately asked me if it doesn't make more sense for me to ask these Aspire questions on the Aspire forum...... I felt a bit silly, as it is a logical question. Comments?

There is a lot more information on the use of Aspire etc on the Vectric forum for searching and you will generally (IMO) get a faster answer to questions about it.

[Chuck Keysor]

Thank you Adrian. I'll try out the Aspire/Vectric forum next time. Thanks, Chuck

[Brady Watson]

Thank you Adrian. I'll try out the Aspire/Vectric forum next time. Thanks, Chuck

Chuck - there is certainly nothing inherently wrong with posting questions here about Aspire etc. I think the idea that Adrian was trying to get across was that you might get more detailed answers there since there is a higher concentration of users.

-B

[danhamm]

Chuck I have done some big ones, if you have doubts cut a square small piece 8x8 in. of your file and cut it with a mid sized bit and see what shows.

[Chuck Keysor]

Thanks Brady, I will most certainly keep this forum my primary place to ask all questions, as I feel at home here.

Thanks Dan. So Dan, when you made your large relief carvings, did you have my concern initially, and found that it all worked out, with the profile cuts cleaning up the jagged/stepped edges?

Thanks, Chuck

[robtown]

I've just been kind of lurking and I breezed over the thread, so somebody else may have mentioned it but foam insulation is great for sample cuts. You can cut samples a lot faster than in wood without incurring too much wear on your tooling.

[danhamm]

Chuck, yes I had concerns because some were obviously staircased, so I cut a section out in a place where I wanted high resolution and carved it with a 1/8 bit then with a .25 bit, the larger bit did a better job, the resolution just wasn't there and with the smaller bit the jaggies became apparent.