Vectric User Group 2012 Meeting

[jeb2cav]

Was fortunate to be able to attend the 2012 session held this past Friday and Saturday in Covington, KY (across the Ohio from Cincinnatti). Met several Shark users there, listened to all the presentations. If you're ever able to attend one of these, it is well worth the registration cost.

They provided a lot of insight into the upcoming version of VCarve Pro and Aspire. Some highlights that I wrote down about the new features and improvements to existing product:

2D and General (VCarve and Aspire):

They performed a total review of each of the tools and their use. Many of the tools have even better workflow/use. In some cases additional settings have been added to enable this.
Tool Organization within the layout
Revamped Layer Control (now it's own tab as well)
Mirror about line
Bitmap to vector improvements
Previews for bitmap to vector, curve fitting, nesting (and some others) (ability to preview before hitting ok (and then ctrl z to try it again)
Extend vector to next intersection tool - very powerful
Dimensions Annotation Layer (can't machine it, but you can create a dimensions layer and display/print)
Export to SVG
New (or enhanced) create arc tool
Additional alignment functions as well as reorganizing these into a group of tools
200+ models to be included with the product - many/most of them 'new'
More...

3D (Aspire Only)
Add/Drag to base
Multiply by underlying component
Extrude and Weave - simply amazing and extremely powerful. Think 2 rail sweep - but now using only a single line and either a vector or vectors profile - or a component/model and extruding along the selected vector(s)
Dog Bone Fillets
Sculpting enhancements
More...
Baking and Splitting enhancements

Will be called Aspire 4.0 and VCarve Pro 7.0. Released probably in Jan 2013. Of course free upgrade if purchased within the last 12 months or under maintenance. $400 for Aspire upgrade if out of maintenance or purchased beyond 12 months. Forgot to ask the price for the VCarve Pro upgrade.