@LarryM. None taken. I just wanted an open discussion concerning your thoughts. Everyone has a valuable opinion based on their experience and the type of carving that they do in their shop. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting thought.
When I first got my machine I used the homing switches.
But I really didnāt understand why because at the same time I was using Charlieās Triquetra.
Therefore the X-Y-Z zero is home.
Hence, I donāt use the homing switches either.
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Okay so just get the free software that is offered? The only problem is that I wanted a software that I could use offline.
starting out with demoās lets you see if the features it offers are the ones you want/need. That way thereās no value loss or sunk cost involved. I can completely understand the desire not to be tied to the internet for a program (even with a stable connection)ā¦ that said, sometimes itās the better option.
and if you do decide VCarve/Aspire is the one that fits your needs best, thereās no harm in starting with Desktop, since their upgrade cost is the difference between themā¦ youāll literally end up paying the same price either way, so safer not to overpay for features before you can/will make use of them
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Just remember to factor in the discount that you get when you order a Vectric product with a machine purchase from Inventables.
there isnāt one anymore
What if your stock is round? What if you cut off the corner?What if you want to set your zero in the center of your stock? What if you want to utilize G28 and G30? What if you want multiple work zeros in different coordinate systems? What if you want to want to use a tool change macro?
I agree with @LarryM, homing switches add functionality and reliability to the machine. You can use aluminum foil as a probe.
Bummer. 
I would recommend that you download and try Carbide Create. it is a local install is based off of the shapeoko (which is the same as the X-carve was) it has V-Carve as well as local fonts.
I did it. I ordered the 1000 X 1000 XCarve with the VCarve Pro software. I donāt know if I will ever use all the bits that were offered but I ordered them all also. Eventually I want to get to the point that I can turn square stock and turn out some projects with it but I know that will involved some upgrades and I will cross that bridge when that bridge comes along.
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When I bought mine the discount was $174 off on Vcarve PRO. Times they are a changāin
yup used to be -20 for desktop, -175 for Pro, -200 for Aspire
they did drop the side board cost for the 1000mm by 20$US, and there are some new SCUs for partsā¦
happened in the last week or two. Iāve been keeping an eye on prices because Iām hoping for a purchase later this year.
Iām guessing that Inventables was eating the discount seeing as how no one seems to offer a discount on Vectric software (not even the supplier, excepting maybe dealer discounts)
Get Autodesk Fusion 360. It is free to makers and it is the best thing going. I have been teaching CAD for more than 30 years and it has the CAM built right in.
Darrell Smith retired professor of Industrial Technology, California University of PA.
I never used Fusion360 because I always thought it had a steep learning curve. What would you suggest new users do? take babysteps at a time and start out with easel OR do you think itās better to be thrown in the deep end because most users will want to convert sooner or later anyway? Both make sense.
Another suggestion to take a look at Fusion 360, itās powerful. Itās true that itās cloud based, but it does have an offline mode. There are plenty of tutorials on the autodesk website and youtube, as well as courses on Udemy and such. E.g. https://www.udemy.com/share/1004eq/
In the end though, it depends on what you want to do and what it is youāre looking for in software; try before you buy?
I own Vectricās V-Carve Desktop. It is limited to a 2ā X 2ā work area which is smaller than the work area on a 1000mm X 1000mm X-Carve. In my case thatās OK because I donāt have an X-Carve.
V-Carve Pro gets you past the work area limits and also opens up a 4th axis option. Aspire adds sophisticated design capabilities.
Without aspire, you will be limited to 2D designs like sign making which V-Carve does well. I do 3D designs (because I 3D print a lot) but I use other software for that and then pass the .stl files through V-Carve.
I also use Easel. Typically I start with line art of my own design and then use Easel to produce the tool path. I always export the G-Code and use a G-Code sender. I donāt directly drive my machines with Easel.
My Grade School aged kids have used Easel to design small projects like ink stamps or small signs. V-Carve has quite the learning curve and my kids wonāt be able to master it until they are much older.
You might wait on the Vectric software and see where you are at after a few months of Easel. There are other free software pieces too. I have used Scorchworkās F-Engrave. I have not used JSCut, but many have. I have used Fusion 360 but it also has a steep learning curve.
I am curious if you donāt have an X-Carve what dod you have or use?
I own a Techno-Isel Davinci III. It was made in Germany in the mid 1980ās. It doesnāt even run G-Code. Fortunately, there is a translator that will convert most G-Code output to its native format, and some CAD packages will produce native commands for the Isels. I also have a very small Link Sprite kit built CNC which runs GRBL. I got it so the kids could experiment with CNC, but mostly it sits idle.
The Davinci is very powerful. It uses ball screws in each direction and its NEMA 23 steppers are around 270 oz inch. Its frame is quite stiff. Rather than flex or stretch while carving it tends to snap bits.
At times I would like a little more work area. I used to have access to some very large ShopBots, but my friendly neighborhood maker space went bankrupt.
Donāt know if I did the right decision but I did not purchase the waste board. What do yaāll reccomend I use for the wasteboard?
mdf like stock is a good and cheap option. Only difference would be yours wonāt have screenprint markings on it. Not a huge loss if you ask me.