Dashed Lines

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Chiefmedic
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:25 pm

Dashed Lines

Post by Chiefmedic »

Hello Everyone ~

Any one have any ideas on engraving a "Dashed" line? I am trying to show on a Lexan template, where optional parts would be located.

Thanks

Dave

Eagle55
Posts: 788
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 8:44 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by Eagle55 »

I hate it when I do this!! I don't know the answer to that question so I'm gonna guess at it. (Always worked on test in school :) ) I didn't see the kind of function that would do that easily in VCarve, so I saw two potential way of doing this. Option 1: If it is a super simple horizontal and vertical line line drawing that you want to show as an optional part, you could draw the lines in VCarve and then overlay the drawing with a set of parallel lines that are snapped to a set of grid lines. Go in and using the "trim vectors" tool, snip every other space there by creating a dashed line which you can then do a profile carve, say with a 60 degree v cutter to a depth of .035"deep as I did in the photos below. This is a little testy and can be frustrating. You would have to snip all the vertical lines then rotate you simple drawing 90 degrees and snip the horizontal lines then rotate it back to the original position. You would do well to have the grid work on one layer and you still have to play with grouping and un-grouping the drawing to be a dashed line, but if it is simple you can get there. I'll attach the following screen shots to help guide you. Then in another reply I will try to explain another way to do it.
Attachments
Fullscreen capture 422012 20646 AM.bmp
Fullscreen capture 422012 15116 AM.bmp
Fullscreen capture 422012 15105 AM.bmp
CNC Shark HD ~ Control Panel 2.0 ~ Windows 7 & XP
Located in West Tennessee near the Tennessee River
http://www.eaglecarver4.com

Eagle55
Posts: 788
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 8:44 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by Eagle55 »

Option 2: This is the way I would probably choose to accomplish this task. It would also afford you a good way to draw your entire assembly drawing more easily than in VCarve and additionally allow you to have dashed circles and angled lines that would be quite difficult using the other method. This option would be to draw this in a program such as Autocad (for the rich people), TurboCad (for us poor folk), Corel Draw or another of many drawing programs. In that program draw you entire assembly and use the dashed line type for what you want to have dashed on your carving. Then export the drawing to a jpg type file. Import the jpg file into VCarve and do a "Fit Vectors to bitmap". At this point you can select the vectors and creat your profile carve as I did on this last set of attachments. I don't know if this is completely confusing or not, but its late night LOL There may even be a simple way to do it that I am overlooking, in which I would be glad for someone to show all of us. :)

Roger

Sorry, but when I attempted to upload the next three illustration for this option, I got an error code that said "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached." Not sure what that means but until I figure out what I did wrong the verbal description above will have to do.
CNC Shark HD ~ Control Panel 2.0 ~ Windows 7 & XP
Located in West Tennessee near the Tennessee River
http://www.eaglecarver4.com

tmerrill
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 5:11 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by tmerrill »

Dave,

Roger's second approach would be my choice assuming you have access to a CAD or drawing program. But if you do, export the dashed lines as either an .eps or .dxf file, then import that into VCP and toolpath them with a Profile On toolpath with a v-bit.

Another approach using VCP directly would come close for you, but still be an approximation depending on the actual design.

First create the design in VCP and then draw a small line the length you want the dashes to be. In the example below the dashed line is 0.1" long.

Then select the dash and the vector you want to follow, open the Copy Along Vectors tool and set it up as shown in the picture below. Note the spacing has to include the length of the dash plus whatever space you want between the dashes. For the example it is set to 0.2" which will result in a 0.1" dash and a 0.1" space.

Final picture shows the results for curved and straight line samples. It follows the shape of the ellipse very close, but is an approximation using straight line segments. For the star, all the inner and outer angles aren't exactly on as the program calculates to the center of the dashed line.

Just another idea that may work good enough for you.

Tim

And like Roger found out, a forum error is being reported and sample file with pictures can't be uploaded. TO FORUM ADMIN: Please consider changing the order pictures are uploaded in. It is currently bottom to top, which is opposite from every other forum I've posted pictures on. Unless, of course, others object.

Eagle55
Posts: 788
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 8:44 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by Eagle55 »

I thought of exporting in eps and dxf format too, and tried that. Doing it from Corel Draw produced bad results where doing it from a CAD program might not (I haven't tried that yet) The reason that "sounds" good is that the eps and dxf formats are both vector type files which could be used directly to create a tool path. However, when I imported the eps file it came in as one solid vector line. When I imported the dxf version of the same drawing it was dashed but the dash lines and spaces were not what I had drawn but rather something different creating very large dashes and spaces. I might be able to control this a little bit by changing the dash and spacing in the original Corel Draw drawing but still it is not the same as what I see in the Corel drawing. The only way of the three exports that I had success with was to export as jpg and import it into VCarve and trace it as a bitmap. This produced the same dashed line that I had in my original drawing.

(I have example screen captures to illustrate this as soon as they get the "board attachment quota has been reached" error corrected) BTW, I agree with Tim in that posting attachments takes some getting used to when you are trying to show a progression of something. Top to bottom would be easier than bottom to top. I don't post many pictures on other forums so I don't know what is conventional and what is not. PS Joe has Rockler IT guys alerted to the error that is being generated, so maybe it will be fixed soon.

Roger
Attachments
Imported dxf file of a dashed line vector line (created in Corel Draw)
Imported dxf file of a dashed line vector line (created in Corel Draw)
Last edited by Eagle55 on Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CNC Shark HD ~ Control Panel 2.0 ~ Windows 7 & XP
Located in West Tennessee near the Tennessee River
http://www.eaglecarver4.com

tmerrill
Posts: 61
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 5:11 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by tmerrill »

Hi Rodger,

Interesting observations/results on the imported lines. I guess the programs aren't actually creating separate individual line segments, but assigning a visual attribute to a single line. It would be interesting if you could look at the dashed lines in a node editing mode (if it exists in the program) and see if each dash can be moved individually. If not, that probably helps explain what you saw. If yes, I would expect them to export/import as individual lines.

Tim

Chiefmedic
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:25 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by Chiefmedic »

Thanks to all for your posts! I will give them a try and I will post what works best. Again Thanks To All!!!!

Dave

Eagle55
Posts: 788
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 8:44 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by Eagle55 »

Ok, maybe this won't be considered beating this topic to death, but I drew a simple drawing in TurboCad and saved it as a dxf file. Imported that dxf file directly into VCarve and went straight to creating a profile toolpath and got exactly what I wanted first attempt. Bottom line answer to the original question is: It is better to generate the drawing in a Cad program, save it as a dxf file type and import into VCarve. I am thinking that my attempting to export the Corel Draw drawing as a dxf file was actually exporting it as a vector with a dashed line attribute with probably some default dash/space size that I couldn't control. Exporting it as an eps type file was exporting just the vector and apparently didn't carry the dashed line attribute with it. Its been a lot of trial and error but it was an interesting problem and I could easily see myself wanting to do that very thing so was interested in finding the solution.

Well, upon preview, I see they not only got the attachment issue fixed but also complied with our request to view the attachment in order they are attached. Ha Ha Ha, so view my illustrations from bottom to top this time so I don't have to re-attache them.

Roger
Attachments
Fullscreen capture 422012 103831 PM.bmp
Fullscreen capture 422012 103715 PM.bmp
Fullscreen capture 422012 103929 PM.bmp
CNC Shark HD ~ Control Panel 2.0 ~ Windows 7 & XP
Located in West Tennessee near the Tennessee River
http://www.eaglecarver4.com

Chiefmedic
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:25 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by Chiefmedic »

Roger..

I must be missing something ~ When I do what you have done, I get the error that there are no vectors selected. Mine show as "Open Vectors", hence I can not cut them.

Thanks

Dave

Eagle55
Posts: 788
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 8:44 pm

Re: Dashed Lines

Post by Eagle55 »

Dave,
You do have to select the vectors before doing the "Create Profile Toolpath", and yes they will be a large set of open vectors so you can't engrave it but rather have to do it by means of using the Create Profile. You can select them by either surrounding the whole group of vectors or one dash at a time holding the shift key if you want to be more selective. In other words when you press the calculate button, the vectors have to already be selected (showing in the 2d view as a red dashed line)
Attachments
Drawing as imported and selection box in the process of selecting the set of open vectors
Drawing as imported and selection box in the process of selecting the set of open vectors
Vector appearing in red ready to create the profile toolpath
Vector appearing in red ready to create the profile toolpath
CNC Shark HD ~ Control Panel 2.0 ~ Windows 7 & XP
Located in West Tennessee near the Tennessee River
http://www.eaglecarver4.com

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