PhotoVCarve - new from the Vectric wizards

[gerald_d]

....and why havn't we been discussing PhotoVCarve (http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectric/pvc/pvc_index.htm) yet? Come'on Tony and Brian, you didn't have to be so coy about telling us that you had a very exciting new product.



4600enlarge (http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectric/pvc/images/JD_large.jpg)

[Brian Moran]

Hi Gerald,

Thanks for the mention; we have been working extremely long hours to get the web site up, the tutorials ready and the trial version complete before we told the world. We are very excited about PhotoVCarve, we've really enjoyed testing the software and a number of 'botters doing beta testing have also had tremendous fun with it.

We are really looking forward to seeing what the ShopBot community create with the software, the ingenuity displayed on this forum is always extremely interesting. We’ll just light the blue touch paper, stand back, and watch the results.

I would encourage every shopbotter to download the trial and have a go (well I would wouldn’t I :-)). The emotional response to the pieces we have cut has been fantastic, my wife and I love the example we did of our kids (its in the gallery on the web site http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectric/pvc/pvc_gallery.htm).

Cheers

Brian

[rookie432]

Wow, Brian,

The detail on the images is excellent. Better than anything I have seen yet with photo engraving software. What an exciting new addition to the software line. Can't wait to try it.

Bill

[gerald_d]

I've been asked what makes PVC different to the normal lithopane type stuff that has often been mentioned. Well, it cuts much faster, and it uses a V-bit as opposed to a ball nose. The process is explained here. (http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectric/pvc/pvc_features.htm)

[jsfrost]

I have played through real job lunch. and it looks great, though the proof will be in the cutting.

While the demo imformation does not say so, the demo will save cut files for any photo. The finshed product will have a watermark added, but you can see that the process cuts (or does not cut) something you like from an arbitrary photo. (Demos from some others work much better with the samples provided than with a typical photo)

[jeff_rowley]

Do you think you could do the same thing with Artcam? Seems like you could maybe import your bitmap and then use a v-bit when you carve relief. It would take a little bit of math to figure out your depth of relief, maximum width of cut and then your stepover value, but shouldn't be too hard. For example using a 60 degree v-bit, if you set your relief depth to .05, you would have a maximum width of cut of .058. If you set your stepover to .06 or so, would you get the same effect? I'll maybe try playing around with this. If it doesn't work, I'll be looking seriously at PVC, those pictures look fantastic.

[tony_mac]

Just a quick note to let ShopBotters know that PhotoVCarve can also be used to carve stunning Lithophanes.

Video clip showing how a Lithophane comes to life when back lit (http://www.vectric.com/vectric/images/pmachinist/Lithophane/MM_2.html)


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Large image (http://www.vectric.com/vectric/images/pmachinist/Lithophane/Lithophane_4.jpg)


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Large image (http://www.vectric.com/vectric/images/pmachinist/Lithophane/Lithophane_1.jpg)


More details plus instructions and a video tutorial on how to make Lithophanes using PhotoVCarve can be found on the Vectric Forum (http://vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=194)

Remember that the Free Trial Version of PhotoVCarve will let you carve Lithopanes on your own router.

Let us know if you have any questions or we can assist in any way.

Have Fun!

Tony

[Brady Watson]

Wow Tony!

They look awesome! Some of the best that I have seen to date!

-Brady

[stickman]

Tony,

How big are those?

Jay

[tony_mac]

Hi Jay,

Each panel is 8" high x 6" wide and cut into a material called Avenite which is similar to Corian.

Tony

[drodda]

Tony,
This may be a little OT but where can I get some good small bits for detail that will fit in either a 1/8" or 1/4" collet on my PC router? I am wanting to try the lithophane on my photo v-carve but don't have a 0.04 size ball nose. Also all my 45 degree v-carve bits tend to break the tip off before I can finish a photo v-carve in Melamie sheets with particle board centers.

[paco]

Hi Dave!

Look for 1/4" shank conical engraving tools with radius or flat end tip. Hartlauer has this 7 deg. 1/32 tip engraving bit; somewhat expen$ive but worth it... Google some with the above keywords.

Someone (B)
will sooner or later come up with a hint about getting 1/8" CED shank bit on a router motor (that has only 1/2" and 1/4" collet)... hence you'll get all the very small ball end you want on your router collet (1/2").

[kerrazy]

You can get a fiber sleeve to enable you to use an 1/8 bit with a 1/4 inch collet.
Dale

[dmdraper]

Dave,

You may want to browse the MSC catalog under End Mills - Miniture. (http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/N2DRVSH?SISHNO=982123&SISRCH=2&SIS0NO=211887&SIT4N O=5381421) Be careful when ordering on line, they will kill you with shipping and handling. It cost me $9.75 to ship two of these tiny bits 45 miles. The junk they stuffed in the envelope weighed five times more than the bits. They were good quality bits though.

Dave D.

[drodda]

Thanks for the infomation,
I have a 1/8" collet adapter for my 1/2" PC collet. Some of the end mills are hard to get into it since they fall out before I can use both hands to tighten the wrenches.

By the time you pay shipping and for the bit itself and then break it within 2 minutes of running it. That makes it a hard pill to swallow and buy another.

Dave

[jumbaugh]

Dave,
I use cutting edge Technologies (easy to find on the web under that name) Also go under the name of Richards Micro Tools inc. same company)for 1/16 and 1/32 ball point bits, you need an adapter but they have been extremly good on fine detail. Go slow first few passes to avoid breaking. But going a depth of .20 in corian, I can cut at 1" per second after the first few passes. using 7% stepover.

[jumbaugh]

Dave,

Forgot, the tool number for 1/16 is 12003bn and is a 2 flute carbide ball bit

[tony_mac]

I used a 6mm (1/4") shank conical 10 degree 0.040" tip diameter engraving cutter (as shown in the picture) to finish machine these designs.


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The conical shank makes this type of cutter much stronger than small diameter parallel ball nose cutters, and can cut depths of 0.160" in a single pass.

Hope this helps, but afraid I don't know where you can purchase this type of cutter in the US?

Tony

[Brady Watson]

I recommend the Micro 100 brand engraving cutters, similar to what Tony uses. You can get them from Oberg Bros (as mentioned a gazillion times before) or thru MSC.

If you are going to do lithophanes, then make 2 toolpaths: 1 that runs an 1/8" ball over the design, and run that for 2 passes only. Then use the 2nd toolpath, which will finish machine your part. The 1st toolpath will save your engraver from breaking...

-Brady

[drodda]

Maybe I am a little slow but does the first toolpath cut the same depth as the last toolpath? From your demo on your site Tony, I did not see where you changed the cutting depth? So i figured that the 1/8" bit cuts the same depth but not as fine of detail? Am I missing something?

[Brady Watson]

Dave,
Yes. It cuts out at the same depth. However, a 1/8" bit is much beefier than the engraving bit and it's the 1st pass that will break your new bit (if it's going to break)...This is a trick that a number of us '3D guys' use.

-Brady

[drodda]

Brady,

Oh now I see, I need to know the secret "3D guys" handshake?


That's funny when I shook Bill Palumbo's hand last year it seemed like just a normal handshake? Once again I have missed something?

Back to the quest for knowledge. Thanks for the information. I will have to give this a try. I am having trouble seeing that once the 1/8" bit tears it's way through the material that there will be enough material left to get the detail out of the smaller bit. You explained the part about cutting with multiple passes to me a while back with a slight offset of the finish cut then going back and cleaning up with one single pass to remove the cutter lines. I thouoght that this was somewhat the same thing. is it the fact that you are only using 50 percent stepover with the larger bit and 15 percent with the smaller bit that gets the detail?

[kaaboom_99]

If I am incorrect, I appologize. I seem to have seen that the first bit used was cut to a max depth of 0.100" the second bit was cut to a max depth of 0.040" AFTER you rezeroed and placed the new zero at 0.100" into the material (or said another way, second zero is 0.100" below first zero, which is the surface of the material.)

[kaaboom_99]

I just reread the pdf from the Vectric website and I am wrong. Both toolpaths are set for a max depth of 0.100". I was correct in saying the second toolpath is zeroed at the same depth as the deepest part of the first toolpath

[gerald_d]

Hi Perry, you can edit your messages here within 30 minutes. Click on the
4604 icon on the top right of your post.

[billp]

Dave,et.al,
We "3D guys" have posted the trick of doing a preliminary pass here on the Forum numerous times. (It's usually posted with information on where to find small bits, and how to change the speeds after doing an initial pass or two.).
For ANYONE with specific questions regarding almost ANY facet of cutting you will find previous posts here on the Forum simply by using the "SEARCH" function on the upper toolbar of this page ( found between "last day" and "moderators"...).
By using this magical feature most people can get not only an immediate response to a question (instead of waiting for people to read your post, and then respond) but you can also get a collection of responses from a variety of time frames, and by doing so also see comparative results from ALL those who have taken the time, and energy, to post the results of their experiments.
The "SEARCH" feature is in effect our encyclopedia,Google, and report card. It has the ability to make any 'Botter better, if they will just take the few minutes to try it. You HAVE to be specific in your questioning (don't type in "small bits" and expect to get your anticipated answer on the first line of results), but in going back over the last few months it appears that too many people either are not aware of this gem, OR there is an expectation that the Forum itself is a form of "room service", or "on demand" TV.
Most responses have been posted by people who not only took the time to LEARN the tricks/tips they are proposing, but they have also taken the time to SHARE said info.
Just another thought; why don't people go to the SEARCH function when they DON'T have an emergency? It's got more information than ANY single 'Botter out there, and it's just waiting to be used.....

[normand]

Not related to photoVcar but might interest 3d guy http://www.tsplines.com/ soon as plugin for rhino.

[tony_mac]

The picture below is a mix of PhotoVCarve and VCarve Wizard.

This piece was machined by customer in the UK and was their 1st commission using the software.

The owner Warren Smith commented,

"My customer wanted a wall hanging picture of her daughter and granddaughter. After photovcarving the picture I thought it needed something extra, so I then added a frame and a little detail with VCarve. Just a few calculations and that was it."

"Nothing really special but the customer really loved it. (Shed a few tears)"

The picture is 800mm (31") wide and cut into 19mm (3/4") laminated MDF


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Large image (http://www.vectric.com/vectric/images/pmachinist/Photo.jpg)

The corner decoration and rectangle have been added using VCarve Wizard.