Software Q before I buy.

[Schmeds]

Pre-noob question.

I'm on the verge of buying a Desktop for prototyping, intending to use a local uni's big ShopSabre for production runs. I'd therefore like to be able to take the Shopbot-VCarvePro file I've finished at home, open it with regular Aspire at the university, and export with the proper ShopSabre post for cutting parts on that machine.

Is this do-able, or is there a block to prevent SB-VCP-created files from opening -- complete with toolpaths -- in regular Aspire?

[adrianm]

The only limitation as far as I'm aware with the ShopBot version of VCarve is that it will only let you output toolpaths to a ShopBot Post Processor.

Obviously for your situation that won't matter as you will be outputting toolpaths from Aspire.

[scottp55]

Welcome Robert,
Adrian covered your question, but if you have any Desktop questions or just want to see a Desktop in action before you buy... Feel free to e-mail me(address under my contact info) and I'd be glad to give you a demo and show you my set-up and talk about what we've learned in our first year.
You'll love it:)
scott

[zeykr]

While you can do what you ask, you might also check with shopbot and see if you can get a full version of vcarve for a little extra $ instead of shopbot version so you could create your shopsabre toolpaths at home.

[Schmeds]

Thanks for all the responses. As has been said so often by newcomers, this forum might just be SB's greatest asset.

Scott, I might just take you up on that. I'm down to Boston frequently, so am driving by you often.

[ken_rychlik]

I sent you a pm but the x and y are opposite on the two machines. You may can get shopbot to swap that for you to where you don't have to reverse your thinking between the two. If you get the home positions and the x-y set up the same on both of them it will save you some grief down the road.

[scottp55]

Anytime Robert,
About 10 minutes off 'Pike. Just e-mail me for phone,almost always home.
scott

[ken_rychlik]

If they have vcarve or aspire at the other big machine, it would be best to use their post processor coppied into your version of aspire or v carve. It is likely that their post p will be turning on vac hold, dust coll, spindle, and tool change info if it has atc. If atc you will have to name your tool library to match theirs also. It can all be done, just some things to watch out for.

[scottp55]

Lot of good points.
When you talk to Dianne in sales(she's from Maine, born and raised, so you should get along great:), you might ask her about adding additional X,Y proximity(limit switches) to your machine at the factory. We did on both of ours, I think it was less than $40.
If you're going to be swapping X,Y in either drawing or physically. It might save you from a few "Hard Stops". :)