V-Carve Final Pass

[Woodstock Woody]

How can I eliminate the final pass for an engraving toolpath in VCarve Pro? I'm trying to save some time and, with a shallow carve, the final pass seems redundant and doubles the carve time.

[Rando]

Woodstock Woody:

It appears that whether it has the stepover values for both "normal" and "clearance" has to do with whether it's a v-bit, or an end-mill. So, if you can choose an endmill for an engraving toolpath, that might work, even if you actually use a vbit. Not really advised, but maybe feasible. I'd inspect that toolpath VERY closely before using it, though! Watch for too-fast plunging, and so on.

That said, an engraving path won't let you select an "end mill". That doesn't mean you can't fool it into using one anyway by mucking with the tool paramaters. In any event, again, be careful to verify the toolpath.

<the below, while true, doesn't really solve the problem...left in for completion>

I'm going to guess you want to have it not do any cutting that use the (normal) stepover values, but you DO want the cuts that uses the Clearance Pass Stepover...right? Like in the below tool definition dialog box.

And, I'm assuming you're NOT talking about the large-area clearance, versus the actual engraving. If you were, that's easy...just don't output the engraving part. But, I somehow don't think you're asking that.

I took a look at a GCODE/tap file and the finishing parts are definitely tightly intertwined with clearance pass. The custom post processor file I use includes comments for each of the usable sections, and there is not indication of anything different. So, it's not even like it would be feasible to go in and hack the GCODE. But, my guess is that hacking the GCODE would take longer than just letting it run.

If the time is the only problem, you could increase the step-over to some large value that makes it take less time, and in more-forgiving materials like wood it might work. But not in aluminum or any material you think will break the bit .

Unfortunately, it looks like the pocket toolpath has the same "feature"...a finishing pass whether you like it or not!

Regards,

Thom

[sharkcutup]

Note ---- It is definitely nice to have the finishing pass when carving in soft woods that create 'feather threads' and the like! The finishing pass sometimes saves from having to run a whole toolpath a second time for cleaning up those unwanted 'feather threads' and the like!

As Rando pointed out the finish passes are in the gcode whether you like it or not! You would probably (as Rando again said) have to hack the gcode and that would definitely take some time to do, easier to just let it do the finishing pass!

A Nice Thought and some re-affirmed or confirmed points!

Have a GREAT DAY!!!

Be SAFE around those AWESOME machines!!!

Sharkcutup