Project Design


Project Design

Why is my project coming out incredibly small?

If your project is coming out incredibly small in UCCNC (e.g. 1/10th the size designed) you are most likely using the incorrect post processor. Every post processor used with a STEPCRAFT machine should end in (mm). This is because UCCNC will only accept millimeters as a parameter! Even if your project is designed entirely in inches, the (mm) post processors will automatically do the conversion from inch to mm for UCCNC to properly interpret. This means that you can design in inches, millimeters or anything you choose, and the post processor will always do the proper conversions for you. It is a very common mistake to select the (inch) post processor when working in inches. This will NOT do the proper conversion and UCCNC will interpret every inch measurement as a millimeter measurement. This is why the project, when saved with the incorrect (inch) post processor, will come out very small.

The importing of images for use and processing with the STEPCRAFT CNC is purely dependent on the CAM software that you are using.  For example, Vectric Cut 2D and V Carve both allow the importing of images in the following formats: .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .png and .jpeg. You can not import native files from Pagemaker, Word, etc., only common bitmap formats.

If you have an image in another format or from another program, you can always import them into a graphics program like GIMP or Photoshop and then output them from there.

 

Can you scan your own design and create a tool path to cut the object out on a CNC (Image Tracing)?

 

Vectric software, such as Cut 2D and VCarve have the ability for you to import a bitmap image and then use a function called “Image Trace” to create a vector around the image.  You can then adjust and modify the vector to your liking.  From there you can select the vector(s) and create a tool path for the CNC machine to cut around.  You can also vary the depth of the cut to meet your specific needs.

The following video show you how to do this: