Basic info needed for old signmaker

[letterman7]

Hello, folks,
Looking into purchasing a new 'Bot and I am a bit confused on their proprietary software. I used to work for a company who ran a router straight out of Enroute. I currently have CorelDraw10, and am curious how well this would work with creating v-carved signage. At the moment, all is hand done, and of course, looking to stop that!
Will the router ease in and out of the letters for clean serifs? Does the embedded routing program allow for specific pass sequences (i.e. the inside of "o"'s before the outside if you are cutting flat letters)?
For true 3-D beveled letters, do you need a second set of software like EnroutePro?
Any assistance would be wonderfully appreciated!
Thanks, fellow sign people
Rick

[joe]

Rick,

I understand the question you have perfectly. A couple of years ago I was looking for a software package that will do the deliclate carving we all love.

There are several programs that will make the code that will do chiseled corners and render the deliclate parts.

I started with "Rams" but for V Carve work, see some of our stuff at the "Shopbot In Use" page under signs. We've graduated to ArtCam, Insignia and don't know if this was worth the trip at this time.

I would encourage you to keep doing your designing with what you are use to. I have not found any of the router programs very powerfull. For sure ArtCam is not, and wasn't intended for,
concept work.

You will spend some money for a 2.5 D program.

I will send you samples of our V Carve if you like. One real option for you is to send your file out and have the G Code made for you and just run it. I wish I had done this rather than buying a software program.

Joe

[Scottmc@dianondcs.net]

Rick,
I use Enroute3 plus, It's 2.5D Not 3D. It does V-carving and Raised Bevel letters, I love it.
Scott

[gerald_d]

Rick, I understand that PartsWizard* (bundled with the ShopBot) will do everything you need to, for more than 10 fonts these days.

*Why do I have such problems with the name "PartsWizard"? I don't believe in wizardry, where things are done by illusion, smoke and mirrors. Wizardry is related to witchcraft and sorcery, which Webster's tell us is: "the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining"

[srwtlc]

"Why do I have such problems with the name "PartsWizard"? I don't believe in wizardry, where things are done by illusion, smoke and mirrors. Wizardry is related to witchcraft and sorcery, which Webster's tell us is: "the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining"

I'd have to agree with you there Gerald! There's another program, mentioned above, that has the same reference to one of their tools that has always bothered me (not to mention all the Windows wizards).

[gerald_d]

Apparently it is the later Windows version of the ShopBot software (also free with the ShopBot) that can do more than the 10 fonts that PartsW... does.

[letterman7]

Thanks, guys, for the posts. Scott, "3" was the program I used to run, and it seemed to do the trick for most things. How do you integrate it with the ShopBot software?
Gerald, will the PartsWizard cut the fonts out of Corel if they are converted to curves first?
Keep up the info - I'm really close to plopping down the green for one of these machines!
Cordially-
Rick

[ron brown]

Rick,

Gerald, like me, doesn't have or run PartsWizurd. I have seen several demos of the program. As I understand the program, there are ten "native" fonts that can be manipulated in it. You can also import several other types of files as vector drawings. Anything brought in from Corel would be a vector line. You can do bit offsets and such on the imported artwork but not "V-Carving".

The "Typesetter Program" will allow one to "V-carve any TrueType Font" ...uh, except not all of the fonts have been created equally.

The software that comes with a ShopBot will allow one to get started. One can do some work with it. I'm not sure I'd want to buy a machine with more money put in software I might never use or have use for.

My personal view of software is one should buy the product that does what they want and in the style they want it. For some it is more a mechanical type of program and for others it may be a more astistic type program.

Ron