PW2 or Insignia

[mtworks]

Soon to be owner (me) has a software question. Has anyone that uses Pw2 wished that they had purchased Insignia, or is PW2 just as usefull for machining 2D &2.5D?

[paco]

You'll soon feel the limitation of PW if you plan on using "ALL" the machining strategies available; pocketing with 2 or more tools EASILY (you can too in PW but has to be done "manually"...), engraving, V-carving ANY fonts AND 2D designs and more features... I would suggest you explore PW throughtly first then, maybe download/try the demo version of Insignia to explore further ArtCAM features... PW is GREAT though limit. Can be "improved" with imagination and "manual" manipulations...

[mtworks]

Paco, thanks for replying so quickly, Can you do raised prisimatic lettering with PW2? and could you please explain a little bit about "manually" with 2 or more tools, I really need the spindle instead of the router, and really cannot afford both so 1 has to go

[paco]

Your welcome!
Partly, yes to raised prismatic lettering; you won't "sharpen" the inside corner with PW... but you can without by simply using the "Machine along vector(s)" at specific depth that you must carefully set... you should test this before to see if it suit your needs then adjust... About using 2 or more tools to clear an area (pocketing), and wish to use a first bigger tool to do the large portion of the pocket; you'll need to use the "area cleared" strategie first with this tool, then use the "profiling" strategie, at the same set machining depth with smaller and smaller tool as you wish to get the smaller details. That's "my" manual strategie but their might be other... you need to explore... router or spindle; there are no difference as far as I know... I use a router. OK... you meant using 2 Z axis right? Can be fun and praticle but you don't need absolutly this setup to use 2 or more tools...
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