Looking for real experience comments.
Looking at buying Vcarve Desktop or Pro and want to know if the upgrade is worth it or not. My biggest worry is the size restrictions. And can it send gcode directly to the Xcarve or do I have to use a separate program like easel or ugs.
Pro is necessary if you do bigger than 24" carves and want to write your own macros… I probably could have gotten away with desktop…
If you get Desktop and decide that you need Pro you only have to pay the difference in price to upgrade.
Both versions generate a G-code file that you send to the X-carve via another program such as Easel, UGCS, PicSender, or your favorite program.
You can get the Desktop version, then only pay the difference if you upgrade to Pro. That’s what I did. In fact, that’s what Vectric recommends. The 2nd project I did exceeded the 24" max. I also use the gadgets, scripting, toolpath templates, and Nesting.
Here’s the comparison: Vectric Comparison
Keep in mind, Desktop will allow larger jobs, you just have to do them with multiple tiled cuts. The size limitation comes into play when you are trying to do all of your toolpaths in one gcode file. I did a sign that was 6 feet long in 3 seperate cuts which is easily facilitated with the toolpath tiling function. Desktop will also actually allow you to go up to 25"x25", and you can also cheat it up to 26.5 if you use the largest tiling overlap and only cut the first tile. Ive used this method on multiple occasions.
oh wow that is awesome, thank you for the insight
Pro also can run a rotary, and also gadgets (scripts ). AND better toolpath tweaking.
I have desktop, you can always pay the difference and upgrade.
Keep in mind that cost all depends on where and when you order it from. If you buy it from their website, it will cost you $350 more to upgrade to Pro. If you buy it from Inventables at the time of your X-Carve order, Pro will only cost $175 more.