Vcarve toolpath?

Grasshopper
1

Hi all. I do need to create a Vcarve toolpath with Z-depth information from some existing shapes and I don’t know how I can achieve this using Grasshopper.

I do created the actual toolpath (Blue lines) in PixelCNC but when I do import the toolpath in Rhino I only get some flat curves and I do need to reconstruct somehow the Z-depth of the cut so the tool (3D gold one) is following the red curves inside like a V-carve operation.

In theory one way to solve this will be to copy the tool in all the points of the blue toolpath and move the tool down along Z until it hits the red boundary curves.

Aspe_Rhino
Aspe_Rhino1292×705 213 KB

Vcarve_test.3dm (384.6 KB)

Aspe_PixelCNC
Aspe_PixelCNC1851×940 91.9 KB

Aspe_PixelCNC_2
Aspe_PixelCNC_21985×506 144 KB

Aspe_PixelCNC_3
Aspe_PixelCNC_31592×687 294 KB

2

Made some progress.
Now the question is how I can move the 3D shapes on the Z direction downwards until it hits the surface bellow?

Vcarving_test
Vcarving_test2388×677 142 KB

Vcarving_test.gh (39.8 KB)

3

Hi @Cumberland
Here’s a script I’ve been using over the years. It generates the toolpath completely in Gh. I’m sure you can easily plug in the existing toolpath as well for height calculations. This one assumes 90-degree V-tip.

kuva
kuva1618×741 88.3 KB

kuva
kuva1641×732 57.8 KB

Vcarve.gh (19.3 KB)

1 Like
4

Thank you for the definition, very good one, unfortunately this definition uses Voronoi to create a grid and the result it is not very smooth.

5

For this reason the “resolution” slider exists. Depends much on the needed accuracy and final product size.

Comparison between your imported toolpath and the one generated by the script. What is “smooth” in this scale could be argued.

kuva
kuva1164×905 60.1 KB

6

I added a join curves and a Smooth Polyline after the Cull Pattern and this seems to make the toolpath smoother.

1 Like