3d centerline in Signlab?

[robert@robertmihaly.com]

I'm trying to create nice, conical-bit-cut 3d-centerline v-groove letters like the "Childs" letters that come along with the Shopbot typesetter. Has anyone successfully used the 3d-centerline feature in Signlab to create 3d toolpaths? (to export as 3d dxf polylines or splines maybe?) I've also tried exporting them as g-code. But I can't seem to successfully convert any of my Signlab-created dxf or g-code files to sbp files.

[rgengrave@aol.com]

Robert on Shopbots home page under downloads you will see an updated Signlab driver, you might want to try that and see if it will fix your problem.

Ron V

[davenadeau]

Robert,
Which SignLab modules do you have? If you have the 3D-toolpathing module you can easily chisel-cut text or clipart along the center line, preview it in 3D, then generate an SBP file from within SignLab without having to use DXF files or G-code. Without a means of toolpathing, though, a centerline trace may be of limited use unless you can tell the bit how deep to cut at each point along that line. The 3D-Centerline feature may or may not do the math for you; I don't use the 3D-Centerline feature because SignLab's 3D-Chiseling toolpath takes care of all that for me.

If you will E-mail me your Signlab file with details of your version of SignLab I'll take at look at it for you.
Dave

David Nadeau
Technical Support
ShopBot Tools
919-680-4800
dave@shopbottools.com (mailto:dave@shopbottools.com)
support@shopbottools.com (mailto:support@shopbottools.com)