Curosity Questions

[chrisbot]

How hard is it to take a picure, scan it, and have the shopbot make the image on a piece of wood? What software makes this project the easiest and, is it easier to engrave or raise the image on wood?

Chris

[harryball]

Look at PhotoVcarve by Vectric.com I've done a few interesting things with it and it takes a little practice. Try Vbits and round nose bits in the toolpath and adjust the overlaps. The more overlap the better the detail.

Robert

[butch]

There is a program in ShopBot. Go to File and File Conversion. Select the file type of jpg or bmp from the drop list in the bottom right corner. A program will open, you drag and drop a photo into it, select your parameters and it will generate a cut file.
The other program I use is Photo V-Carve. That will make a line cutting of your photo.
I have used both. The photo V-Carve requires very flat and even surface to work properly.

[rcnewcomb]

There is no difference in difficulty as far as raised or engraved.

There are three basic approaches:
1. Machine in a raster format similar to how a TV image works - the image is created by carving straight lines that are close together which vary in depth over their length. The change in depth corresponds to lighter and darker areas of the image. The shopbot utility and Photo V-Carve use this approach. Examples are here (http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectric/pvc/pvc_gallery.htm)

2. Create a vector file from the image and carve like you would any vector art file. You can use programs such as Adobe Illustrator (Live Trace) or Corel Draw (Power Trace) to convert bitmap images to vectors. Rumor has it that the next version of V-Carve Pro may have this bitmap-to-vector capability. Corel (http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1152796529034#) Adobe (http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/illustrator/articles/illcs2at_perftrace/illcs2at_perftrace.pdf)

3. Redraw the image in 3D using ArtCam Pro or some other 3D package. ArtCam (http://www.artcampro.com/toolbox/3d_face.htm)

The Easiest Approach:
You can hire the services of someone like James Booth at Carve3D.com to create carving files for you that you can toolpath with 3D Machinist, Cut3D, or some other 3D CAM package. This is certainly the easiest, and James produces beautiful work. James Booth's work (http://carve3d.com/index.asp?pageID=22)

[jsfrost]

As Randall says, hiring an expert to produce your toolpath is the easiest, and the cheapest. Maybe not the most fun.

In addition to the three approches Randall lists, consider a hybred. Where the subject allows, creating vectors for key elements in layors and cutting flat profiles, perhaps with V or cove edges accomplished by bit choice, at various depths can produce effective and quick to cut 3D effects using PW or other basic software. In PW, the layers must be mental, since the SW does not have a layor function. Insignia does have layors, and there are rumors that VCP will have layors in the next release.

[chrisbot]

I can't believe how quickly and how many people respond. Owning a shopbot must be a lot of fun.

Chris

[brian_harnett]

Download the shopbot software, run it, run file convert bmp-jpg select a jpg of your choice select the picture size you would like machined create the file and run Shopbot preview and you will have an idea how easy it is.
The image on this sign used this method

6621

[chrisbot]

It seems easy enough, but is it easy to change the depth of certain areas of the picture? Like in the picture above lets say you wanted the hands to pop out a little more, would you raise the height of the hands or lower everything around them?

Chris

P.S Thank you for your responses back everyone. If the people who use shopbots are this supportive and helpful then I know I am making the right choice.