3D Offset issue

[angelosart]

I'm doing a 3D relief and using a 1/4" bit on the rough cut and a 1/8" bit on the finish cut. On the preview, I keep getting a 1/16" offset on the rough cut. The roughcut cuts beyond the finish cut. I placed a vector boundary around the component. I selected the boundary when I calculated both rough and finish cuts. What am I doing wrong?

[Chuck Keysor]

Angelo, what software are you using? Chuck

[angelosart]

Aspire. I tried again. I found out that when I click the "create vector boundary" icon, the vector that is created around the component is off. ????

[Brady Watson]

There is probably some spurious junk around the main part of the relief. Just use vector node editing to tighten up the boundary vector & re-toolpath.

-B

[angelosart]

Brady,
I had the same thought. I adjusted the nodes and zoomed all the way in to do it. Got the same results--a slight offset between rough and finish cuts in the preview.

In fact I opened a new file, made a quick square relief component and then added text in a cone profile. Baked both components, created vector. Used 1/4" straight bit for rough cut and 1/8" bn for finish. Still keep getting very slight (1/32-1/16") offest between the edges of the roughcut and the edges of the finish cut in the preview.

I gotta still be doing something wrong. Question: I'm assuming the roughcut toolpath and finish toolpath cut right to the vector boundary?

[jamesb]

The 3D Rough and 3D Finish cut the center of the tool to the vector boundary by default. As such if you create both toolpaths with no "Boundary Vector Offset" then the rough cut area will be slightly larger as it will be the radius of the roughing tool bigger than the vector and the finish will only be the radius of the finish tool outside the boundary. If you want them to cut to the same edge then you would need to adjust the "Boundary Vector Offset" value for the Finish toolpath to allow it to cut past the edge of the vector (I think by the difference in radius between each tool).

Hopefully I have understood the issue correctly and this makes sense?

Cheers,
James