engraving question

[cherokeechief79]

when using the engraving function you need to give it a top depth.usually 0.you can go to any depth you want but no matter what the tool will only come up to 0 in the path.i would like to see it ride a little above in case the part isn't flat.is there a way to do this?

I know you can cheat by saying the stock top is -.01 for verify but that doesn't give a tru vision of what I want to do.

[Müřlıń®]

For engraving I usually make an offset surf at the correct depth to project the engraving onto.

[cherokeechief79]

not sure I follow.please explain.

[jlw™]

i never use engrave, i always just use contour.  select all your text/2d geometry at once and the do a contour with no cutter comp.  then you have full control of linking parameters.

[cherokeechief79]

engrave works differently. you use a tool with a point and you need closed chains.it will make square corners. just like the type of letters you would find on a tombstone.

[Müřlıń®]

If I have a surface that is not flat I will create an offset surface off the top surface the depth the engraving needs to be.

 

Then I will project my engraving onto that surface.

[jlw™]

I think he means his solid is fine but his actual workpiece is not flat. Like a piece of bar or plate that does not need facing but needs engraving. If you want the complete inside of the letters machined out then contour will not work but if you only need letter outlines or use letters that are single chains then contour will work magnificently.

 

In 15 years I've never had to engrave where the inside of the letters needed to be removed except for a couple "government jobs" for friends and the software I used then called that v carve.

[cherokeechief79]

• yes the engrave function works just like v-carve. great for doing artistic letters with square corners.

[Müřlıń®]

I think he means his solid is fine but his actual workpiece is not flat. Like a piece of bar or plate that does not need facing but needs engraving. If you want the complete inside of the letters machined out then contour will not work but if you only need letter outlines or use letters that are single chains then contour will work magnificently.

 

In 15 years I've never had to engrave where the inside of the letters needed to be removed except for a couple "government jobs" for friends and the software I used then called that v carve.

ahhh yes well then the only way I know how to do that is to run an indicator over the surface and duplicate it on the model