I have been using Easel and now I want to do more with my 100mm X-Carve. I would like to use Vetric software, Photo Carve. What is the easiest way to make use of it? I don’t want to change electronics; I want to run it as is. I have read multiple posts about post processing G-Code and I would prefer not to do this. I need my hand held to understand what the next step is. What is the easiest way to make 3D carvings as well as pictures like Photo Carve provides. Can anyone help me?
Change Electronics? Why?
Not that I use Vectric software. Yet… Are there Electronics requirements for Vectric software that X-carve does not fulfull?
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Software like Photo Vcarve will generate a file which contains a list of instructions for the the X-Carve. These instructions are called gcode. Easel also generates gcode, but you never see it since Easel can send the gcode directly to the X-Carve.
So you just need some software that can send the gcode from PhotoVcarve to the X-Carve. There are two free options
Universal Gcode Sender (UGS) and Chillipepper.
UGS needs to be downloaded and installed on the PC you have connected to the X-Carve and Chillipper will run from the browser (like Easel)
You will need a post processor file for PhotoVcarve that translated the instructions from PhotoVcarve into gcode that the X-Carve understands. If you search these forums you will find a copy of that post processor.
UGS is at GitHub - winder/Universal-G-Code-Sender: A cross-platform G-Code sender for GRBL, Smoothieware, TinyG and G2core.
I recommend version 2.0 http://bit.ly/1hftIhy
Chillipper is at http://chilipeppr.com/
You will need to generate the g-code and send it to the XC.
There are a many programs that will generate g-code.
MeshCam or VCarve are just one of many.
You can download demos of both.
VCarve has a couple of demo projects that will work fully functional with the demo software so you can try the process out.
These will all use a “post processor”. All a post processor does is contain formatting information for the gCode so it will work properly with a given electronics. It is something you usually setup once and leave alone. It is a separate file rather than just configuration settings in the program to make it easier for machine manufactures to submit and distribute them.
In this case any post processor for grbl should work.
You will need a program to send the g-code to the XC. Inventables is developing this feature for Easel but it will probably be some time before it is ready.
You can use free programs like Universal G-Code Sender or Chillipepr for Grbl
Or purchase programs like PicSender
Thank you. I’ve been reading lots of threads here and it is overwhelming. I had read a thread where someone said the took out the Arduino to put in a driver board" like I said confusing. I like what you guys are saying and I appreciate all the great advice.
other than initial machine setup I pretty much skipped using easel altogether since I had a copy of vcarve pro prior to buying the XC.
It runs just fine with the stock electronics.
My program work flow is design in v-carve/save the g code file with the appropriate post processor to my desktop/ open Universal gcode sender (UGS) and set up my workpiece/ load the file from the desktop into UGS/and run the file.
As long as I am dilligent and make sure I cover all my needed steps things work just fine.
It’s a bit ovewhelming at first but It gets easier with practice.
Thanks jk.
jk,
Which version are you using of UGS? I have a 64bit running WIN8.1 and another 64bit running win7.
Domenick
nightly build ver. 2.0
win 7 64 bit with 4 gigs ram
I have partitioned my Mac which can now run Windows and I have downloaded the demo versions of V Carve and Photo Carve.
I have read the various posts about UGS and Chillipeppr but will confess to be totally lost (I know now why I switched to Macs donkeys years ago and an afternoon back on Microsoft has brought back all of the old bad memories).
Firstly I tried the link above to V2 of UGS but that takes me to a page that advises that “Jenkins instance is hibernated” whatever that means. I did another link to a download but that created loads of files but with no obvious clue of how to start the thing running (funny how Mac applications load and present the user with an icon to click and the thing opens)
I tried chillipeppr but in the absence of any notes or guidance a workspace page loaded with a warning in red that i needed some algorithm or something but with no clue as to where such an item could be found.
Is there a way of loading the code produced by VCarve into Easel to drive the XC? Failing that, can anyone point me towards an idiots guide of how to set up UGS or chillipeppr please?
There is no idiots guide to UGS that I have ever found Other than right here, but by playing with it I have gotten it to run pretty reliably, albeit, also dealing with a few quirks that it has.
The biggest hurdle that I have noticed is folks getting UGS to open in the first place.
You need to have the latest version of JAVA on your system. Many headaches are produced by this not being the case.
I keep the *.bat file on the desktop so I can readily find it.
download the latest post processor file for x carve and get it loaded into the pp file in vcarve. This is what you need to save your vcarve work in so the xcarve can read it.
What I like to do in general terms, is create my file in vcarve pro, save it with the proper post processor TO MY DESKTOP so that I can easily find it, open UGS, set up and zero my machine to the workpiece in UGS, open the file tab in UGS browse to the desktop[ and click the gcode file I created, open it, and after a final check of everything to avoid nasty surprises, hit send and watch the show.
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