Engraving in Dcam help

[L2A3]

How do you select multiple passes to reach a final depth when engraving using a simple stick font? For the life of me, I can only get it to cut max depth in 1 pass. I'd like to do it in 2 or 3 passes.
Rick

[metalworkz]

Hello Rick,
When you define the tool you can give it a value for the max. depth per pass and then it will do as many passes as needed to reach the total depth. Also in the Dialogue boxes for most of the operations there is a box that defines the total depth and number of cuts, so be sure you fill those in when creating your toolpaths. If you define your tool with a maximum depth for engraving(say .005" or whatever you like) you can "select all" of the engraving paths and use the GoAround command under the "Machining" tab(CAM program) to cut all the paths together and each pass will only be the depth you input for the tool. I hope this helps you out, but let us know if not.

Regards,

[L2A3]

I went out to the shop tonight to try it- only to find the pc no longer works. Dam, it was fine the night before. I'll let you know when I get it fixed. Thanks for the instructions
Rick

[metalworkz]

Hello Rick,
I just wanted to add that if you are simply using the engraving operation button in DCAD the dialogue has a box for the depth but does not have an option for number of passes or depth per pass. You need to create the toolpaths and then open the DCAM program to access more options by clicking the 'Machining' tab along the top menu bar. The drawing needs to have exportable contours, profiles, or patterns for it to open the DCAM program. You should try using 'precision text' option in the 'Text' section as this gives you many options not available with the simple 'engrave text' area.
Click the 'Text' button in the toolbar( button with Aa on it) and then the 'Precision Text' button along the left hand toolbar. Many options but if you select output text as contours you will be able to select 'Milling Module' from the 'Machining' tab on the top menu bar and send the engraving to the DCAM program to finish the toolpaths etc. There you will need to define the tool and the depth per pass is in that dialogue menu.
Maybe too much to write for now, let us know how your progress goes and we can help as needed. Good luck getting the system running soon.

[L2A3]

Hi Wes,
Great news today. My pc works again!!! After discussing the symptons with the refurb center, they emailed a UPS label for return shipping under warranty and for the heck of it, I removed a ram card off the mobo and viola, it booted up!! Even stranger, it runs fine with the same card re installed.
Needless to say, I got right to your suggestions its getting much better. I'm getting multiple passes at a preset depth per pass given the tool bit selected. Using the simple stick fonts, is there a way to increase the spacing per letter? They are scrunched together a little too much for my taste. Or is it set given the particular font selected?
Lastly, can adjustments be made in designing an engraving program when the cut is being made on a tube? Its only 1 character high and it would be nice to cut along the radius, not necessarily through it. (deep in the center, less on the top & bottom of the letter.
Rick

[metalworkz]

Hi Rick,
I'm glad to hear you got the system running again. You can try using extra spaces with the space bar to increase the spacing between the letters in the text box, but other wise I think you will need to copy and paste or perhaps redraw the letters at the spacing you need. I sometimes find it necessary to export the text via .dxf to my Autocad to edit and make any changes to it and then bring it back into Dolphin and finish the project. Many times I have to take a double line font and redraw it to a single line for engraving. This way you have more options for the style of the font and you can still achieve very good results by making it a single lined font. This is usually the case when I do very small engraving and I don't want the lines of the text to break into each other.
I think the spacing within each font will basically be predetermined so you may have to work around that.
Engraving on the tube will probably be tricky to get it perfect. What is the material? What level of Partmaster are you using? With level 3 milling you can probably create a profile for the radius of the tubing and use that radius profile to engrave along the profiled radius.
If the material is thick enough you may be able to get by with the method you described using very small pass depths and just increase your depth until you get the engraving to the desired appearance. As you noted it will probably be deeper along the high point of the radius but may be acceptable and it would be good if you have extra parts to try it on to see exactly what it will look like.
There is a spring loaded diamond engraving tool available on the internet that is reported to do even engraving on radiused or unflat surfaces, and I think it is a drag tool. It is not a cutting tool and basically scratches the engraving into the material by dragging the bit along the toolpath and being spring loaded it will even follow a radius or uneven material surfaces.
I have not done any engraving on a tube or radiused surface so hopefully someone that has will respond with some better tips for you.
Regards,

[sqatch]

Hi Rick for text you draw a line to the width you want then select precision text, then select the line you have drawn this will bring up the text dialouge box type in your text choose the font sizes and style click ok and the text will be placed along it. This will also work with arcs splines and circles.As far as text on a curved surface goes you need a rotary axis, swap with x or y or get a 4 axis controller. then there is true 3 axis machining software, I think Dolphin has a 3D modual for machining but 3D cad is needed as well say like rhino cad.

[andre-dolphin]

A note about stroke fonts.

They can be modified and saved as new fonts, do :-

1) Open CAD and select the Text Style Gallery on the top toolbar.
2) Click "New" and create a text style by entering the name. Click OK
3) Double click the newly created entry in the gallery.
4) Select "Stroke" radio button, and select the font you wish to modify. When you choose a "Stroke" font a Modify button will appear below OK and Cancel.
5) Click Modify and change the parameters as required. Save the new font under a unique name.

One slight annoyance, the saved file appears on the desktop not in the appropriate folder so you will need to use Explorer to copy it to the correct destination, which is

WinXP or older

C:\Program Files\DolphinCadcam\PartMaster\ApplicationData

Vista

C:\Program Data\DolphinCadcam\Fonts

This method of altering fonts works best with the new stoke fonts Arial and Lucida, and less well with the old chunky fonts such as courier and modern.

Also bear in mind that Precision Text created in CAD can be maniplulated very easily, for instance choose the option when you create the text "Output the text as a series of curves that I can edit" gives you just that, they can be moved, scaled rotated etc as they are a series of Lines and bezier curves.

When are happy with them create contours by using the "Select" icon from the drawing operations toolbar and click and drag around the text, then select "Edit" from the main menu and choose "Creat NC > Contours" the contours will then be created automatically.

Hope this is clear

ATB
Andre

[L2A3]

Wow guys, I had no idea these manipulations were possible. Andre,it is not all clear to me yet, so I'll print it out and read it over & over & over till the light bulb goes on. Thanks alot, that what I'm trying to do

[rt66]

I had the same problem.

When engraving small letter my numbers tended to collide together.
dcam had sent me a font editor program, But I was unable to open the file??(probably to my limited computer skills)..

GOTO "FONTSTRUCT"
"CLONE" a suitable font then rename and edit the spacing ETC....
The process/instructions are simple.
I was able to adjust some of the numbers (especially 6,8,9) manually so that they would machine more legible.
I would also re-clone that font at different spacing 10% , 20% 30%, etc.
Then use the esay step-by-step-(idiot-proof) instruction to download them into the widows font folder.


DENNIS

DENNIS