open vectors?

I am making a mount to hold some aluminum tags I will be engraving. I would like to engrave the numbers 1-6 on the bottom of each one to help identify them but every time I try it says I have open vectors and it will not continue. I have tried to do inlay, simple engraving, switched the type of letters but for some reason it always gives me the open vector err. What am I doing wrong?

Hmm...at the bottom of the "edit objects" tool set on the left side of the screen, there are a few buttons that will close open vectors. If you select one of the numbers and click "Join/close vectors with a straight line" then try to engrave again--is it successful. You may need to first convert your text to curves (the second to last button in the row of text tools at the top of the design side of VCarve) before using them in a toolpath.

Also--you could try a V-Carving toolpath, using the 90degree V Bit that came with your handibot.

its strange that its doing this because I am making a base to hold bone shaped dog tags to engrave. I just wanted to put the numbers of each one(1-6) to make it easier to identify inside of each shape to make it easier to identify. it will let me do the quick engrave with the diamond tip but when I try to do the V-carve it gives the open vector error. I tried all the different join functions but they do not seem to make any difference. Its just a simple #1 #2 #3 is all I am trying to do.

very strange. Would you mind posting your file here?

I hope? lol see if this works.

I am sure I posted the wrong one the second after I did it...

Ah ok! Those are single line letters. You can only VCarve on "truetype" letters that have some internal area. If you want to use these--simply select a profile cut and choose "on" the line and set your depth.

ok I remember selecting the single line option thinking it would make it easier. I should have known the inverse of what I thought would happen will happen. Thank you very much.

I am considering machining some aluminum and possibly brass pieces. Any advice on tool speed, step over and how much to take off at a time?

the mount I made for the dog tags worked perfect for the first few but now it seems like the x axis has drifted about 1/16" for some reason. I started by homing the tool, then zero'd the Z and then started the program. After noticing the first one was off I stopped it, homed the tool one more time, zero'd the Z again and then started it and it was in the exact same place as the first time. I have not even moved the handibot and it can't move in the y or x axis with the mount I made. What have I done wrong now?

am I wrong to think that I could use the cut out area created to hold it in place to use as a template to center the writing each time? I have the mount for it made so that the handibot can't move in the jig so I thought that by homing each time it would then be ready to go back to the same spot?

As I said I made a mount to hold the bone-shaped dog ID tags on a board and also made it so I just drop the handibot into it so it would not move. I made the mount for the handibot and then cut the outline of the shape into the spoilboard it mounted to. There are 4 machine screws that hold each tag down inside of the outline cut into the board so the tag does not move around. I used the cut out file for the spoil board as the template for where I could engrave on v-carve and thought that this would ensure that nothing moved. After I did probably my 3rd set for some reason the x-axis seemed to drift about 3/16". I didn't have time to mess with it then so I just put it away until about 3 weeks later. I was hoping that homing it again would correct it all but it was still the exact same amount off. I made a slight adjustment to my cut file I used as the engraving template and was able to get it back into place but I am still curious what caused this to prevent it from happening again? My only idea to ensure it doesn't drift again or rather to be sure I can catch it when it does it to have it engrave the first tag with an "+" or some design in it every time so I can see if its off. Is there a better way?

Perhaps in your vcarve file you could choose a home location for your tool that is slightly above the dog tag cutout. Mark that spot with a sharpie and then at a glance you can check that the bit is centered over the mark before you start each cut. Home position is set in the “material setup” menu on the toolpathing side of vcarve.

I could have it stop at/near the hole for the ring on the tags and it would allow me to see if it has drifted at all. What command would I use to make it move to a position and stop? I considered just doing a drilling path(if it would let me with the engraving bit) and have it go down 0 and dwell for 5 seconds or so?

I was curious if bumping the tool while it was on or off would cause this? The machine screws that I used to hold the tags down uses allen wrenches and I have bumped the tool a few times while removing the screws and it just made me wonder.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2019 06:49PM by cuervo.

Well--in VCarve, there is the option for home position which will make the tool go to a certain location every time it finishes a cut. I'd recommended sending it to an empty spot on your jig and marking that spot--so that the tool wouldn't be in your way when you were trying to pull out the dog tags.

For startup you could write a macro in the macro editor (little folder icon on dashboard)
it would read:

PAUSE "MOVING TOOL TO CHECK ALIGNMENT, MAKE SURE WORK AREA IS CLEAR AND HIT RESUME"
M2,3,3 (here 3,3 is just an example location, you'd replace this with the coordinates of your verification location)
PAUSE "PLEASE CONFIRM ALIGNMENT"
END

If you wanted it to go down and pause as well you could do:

PAUSE "MOVING TOOL TO CHECK ALIGNMENT, MAKE SURE WORK AREA IS CLEAR AND HIT RESUME"
M2,3,3 (here 3,3 is just an example location, you'd replace this with the coordinates of your verification location)
MZ,0
PAUSE 5
MZ,1
END

If the tool is still powered on--bumping it should not move it (unless it is loose on the jig and the entire tool is shifting position).

Thanks so much. I am wanting to move it to the top left just to get the work area open for example x=1, y=7. On your example above where you used the point "3,3", which 3 is the x and which is the y?

The coordinates are “x,y” so you’d write “M2,1,7”