[hualon]

I'm sure that I'm missing something elementary here but if I create a new surface from an image (say, for example, a black square on a white background), the resulting code has all of the Z levels in the positive.

Basically I zero my machine on to the top of the work in the lower left and then the program starts chugging away merrily cutting above the work surface.

So how do I tell it to generate the path so that it cuts below zero instead of above?

[mekdad]

You need to x-form art base surface - shift art model below z zero

[hualon]

Hey that did it! Thanks a million!

[mekdad]

No problem I just learned how to use art myself. I think its real fun and going to be a usefull tool. How do you like it?

[cadcam]

Mekdad have you made anything with is that you could post pictures.I have done some things for my Boy Scouts.

[hualon]

I find it to be very useful but I'm struggling with the learning curve. I'm trying to follow the tutorial but it's time consuming and I'm distracted by working on actual projects!

[mekdad]

How do you take a screan shot? And I would be glad to.

[hualon]

How do you take a screan shot? And I would be glad to.

Press the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard, open MS Paint (it's under Accessories in the Start Menu", and select the Edit menu and then the Paste command. Voila.

[mekdad]

heres a test

[hualon]

That's cool, mekdad. How did you import that surface?

Say you have that skull and crossbones and you wanted to cut it out. Could you easily make a cutout toolpath that would trace around the pattern? How?

[mekdad]

I used a pic off the web then used rast2vect in the run user settings and had a two d drawing then used that to create the surface. You could use the 2d drawing for the cut out.

[cadcam]

Here is one I have posted on the board before.

[hualon]

Hey that's great, cadcam! How did you draw your original piece? Sketch and import into Art?

So it's been a while since I got my Eagle but do they have a CNC badge now? haha

[cadcam]

Hualon, My wife found from one of the scout site the head and brought that into Art thru Raster to vector option the created the letters and the started the coining of the surface.

You are an Eagle that is great will be happy if one of my to make it that far. I am the Cubmaster for the cub pack. I have one in Boy Scouts as of March 1st.

Here is a picture of the whole thing. I just took, it is still out from my wifes Den meeting this week. she is the Den leader. I made the Alum badge so I can change it as the den Ranks up. in the next few weeks to make a replacement that will be for Bears.

[cadcam]

Here is another one for fun at are open house at work.Scanned it from my kids Dino book then cut all done in lest then 30 min from scan to cutting.I plane on doing more Art stuff this year.

[hualon]

Cool projects, cadcam. I'm struggling with Art and text at the moment. I'd love to make some simple signs with graphics and warping text but I'm not sure that Art was the way to go... Are there any tutorials out there for Art that you know of?

[cadcam]

(Are there any tutorials out there for Art that you know of?) go here for a book.
http://www.volumesdirect.com/detail.aspx?ID=2881

then there is "streaming teacher" has a free training videos.