Newbies Need Help-Cut Paths

[Terry & Mardell Fuson]

We are new to CNC and are having a problem with cut paths. I will think I have a cut path set and when we do a test run, I may end up with two or three cut paths. Often, I will use the "Convert to Cut Path" on our Design Edge software and think I have a cut path set only receive a message when we try to cut that there is no cut path set. I have been thru the video manual that came with our GoTorch and the instructions for setting cut paths is not very informative. Does anyone know of a site that gives detailed information on setting cut paths? Any info will be greatly appreciated.

[Shane Warnick]

You should be able to get on the plasmacam website for owners and login with your email and machine serial number and inquire there. I don't have a gotorch so I don't know what version of Design Edge you are running, or what features you purchased with your table. There are several upgrades to the software available. There is also a section on this forum just for plasmacam product owners, might give it a try there as well.

Good luck and welcome aboard,
Shane

[jimcolt]

I too suggest that you go to the owners community at www.plasmacam.com. There will me many others on that site that have gone through the learning curve with the same equipment you have. The Gotorch comes with minimal software, so you have to either draw or somehow come up with a CAD (.dxf) drawing file from another source...then import it into the basic Design Edge software. If you upgraded the software on your Gotorch you can get all of the same features that the fully equipped Plasmacam machines have....then many of us would be able to easily assist you.

Let us know the software level that you have...is it the basic Gotorch as purchased, or was the software upgraded and to which level?

Jim Colt

[Terry & Mardell Fuson]

We just upgraded the software to Basic Design Edge because we could do nothing with the original software that came with the machine. It has at least 10X as much as the software that the GoTorch came with. I have Inkscape and Draft Sight for designing, but until we are able to actually set a cut path correctly, haven't even tried to use those programs. For some reason, I cannot load the Video Manual on my work computer, where I have time to go through it more thoroughly. I have been on the Owner's Community associated with PlasmaCam and have received some good help on the machine when we thought a motor was overheating. Just thought someone here might know a site that would be helpful.

[Shane Warnick]

Terry,

Next time you convert to a cut path zoom in and see if there is one cut path that is offset the same distance from the drawing all the way around. If it is not one smooth offset and it looks like someone with epilepsy tried to trace the drawing, then the problem is with the node count. On some drafting programs there are multiple layers, Design edge does not do this it opens it all as one layer. Regardless, if you go highlight the drawing (without a cut path) and go to edit and then smooth then type in 0.001 and hit enter. It may not look like it did anything at all, but it is reducing nodes and joining them together. Another thing to do is to edit and link and then edit and group all the drawing together before you convert to a cut path, helps with this bad cut path issue, as it gets rid of all the gaps. You also need to look in settings under design and make sure your link paths is set to 0.001 and your delete overlapping segments within is set to somewhere around 0.006 . The machine and the software are working off of ten thousands of an inch etc, and if you don't get all that stuff set right then it is chasing it's tail when trying to convert to a cut path. Same thing happens when you import a drawing that is not a clean drawing, there could be three nodes in a small area that are offset just a couple of thousandths. Line looks straight until you zoom in about a gazillion times, then it is far from it. The smooth feature and the delete overlapping setting will help with this. Hope this helps solve your problem.

Shane

[acourtjester]

Here is are video training for inkscape by arclight that are very helpful getting started with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCy5tFA4m1A
They also have videos on Sheetcam if needed.

[BrianMick]

terry are you importing dxfs from inkscape....are they white lines or purple (open or closed paths.) If they are white you will need to link them.....highlight the part and hit the K (shortcut for link) key. Then you should be able to click the outside of the drawing and it will convert.
Brian

[Terry & Mardell Fuson]

Actually, I am importing designs directly from a CD with various designs. I have not worked with either Inkscape or Draft Sight yet. The designs are outlined in green when they are imported into Design Edge. At times when I have the software convert to a cut path, the outline will turn purple and it will ask for a lead-in. I set the lead in, hit cut and the design reverts back to a different color and says no cut path was set.