What's New in V-Carve Pro 7 - Vectric Ltd - Passionate About …€¦ · · 2013-04-05What's New in V-Carve Pro 7 A quick start guide for V-Carve Pro upgraders ... EPS/AI/PDF CAD

What's New in V-Carve Pro 7

A quick start guide for V-Carve Pro upgraders

Vectric Ltd. Document V.1.0

Copyright © 2012 Vectric Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Page | 2

Contents

CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................... 2

OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................... 3

FILE IMPORTING & EXPORTING .................................................................................................... 4

NEW DRAWING TOOLS ................................................................................................................. 5

Dimensions .......................................................................................................................................... 6

Extend Vectors .................................................................................................................................... 8

Align Objects ....................................................................................................................................... 9

ENHANCED & EXTENDED DRAWING TOOLS ................................................................................ 12

ENHANCED & EXTENDED TOOLPATH FEATURES .......................................................................... 15

MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENTS ............................................................................................. 17


Overview

Welcome to the What’s New document for the latest version of VCarve Pro. Please note that this

document is intended for existing VCarve Pro customers who have recently upgraded to the latest

version. As such, it only includes details of the incremental changes and enhancements to the

previous version of the software. If you are new to VCarve Pro then this document probably isn’t the

one for you. Instead please take the time to watch the extensive supporting tutorial videos provided

with VCarve Pro to help you get started. Once you are up and running, you will find the Help->Help

Contents menu command will open a full electronic reference to every tool and feature in VCarve

Pro.

This document is broadly divided into two sections focusing on the main areas of VCarve Pro:

Drawing and Toolpaths. In each Section there are separate parts highlighting completely new tools,

and a summary of enhancements and extensions to existing tools that you should already be familiar

with. There is also an additional section on File Importing & Exporting, which details the

considerable improvements to the range of file types supported, and the new streamlined workflow

for importing them. Finally, the Miscellaneous Improvements section documents the remaining

minor changes that have been made, usually in response to specific customer feedback, to improve

work flow and fix problems that have come to light since the previous release.


File Importing & Exporting

The latest version of VCarve Pro includes many new importing and exporting options for working

with 2D vector geometry, bitmaps and files from other Vectric Products as well as enhancements to

the choices available for 3D model formats.

New 2D Vector Formats

DXF and DWG file import has been updated to support AutoCAD’s 2013 file format.

VCarve Pro files can now be imported into an existing VCarve Pro drawing. Selecting VCarve Pro

(*.crv) files through the File->Import->Import Vectors menu command will selectively import the

vectors only from these documents.

Note: Importing files in this way will not retain layer information from the original file. To do this you

would need to export the file in a vector format that supported layers (example: DXF).

The selected vectors from a job can now be exported in Scalable Vector Graphics format (*.svg)

using the File->Export->Export Selected Vectors to SVG menu command

Drag & Drag into the 2D View

Many file types can now be dragged directly into VCarve Pro’s 2D View from Windows Explorer. This

will cause the file to be imported and, if appropriate, positioned at the drop position. Supported file

types are:

Vectors - EPS/AI/PDF

CAD Drawings - DXF/DWG

Vectors - CRV

Bitmap - BMP, TIFF, JPG, PNG, GIF

Toolpaths - V3D


New Drawing Tools

This latest version of VCarve Pro introduces several entirely new drawing tools and features, which

are fully documented in this section. In addition there are a number of new additions to the 2D View

to simplify and assist common drawing operations.

Virtual mid points for line spans

When in Node Editing mode, all line spans now show a small grey

handle at their midpoint. These are called Virtual Midpoints and

initially they do not affect the line in any way. However, by simply

clicking and dragging any of these points, the line span will

automatically divide into two new spans. This makes the process of

refining outlines and adding detail artwork much faster.

New Snapping Options

While drawing shapes and manipulating the layout of your designs you will notice the automatic

snapping assistance has been greatly enhanced. There are specific new points of interest for

snapping, such as intersections and text letter outlines, but also the snapping is now available in all

drawing tools – including shape transformation and scaling. As previously, you can tailor what is

included by the snapping tool using Edit->Snap Options or by pressing the keyboard shortcut F4.

These changes while quite subtle significantly improve the dynamic layout and editing of vectors

within VCarve Pro.

Paste bitmaps from the clipboard

Any bitmap images in VCarve Pro’s supported formats can now be pasted directly from the Windows

clipboard into an open model inside VCarve Pro. Simply use the standard copy to clipboard

command from your source application – for example in the web browser Chrome you can typically

right-click on an image element in a webpage and select Copy Image. Then select VCarve Pro’s main

window and use Edit->Paste from the main menu, or right-click on an empty area of your model in

the 2D View and select Paste from the pop-up menu. This action will copy the image as a new

bitmap object into the 2D View of your model.


Dimensions This tool allows you to add a variety of dimensioning

annotations to your vector drawing. Unless specified

separately below, the dimensions are created using these steps:

Select the dimension type you wish to measure; length,

height, width, arc dimensions or the angle.

In the 2D View, click with the left mouse button to create a

start point for dimensioning annotation.

Click again to set the end point

Click a third time to set where the annotation text will

appear.

Length Dimension

This first option will dimension a length in any orientation

between the two selected points.

Vertical / Horizontal Dimension

The second two options also allow any two points to be

selected, but the resulting dimension will only reflect the

exact vertical or horizontal distance (respectively) between

the two points.

Arc Dimension

With this option selected you will only be able to select arc

spans with the first click of dimension tool (Bezier curve

spans are not supported). The second click will set the

position of the dimension annotation, which will show the radius of the selected arc span.

Angle Dimension

This option allows any arbitrary angle to be measured. The process is similar to creating a 3

point arc. First you must pick the center of angle you wish to measure – typically a corner

point. The next 2 points clicked will set the extents of the sweep you are measuring. The

final click will set the position of the text annotation.

Font Selection & Settings

This section of the form allows the user to change the settings for the dimension annotation, such as

the font to be used, the height of the text and how many decimal places are required. The Offset

field determines the gap left between the dimension markers and the vectors that are being

measured.

Place Dimensions on Layer

If this check box is set, the resulting dimensions will be drawn on the layer with the name specified

in the Name edit field. If a layer of this name does not exist, it will be created automatically.


Note: Dimensions cannot be edited, to make a change you need to Close the form, delete a

dimension and then re-create it with the required new settings.


Extend Vectors This tool allows you to extend two vector lines to their

common point of intersection. The tool form is rather

sparse, but that is because all the action occurs directly in the

2D View!

With the Extend Vectors tool active, moving the mouse

pointer over the ends of open vector shapes (without

clicking) will highlight a dashed preview extension line from

that shape. The line will change dynamically as you move the

mouse over the end spans of different open shapes. Clicking

with the left mouse button at this point will set it as the

target line to extend and the magenta line will remain visible.

The mouse can now be moved over existing spans along the

length of the preview extension line, or over the end of

another shape to create a second, intersecting, preview

extension line.

Clicking on any of the intersection points indicated by the mouse cursor will extend the initial shape

to that point and complete the operation.

First click creates a preview extension line from the selected vector span.

Moving the mouse over another span will display a second preview extension line to the point of intersection. Click the line to apply this change.

The tool can be closed at any time using the Close button on the form. Right-clicking in the 2D View

will reset the tool so that it is ready to select another target line to extend.


Align Objects The Align Objects tool provides a number of options

for accurately aligning the selected object to other

objects in the selection, or to the available material. The

different alignment options are grouped into three sections:

The first section of icons all work in relation to the

material (job size).

The second section of icons all work with regard to the

selected items.

The last section provides options to evenly space the

selected objects, or to align them inside the boundary

of the last object in the selection.

Align to Material

The options in this section will align one or more selected

objects within the material workspace defined when you setup

your job (the white area in your 2D View).

Center in Material

This option moves the selected items to be

positioned in the middle of the material. The short-cut

key for this is F9.

Center in Material X only

Align items centrally in the material only

moving them along the X axis so the vertical position will not be changed.

Center in Material Y only

Align items centrally in the material only moving them along the Y axis so the

horizontal position will not be changed.

Align to Selection

The different items comprising your design in the 2D View can be aligned relative to one another

using the following selection sequence:

Select the item/s you wish to align / move (use single or multiple selection options)

Hold the Shift key down

Select the final item – this is the object that the rest of the selected items will be aligned to

Click the required alignment option

There are 7 alignment options for aligning the selection to the inside edge:


Align horizontal center

Align the selected items horizontally centered to the last selected item.

Align Center

Center selected items in the middle (both horizontally and vertically) of the last

selected item.

Align vertical center

Align the selected items vertically centered to the last selected item.

Align Left/Right

Align the selected items to the left or right edge of the last selected item.

Align Top/Bottom

Align the selected items to the top or bottom edge of the last selected item.

There are then 4 alignment options for aligning the selection to the outside edge of the last item in

the selection:

Align Outside Left/Right

Align the selected items on the outside left or right edge of the last selected

item.

Align Outside Top/Bottom

Align the selected items on the outside top or bottom edge of the last

selected item.

Note: If you select multiple items to align to another object then each one will be aligned

individually. If you want the objects to retain their original position relative to each other when they

are aligned you should Group them together before executing the alignment operation.

Space Selection

The final section is different from the preceding two. The tools here evenly space the selected

objects either between the first or last item in the selection, or, if Inside last vector is checked,

within the boundary of the last item in the selection.


Show common tools on drawing tab

If this option is checked, the most common alignment tools will be

displayed on the drawing tab in their own section called “Align

Objects”. This form can still be accessed from the original icon in the

‘Transform Objects’ section (or by pressing F10).


Enhanced & Extended Drawing Tools

This section details the improvements that have been made to features you will already be familiar

with from earlier versions of VCarve Pro.

Layers

Probably the single biggest overhaul in this release was layer

management. Layers allow you to organize the data in your part and

can offer many benefits even on simple jobs – if you have yet to make

use of layers in your work, perhaps now is the time! VCarve Pro now

has a new Layers tab alongside the Drawing tab. This provides a full

overview of the layered structure of your artwork and direct access to

the properties of each layer. In addition there is a new version of the

Quick Access Layers Control on the Drawing tab itself. This control gives

you nearly all the same layer management options as the full Layers

tab, but in a compact form.

Each layer in the Layers List has three icons to the left of the layer name

that show visibility/locking, layer colour and layer content, respectively.

Simply click on these icons to set the appropriate property. You can

also access a number of layer commands from the pop-up menu that

will appear when you right-click on a layer in the list. To the right of the

layer name there is another icon that will open the same pop-up menu

if you click on it. This menu includes several new layer commands.

Merge Visible will combine all the currently visible layers into one. Select Layer Vectors will select all

the vectors on the layer in the 2D View.

The layer name in the list that is shown in bold is the active layer. This is the layer to which current

drawing or editing operations will be directed. If this name is highlighted in red, this is because it is

currently not visible. It is usually a mistake to be working on an active layer that is not visible. To

remove the red highlight you should either make a different, visible, layer active by clicking on it, or

make the existing layer visible by clicking the visibility lightbulb icon next to the layer name.

You can also activate the appropriate layer for an existing vector by right-clicking on it in the 2D

View and choosing the Activate Layer of Selection command from the pop-up menu.

Create Arc using 3 Points

The Arc tool has been substantially improved with the option to create an arc by defining a start, end

and any other point along its length. This is a very intuitive way of drawing arcs and makes many

drawings faster and simpler to create.


Trace Bitmap Improvements

A new slider control in Trace Bitmap allows you to fade the bitmap image you are tracing in order to

more easily see the traced line. In addition, there is now a Preview button that allows you to quickly

try different settings and review the results before accepting them with the Apply button.

Edit Vector Shape Size by Proportion (%)

A small but significant enhancement to the Set Size form is the option to define size changes

proportionally. This can be useful in a variety of situations, but one example is in the process of

drawing to scale based on a bitmap image. Bitmap image files are often not accurately or reliably

sized in real units when they are imported. If, however, some feature of your bitmap image is of

known size, you can manually trace a vector over it. Now scale this vector to the actual size you

know the shape to be and note the proportional change required for this. Finally you can scale the

whole bitmap by the same proportional scale factor and be confident that you can now trace it at

the correct scale.

New Mirror Form Options

The Mirror command form now offers two more options to define

the mirror plane.

Flip about job center

Previously it was only possible to Mirror objects across the

middle of the job using the short cut keys Ctrl+Shift with H

or V to specify the direction. This command can now also

be accessed from the Mirror form by clicking the check

box to Flip about job center.

Flip about a Line

The mirror tool now allows an additional line vector to be

included in the selection and used to define any plane,

about which the object will be mirrored.

New Filleting Options

The existing Dog-Bone Fillet tool has been extended to include

support for acute corners. An entirely new filleting option has also

been added specifically for plasma or drag-knife cutters. Unlike the

rotating tool of a conventional CNC cutter, these tools have a

specific direction of cut that must be maintained around corners. To achieve sharp corners on the

final part, therefore, loops can be cut into the surrounding waste material in order to re-align the

tool head for the next cut. The Plasma/Drag Knife Fillet option can quickly and easily add these

loops to the existing artwork to significantly speed up its preparation for cutting.

Fit Curves to Vectors Preview

The Fit Curves to Vectors tool now has the option to Preview the results of the settings you

currently have set and compare the fitted curve to the original before accepting the results with the

OK button.


Offset Both Sides

The offsetting tool now allows you to simultaneously offset

inwards and outwards from a single click by choosing the Both

option. In addition, the other two options now support a new

checkbox, Select New, which automatically selects the newly

created offset vector immediately after the operation has

completed. This option simplifies the process of making multiple

offsets, each based on the preceding one.

Array Copy Split into Separate Tools

The linear array copy functionality and the circular array copy

functionality have now been split into their own dedicated forms,

the icons for these are located under the Offset, Array and Nest section of the Drawing Tab.

A Group Copies option has also been added to each, which will automatically group the shapes

resulting from the operation.

Nesting Preview

The results of the current nesting settings for both vectors and Components can now also be

previewed with the new Preview and Reset Preview buttons before accepting the result using OK .

This makes it much easier to try different parameters for the nesting options without having to undo

and redo the results.


Enhanced & Extended Toolpath Features

This section details the improvements that have been made to features you will already be familiar

with from earlier versions of VCarve Pro.

Toolpath Summary Tooltips

As you create toolpaths they will now appear in the toolpath list at the bottom of the toolpath tab. If

you hover the mouse over toolpaths in this list a pop-up window will display extensive information

about each toolpath.

Estimated Machining Times replaced by new Toolpaths Summary form

The old Estimated Machining Times tool has been replaced with a more informative Toolpaths

Summary form. The new form includes all the toolpath time estimation functionality but by hovering

your mouse pointer over the tools in this list each toolpath will display a full summary of its settings

(see above). This form also allows you to edit and add custom notes to any of the toolpaths you

create.

Basic & Advanced views of Profile & Pocketing Strategies

Many customers do not require the increasing breadth of options available in these core toolpath

strategies. To improve the workflow the advanced options for the strategies can be hidden for

normal use. The toolpath forms will remember the last setting used, so you will only need to check

or uncheck this once to set your preference.

Material Setup Summary

The top of the toolpaths tab is now headed with a

Material Setup section. This includes all the salient

information you may need when working with your

toolpaths – material dimensions, datum positions, rapid

gaps and home settings. Using the Set… button in this

section gives convenient access to the full Material Setup form where the settings can be modified.

This form also includes a Show detailed summary on toolpath tab check box that toggles the level

of detail displayed in the Material Setup section of the toolpath tab.

Toolpath Previews

Preview Playback Speed Control

The Preview Toolpaths form includes a new speed

control slider under the toolpath playback tools.

This allows the speed of the toolpath preview playback to be dynamically adjusted in order

to follow individual tool moves in detail.

Interactive Deletion of Waste Material

The ability to delete waste material after running the Toolpath Preview has been

significantly enhanced to allow to you not only delete the material around the outside of the


part but also to interactively delete fully cut out parts from internal areas of the design. Due

to the interactive nature there is no longer a button to Delete Waster Material. Instead once

toolpaths have been previewed, you can double click on unwanted waste material in the 3D

View to delete it. This allows you to see your finished parts more clearly.

If you remove waste material that touches the edge of preview material block, VCarve Pro

also deletes any other boundary material automatically. This is nearly always the desired

effect, but the automatic deletion of the extra areas can be suppressed by holding down the

ctrl key while clicking.

Note: If the selected area of material has not been fully separated from your parts

by a cut-out pass, for example because you are using tabs or onion skinning to hold

parts in place, then you cannot interactively delete it. You must create a ‘dummy’

cut-out toolpath to completely separate your parts from the waste material before it

can be deleted. This toolpath would be purely for the purposes of previewing and

should not be saved for actual machining.

Undo Last Preview Change

The single most recent change to the toolpath preview material block can be undone using

the Undo Last button on the Preview Toolpaths form. This must be done before you Close

the Preview Toolpaths form.

Note: If the last operation was to Preview All Toolpaths then these will all be undone

when using this operation not just the last one in the list.


Miscellaneous Improvements

Middle Mouse Panning in the 3D View

The middle mouse button can be pressed to change to panning mode when viewing your job in the

3D View – this means you can now use the same panning method in both the 2D and 3D views.

Toolpath Calculation Edit Box Supports Formulae

It is often useful, particularly when creating toolpath templates, to set some toolpath parameters in

relation to the current job, rather than by an absolute value.

Example

A toolpath template for a profile cut-out pass will generally always cut to the full depth of the

material. Typically you might enter ‘z=’ into the Cut Depth field to automatically replace the formula

with the actual value for the Z thickness of the current material. Entering ‘=’ causes the edit box to

immediately evaluate the formula, replace it with the result, and from that point onwards it will

simply behave as a simple value. If, however, you just enter ‘z’, without the final ‘=’, then the

formula itself will now be stored as part of the toolpath definition, and only evaluated each time the

toolpath is calculated. Toolpaths (and toolpath templates) created in this way will automatically re-

evaluate their Cut-depth each time they are re-calculated, even if the material thickness has

changed.

The following toolpath edit fields (where appropriate) support this functionality:

Start Depth

Cut Depth

Flat Depth

Allowance

Documents

What's New in V-Carve Pro 7 - Vectric Ltd - Passionate About …€¦ · · 2013-04-05What's New in V-Carve Pro 7 A quick start guide for V-Carve Pro upgraders ... EPS/AI/PDF CAD