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View Full Version : Drilling path from Sketchup Vcarve 7.5 or Partworks



magazines
07-02-2014, 07:12 PM
Hello!
We have been running our shopbot from sketchup files for student classes. This has been relatively smooth but one of the issues that we have come across is some difficulty in importing paths via the dxf 2d output. This works for large shapes once the vectors are joined, but poses a problem with holes designed for drilling paths.
Partworks does not seem to recognize the 24 (or other # of segment) circles that we make for holes. This has led us to produce crosses where holes should be and then redraw the circles with partworks. This is possible for a couple of dozen holes, but unworkable for many more.
Does anyone have a workaround for this? Anybody get partworks to recognize sketchup circles?

Now we see that there is a new version of Vcarve (7.5) that is supposed to work more directly with sketchup? But the number does not match partworks that we have (which seems to be up to date). What is the corresponding partworks version that matches Vcarve Pro 7.5?

Thanks for any help!

srwtlc
07-02-2014, 08:51 PM
If you're using a drilling toolpath, you could use squares as well. PW/VCP looks at the centers of them for the center point of drilling toolpaths.

Kyle Stapleton
07-02-2014, 09:07 PM
You can't drill square circles Scott, unless you call them "squrcles" then I still don't think shelf pins would fit in them.

ken_rychlik
07-02-2014, 09:57 PM
If you take an imported circle and highlight it, and then hit J on your keyboard it opens up the join box. click ok and it is now one circle.

You would have to do it for each circle though.

Why not just teach them to draw 2d in partworks? Then toolpath and go.

A square is a work around, but it still may import sections instead of a closed vector??

Kyle Stapleton
07-02-2014, 10:41 PM
Partsworks/Aspire have a long way to go when it is compared to stand along Cadd software. Do not get me wrong I like the software for something's but not being able to diemension from two points drives me nuts.

gc3
07-02-2014, 11:14 PM
Kyle,

Partsworks/Aspire have a long way to go when it is compared to stand along Cadd software. Do not get me wrong I like the software for something's but not being able to diemension from two points drives me nuts.

You should add this to your already extensive "signature"...

magazines
07-02-2014, 11:41 PM
I'll give squares a try. We tried only higher number of segmented polygons and didn't think to try ones with fewer. But since partworks was unable to join those when selected to then be found by the vector selector, I'm not sure why it'll find the squares. We do need to have it find them based on size - there'll be hundreds as the assignments come in.

magazines
07-02-2014, 11:47 PM
If you take an imported circle and highlight it, and then hit J on your keyboard it opens up the join box. click ok and it is now one circle.

You would have to do it for each circle though.

Why not just teach them to draw 2d in partworks? Then toolpath and go.

A square is a work around, but it still may import sections instead of a closed vector??
Please forgive me for any formatting complications - I'm still new to this.

Unfortunately I can't change the original designs from sketchup, that is from another part of the class and out of my hand. They work towards Maya and this is intro for all kinds of options that 3d modeling (2d actually in this case) can provide.

Does anybody know about the new "interaction" that Vcarve 7.5 provides with sketchup?

OUr Partworks does seem to be up to date, but I can't for the life of me figure out how it has better interaction with sketchup. But then this is the "shopbot" edition. I thought that Partworks=Vcarve, no?

Thanks,
Peter

srwtlc
07-03-2014, 12:21 AM
PartsWorks is equal to VCP, but it's generally a bit behind when it comes to updates. Does PW have the check for updates in the help menu (I don't have PW to see)? After you have created a new file, you have to choose to import vectors from a file and that's where you can choose .skp files.

Kyle, haven't you tried a hollow chisel mortiser bit on your bot yet? You don't know what your missing! ;) There's an 'Add dimensions to the 2D drawing' tool in the Create Vectors tool group. ?

jTr
07-03-2014, 01:11 AM
V-Carve Pro - Shop bot edition Version 7.508
Used to be called Partworks, which has since been ditched, and will now load as V-Carve Pro, but you must get the Shop-Bot edition of the program update.

I believe you need to go to SB instead of Vectric to download proper update version, as the Vectric site's version will not work with the shopbot edition.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You will now be importing a Sketchup model , not dxf's, as this new evolution eliminates the need to do that, as well as eliminating the need for you to manually dis-assemble and/or flatten your Sketchup model. I've now shifted to assigning cutouts, joinery and holes in Vectric instead of Sketchup. If you're better than I am at assigning layers in Sketchup, you may not need to do any layer assignment, as your Sketchup layer names will be recognized and organized as such during the conversion process.

Once you get this in place, Sketchup work is much less cumbersome. Circles will need no more attention than to simply import and move them to your hole drilling layer. When imported, vectric will:
1- Join segments into one vector, regardless of number of divisions when produced with Sketchup.
2- Convert the segments to arcs.

I recommend saving a version of your Sketchup file that only includes your plywood or materials intended to be cut on the shopbot. In other words, no need to import solid parts that you'll be processing without the CNC. Hopefully, this step could easily be passed on to the other instructor without much issue in order to facilitate CNC execution of the 2.5 dimensional processing to be produced from the student's Sketchup modeling.

Fantastic advancement from Vectric. It is now as easy as you've always wished it would be - I would imagine especially so in an instructional environment such as yours.

Hope you can get that update working properly - you'll want to hug the Vectric software developers once you get this incorporated into your vectoring processes.


Jeff

scottp55
07-03-2014, 06:23 AM
Latest VCarvePro Shopbot Edition download site
http://www.shopbottools.com/files/VCarveProShopBotEdition_patch_to_v7510.exe

scottp55
07-03-2014, 06:36 AM
That last one is the last downloadable edition for a control computer with no internet connection. There is a newer patch 7.514 that can be used with an internet connection by going into VCP/help/check for updates.

magazines
07-03-2014, 05:02 PM
Wow, this is helpful information. We have always kept the Partworks up to date, but the lab tech left a few months ago. We will certainly be looking into upgrading to the new version of the VCarve. It certainly would be nice to work with Sketchup files directly into the shopbot. The translation from program to program and format to format has been pretty much the most annoying part of our workflow. And it doesn't help the students to see it as so unwieldy when they are just figuring out how and what they want to use the tools for.
Thanks Jeff!
Peter