I am having problems with the tool path for profiles on maker cam. I use make cam follow path operation on the inside lines on my cutouts but they are drawn with a maker so the parameters are not affected. However, I have problems on the profile operation for outside of the line toolpath. I think that some of the cuts are less than .25 in. I don’t care if the lines are a little off because it will not affect the overall look of the cutout. The program will set the line up and turn yellow. When I calculate all then I don’t get the color change for the cutout. And when I export gcode, it doesnt have the profile tool path. I feel like the error is that the toolpath has areas that are tighter than .25 in. Is there anyway to bypass this to make it work. I will upload an svg that you can test with. Thanks ahead of time. Professor Hinkle.zip (52.2 KB)
probably not, CAM software does what you tell it to. I would expect that the
toolpath stops when it gets don to the width of your bit.
you can either switch to a smaller bit, or modify your SVG.
David Lang
I took a look but not far and can not be trusted these days with anything.
Just guessing.
The outline profile in the .svg is not a closed loop, several splines. Did you try closing them with the ‘node tool’?
Kind regards, Gero
Edit:
On linux (inkscape) there was some strange grouping going on and the group was on a ‘root’ layer. Un-grouping and adding a layer with moving the drawing did not help.
Edit2:
“combine with the path menu and close with the node tool” was the complete guess here.
I think you are correct. There is no way to make it cut a path that is less than 1/4 inch with a 1/4 inch bit, but you can set the bit size to be less if you would like.
You also have the “path follow” cut which will cut on the line instead of to one side which might work for you.
Thanks guys. I’ll try that and see. Do you know if a good bit that is smaller that will cut through 3/4 inch birch plywood. I have been using a 1/4 up cut bit forever.
I worked on Professor Hinkle and he did have nodes that were not connected. I combined them and it seemed to allow me to create a path. However, Hocus Pocus the rabbit is ok and still will not create a tool path. So I think that both the problems are occuring. Ill try to work on it some more.
I figured out a way around the error. In Inkscape, copy the layer that you want to be the new path and select path then outset. I did it multiple times until I had the offset that I wanted. Then move that line back over the original.
I just did a follow path on the outer line and that ended up giving me the cut path that I needed and bypassed makercams errors.