The definitive answer needed - X-Carve 2.0 & VCarve Pro 8.5 to run

Vectric is very good at replies. They pointed me to the PP I needed to use.
Very helpful those folks are. :slight_smile:

Ok so if I have this right all I have to do is build the X-Carve all the way to calibration. If correct, I don’t need to do the Computer setup for Easel. Just download the X-Carve PP available from Vectra and modify the one line “T1M6” from the header section for the tool change command, then simply send my projects from VCarvePro using the modified X-Carve PP Gcode?

Is this all correct?

Steve

Vcarve doesn’t do Gcode sending. Vcarve would create the Gcode and then you’d use UGCS/Easel/others to actually send the Gcode. Easel as a Gcode sender is pretty nice.

I think it is also a good idea to at least run the Xcontroller through the Easel setup once just so the proper defaults get setup.

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OK Understood… Steve…

Hello, help!

I have VCarve Desktop, Easel and a 750mm XCarve and I’m getting pretty frustrated with it. I’ve spent the entire last two days reading threads in this and every forum I can find.

I am following RobertCanning’s steps above. I get unrecognized G Code errors no matter what PP I use. What exactly is the “correct PP”? Instructions for exporting in VCarve say to only open the application folder and paste a file there?

Why does VCarve have an export to SVG? I don’t see it mentioned in any posts.

I somehow got my machine to carve a test project I made in VCarve, but it is not the same as what I designed. The tabs to hold the center cutout are much different.

As of now, I’m feeling like I got screwed. “Here, buy this”, but no mention of edited PP’s and other gems you are supposed to find in a very confusing forum where everyone uses different approaches to running their machine.

Apologies for me ranting. Hopefully, this will start me in the right direction…

Cary

Watch the vectric tutorials they are great.

You should be able to save each task, ie pockets profiles and import into easel. Be careful with the default settings on the bits, they are set for professional machines.

By the way I use vcarve save my gcode and use ugs on another computer.

More confusion…

You open the zip file (I use WinRAR) and it contains other pp files. You start VCarve, go File / Open Application Data folder. You stick those files in the PPost folder, which already contains those files, which also don’t seem to work correctly. Thanks Dave, I’ve been looking at Tutes… that’s what got me to this point. Will keep at it.

I am improving a bit: I was just able to get Easel to make cuts I exported from VCarve. They did not contain the tabs I programmed to hold my cut out piece. Back at it.

I definitely have it cutting from VCarve. It was stated in earlier posts that I should only be setting zero in Easel, yet I have to set tool justification, cut depth and part size(?).

Thanks in advance for any explanations… :slight_smile:

I’ll have to try it from vcarve. I design on my laptop (in the house), then I save my gcode on a thumb drive. I have an old dedicated pc with universal g-code sender. I home in UGS, zero my work piece, probe my z. Rough cut ususally 1/4", change bit to 1/8" reprobe z, finish cut. Change back to 1/4" reprobe z, profile cut.

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I use Roberts method as well. VCarve -> .nc file -> Easel.

I prefer Easel over UGS and Chilipeppr because in case of the need to pause or stop, pause means pause and stop means stop!! When using both UGS and Chilipeppr, after hitting stop, the machine continues to run for a while.

Have been using this method for 6 months or so.

If the next tool path uses the same bit you can save them as one file and run them without stopping

Thanks Robert. I’ve found the Easel PP and have it working. It is a tradeoff for me… UG remembers the zeros, but I lose the hot keys I like so much for jogging. I’m still finding my work flow… thanks!

Thanks Curtis, I am learning that too.

I know I am a little late to the party but since the probe option has been added to Easel I switched back. I now go V-Carve-Import Gcode into Easel and away I go. The little reminders of is the material secure and did I move the probe is comforting to have.

Still missing something here…

I want to drill 5 holes in my styrene plate. I do this in VCarve and save the toolpaths.

I have:

“rh lam drill.crv” it has "drill rh plate.nc toolpath saved as “Easel”. I export this as “rh lam drill.svg”

I open Easel. Import GCode. I open the .nc file. It shows correct postitions of holes and toolpaths, but has no cutting data and I get a warning, so I am not going to run it.

I import SVG. It shows my holes in the wrong location. I take a guess and place them where they should be (reason #1 I don’t like Easel). Easel saves this as my new SVG file. I try to run this and it tells me there are no toolpaths to follow. It seemingly does not know how to drill a hole??

I can edit this tool path to machine the hole and it works fine, but what is the point if I cannot use the drill toolpath I created in the first place?

Not much easier or luckier in Grbl Controller.

Thanks Phil.

I am using the “easel” PP. Will try the G Code steps you mentioned.

Easel PP saves toolpaths as a .nc file, not gcode. To get a gcode extention I need to use xcarve inch or mm.

GitHub? I have to join another website now? I am between laughing and crying at the moment.

It ran the .nc file as it should. thank you Phil.

FYI: G code is actual just a plain text file. (you can read and edit it in notepad)
It can be given lots of different extensions depending on the software used. (but is still encoded the same as a plain text file)
*.nc, *.tap *.gcd, etc

Here is a quick reference.
http://bobcadsupport.com/helpdesk/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/13/5/known-g-code-file-extensions