How do I use my v carve with my xcarve controller
Your X controller needs G code to operate from either Easel or another application like Universal Gcode Sender or similar. Gcodes are the x,y, and z positions the x carve moves to. V carve ( I’m assuming here) allows you to draw parts and convert the CAD to CAM…the toolpaths made from Gcode. If you use Easel, there is a button to load Gcode that you generate. You may also be able to load your Vcarve drawing into Easel, but since I don’t use either programs, I don’t really know. Easel will accept an SVG file or a DXF format file.
I have an X controller and draw in a 3rd party software called Rhino 3d. I usually take 2d or 2.5 D drawings and develop the Gcode in a program called Cambam. Cambam converts the drawing to the Gcode. I load the Gcode into the Universal Gcode Sender, and the X controller takes it and makes the part.
I also use Rhino3d for 3d parts. To do 3d, I use a program called Meshcam to create the gcode. The same process then works for that with the X controller.
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You’d need to go to the toolpaths tab, and there is a button to save the toolpath, (doesn’t work with the trial version BTW) this is where you’d need to select the Easel post processor, and I think the easel one pre-loaded into Vcarve version 11 doesn’t work right, so you’d need to go get the correct one from inventables (just go to Easel and select the door button at the lower left, then select import gcode) there you can select Vcarve and download the post processor. Then with the right post processor you can save the toolpaths into gcode files which can then be imported into easel (same window button and import gcode as before…) and then you can run the carve. You’ll need to save a different gcode file for each bit as easel doesn’t support mid carve bit changing though, so that can be a little bit of a pain, but it’s how it’s done…
What software does support mid-carve bit changing?
The BuildBotics that Onefinity runs on, and Carbide Motion that the Shapeoko uses are the 2 main ones that I know of off hand.
And It’s not so much “mid carve” as that they read the toolchange code in between 2 (or more) toolpaths saved into a single file, and then pause and present their own prompts to change the bit and re-probe Z zero. so It’s more like “mid-File” I guess would make more sense.
But then there’s machines running auto tool changers, like the Stepcraft . . . I’ve even seen a auto tool changer on a 3018 desktop machine.
Thanks, @SethCNC. I just looked it up on multiple control softwares and it looks like this is a pretty standard feature. Easel appears to be the outlier here.
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