Hi everyone, new to the board and awaiting my X-Carve 2.0 1K x 1K machine ordered on 10/15/16. I will be using it with the DWP611 spindle and here are my questions. I’m looking for several definitive answers.
I will be using VCarve Pro 8.5 right off the bat once I built it. I have no intention at this time of using Easel for the everyday toolpath work. Only VCarve Pro 8.5.
After reading several posts, I’m concerned about the PP interface between my Win 10 laptop and the machine. What is the top running configuration to output directly from VCarvePro and reliably getting the X-carve 2.0 to run without issues?
Does VCarvePro 8.5 have a dedicated PP that works directly and reliably with the X-Carve 2.0?
I’m also seeing where I may have to add a powered USB switch to resolve some other issues. That’s not a problem for me. I will be running usb 2.0 unless there is a reason to go to 3.0.
What about the the need to preload the Arduino board with the IDE file? Is this already done at some point? I need direction on whether or not I still need to download the Easel stand alone program to accomplish this? The on-line instructions are not clear on this point, however there is mention about this ide file in the support section.
I fully expect to get responses in bits and pieces, so answer what you can…
I am running VCarve Pro 8.5
You can download a PP here
I wound up modifying mine. I removed the tool change command as it can cause UGS to behave oddly
Here is my modded PP so you can see what I did: Kaiju_Carve_mm.pp (4.6 KB)
I used to use UGS to send the g-code to the X-Carve, but switched to Chillypepppr instead and have been having good results.
FYI: I strongly recommend watching the vectric tutorial videos. They have some nice tutorial projects you can start with as well as some free / demo projects that will work with VCarve.
I agree with @AaronMatthews, be sure you remove the tool change command. I am sure it was causing positioning errors. But once the tool change command is removed the VCarve PP works perfectly! I always had exellect results using the nightly build of UGS, I tried ChiliPepper but thought the setup was to complex (need to install a seperate driver) so I went back to UGS.
I viewed the file and see the notations. Already going through all the videos. up to 18 out of 69… Got a couple left… LOL… Also been going through the various projects. I’ll most likely make a couple.
I see a X-carve PP in that link does that have problems?
Just remove the “T1M6” from the header section. This is a tool change command for a automatic tool changer. It literally does nothing and can cause UGS to behave oddly.
I started out using UGS wich is crazy simple, just a single JAR file that runs and has everthing it needs. Chilipepper runs from the browser so there are broswer complications (it works differently under Chrome than it does under IE or Firefox). It also is very flexible and extendable which means it has lots of configuration options which can have odd interactions depending on how you configure things. It also needs a seperate communications addon to talk to your USB port. And I found that communication addon to be a bit fragile. If the port ever did anything unexpected it would loose the connection and sometimes I would need to reboot to get to re-connect again.
I know lots of people really like Chillipepper so my experience could be unusual, but I just found UGS to be much more reliable and robust.
Ok so if I have this right all I have to do is build the X-Carve all the way to calibration. If correct, I don’t need to do the Computer setup for Easel. Just download the X-Carve PP available from Vectra and modify the one line “T1M6” from the header section for the tool change command, then simply send my projects from VCarvePro using the modified X-Carve PP Gcode?
Vcarve doesn’t do Gcode sending. Vcarve would create the Gcode and then you’d use UGCS/Easel/others to actually send the Gcode. Easel as a Gcode sender is pretty nice.
I think it is also a good idea to at least run the Xcontroller through the Easel setup once just so the proper defaults get setup.
I have VCarve Desktop, Easel and a 750mm XCarve and I’m getting pretty frustrated with it. I’ve spent the entire last two days reading threads in this and every forum I can find.
I am following RobertCanning’s steps above. I get unrecognized G Code errors no matter what PP I use. What exactly is the “correct PP”? Instructions for exporting in VCarve say to only open the application folder and paste a file there?
Why does VCarve have an export to SVG? I don’t see it mentioned in any posts.
I somehow got my machine to carve a test project I made in VCarve, but it is not the same as what I designed. The tabs to hold the center cutout are much different.
As of now, I’m feeling like I got screwed. “Here, buy this”, but no mention of edited PP’s and other gems you are supposed to find in a very confusing forum where everyone uses different approaches to running their machine.
Apologies for me ranting. Hopefully, this will start me in the right direction…
You should be able to save each task, ie pockets profiles and import into easel. Be careful with the default settings on the bits, they are set for professional machines.
By the way I use vcarve save my gcode and use ugs on another computer.
You open the zip file (I use WinRAR) and it contains other pp files. You start VCarve, go File / Open Application Data folder. You stick those files in the PPost folder, which already contains those files, which also don’t seem to work correctly. Thanks Dave, I’ve been looking at Tutes… that’s what got me to this point. Will keep at it.
I am improving a bit: I was just able to get Easel to make cuts I exported from VCarve. They did not contain the tabs I programmed to hold my cut out piece. Back at it.
I definitely have it cutting from VCarve. It was stated in earlier posts that I should only be setting zero in Easel, yet I have to set tool justification, cut depth and part size(?).
