How to Create G-Code with VCarve and Use Easel as the Sender

[@richardhorn3132]

I am learning alot from your videos. new to x carve just purchased vcarve desktop this video just answered alot of questions. thank you.

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

That's awesome. I glad that it helped you.

[@mikeviolette7436]

Wow! Great video! Answered all my questions and will get VCarve Desktop! Thanks!

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Awesome! Thank you very much. I am planning to do move videos on VCarve Desktop. It is an amazing software.

[@kpswis9]

I just got my xcarve and you’re very informative on how to use the program I subscribed thanks for the videos

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Thank you very much and thank you for subscribing. I'm glad it helped you.

[@ShaneByrne-p3g]

Great video. What did you need to do on Easel prior to hitting the Carve button. Just wondering if you need to select the bit you're using in the Easel program as well as VCarve?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Everything needs to be done in VCarve. When you send the gcode to easel all you can do is to set up the correct bits based on the toolpaths setup in VCarve. You can not change anything in easel

[@ShaneByrne-p3g]

@PawPawsWorkShop thanks for your reply. I almost expected that I'd need Easel Pro, to be able to select the vbit. I'll give it a try. You make it look easy. Thankyou

[@hildahambone7277]

Hey your work is so good but can I do similar work without your expensive equipment? Say with a Dremel tool?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Thank you very much. You can do this type of project and others by using power hand tools such as the Dremel, however, you will get a hand crafted look. There are many bits to chose from to accomplish your project. Just remember it will be difficult to get the sharp crisp lines when doing it my hand. Good luck. I would love to see what you are able to do with the Dremel.

[@thefeet]

Carbon copy paper, trace onto a work-piece, use wood-burning or hand-router... been there... done that... bought a CNC. /shrug

[@bigyake58]

This was a great video. have you tried to carve any of the 3D stuff that you can do with Vcarve this way?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

I am planning several videos doing some 3D stuff from Vectric soon. I have been so busy with the current projects. There is not enough time in the day.

[@yoy0whatup]

@@PawPawsWorkShop hey! were you able to do the videos with the 3D stuff? i cant seem to find them (or any other guidance) and i am stuck trying to carve some 3D stuff with vcarve and easel.

[@senpaisyncs1102]

Can I use vcarve for my cnc pen plotter ?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Yes, just set the depth of cut at about 1mm

[@DomzGarage]

Can you do a 3d gcode in Vcarve and use easel as the sender for that?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

I have never tried it but it should work.

[@DomzGarage]

@@PawPawsWorkShop I just bought VCarve and damn is way different than easel. My brain is just melting of the amount of videos that Im watching trying to learn.

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

It gets easier. Just takes a little time. I think you will like it more as time goes along.

[@carolewhiting5141]

I watched your video on calibration. is this something one must do to get going? My machine will set up on the screen, but when carving it does not go up as far as the screen nor as far to the right. I am perplexed, seeking your fine knowledge! I amusing an xcarve pro and easel software.

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

The GRBL settings should be set. However, you need to set your safety height in machine inspector. Also if you tell the machine to move one inch, does it actually move one inch. Check all arises. When I calibrate I use mm because it is a smaller unit of measure and therefore more accurate

[@jeffruffing2316]

How about doing this in reverse? Can you take G Code and convert it into Vetrics?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

That's interesting. I've never tried doing that.

[@BrothaAustin]

A design like this can easily be done in easel.So the advantage of vcarve is that the toolpaths are more efficient?I have had trouble with easel taking forever simulating v bit toolpaths or not being able to calculate them at all.Will this remedy that for the most part?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Yes, this could easily be done in Easel. The advantage is a much more streamlined toolpath and it cuts smoother. Easel Pro has a tendency to jerk from point to point. The taking forever to simulate or not at all in Easel is an indication that the file is too large. VCarve would definitely help you in that situation.

[@BrothaAustin]

@@PawPawsWorkShop Appreciate it,will i be able to export those designs i have in easel to vcarve to generate the smoother toolpaths and then send it back to easel to carve?Or can vcarve send it straight to the xcontroller to carve

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

I have never tried to go from Easel to VCarve. I do not think that you can do that. Design in VCarve completely. Everything must be done in VCarve, then generate the Gcode and send to Easel. Once in Easel, follow the checklist, probe, and carve. You can not make any changes at all in Easel. I have not tried going into Machine Inspector to see if the gcode can be altered there. Looks like there is room for more experiments.

[@SkipEvansx]

Hello Paw Paw, How does Easel work as a sender if the VCarve file has multiple toolpaths? What other senders do you use?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

You are creating multiple toolpaths in VCarve. Save each one separately. When you bring them into Easel, separate them into separate work pieces and carve.

[@SkipEvansx]

@@PawPawsWorkShop Are you saying to save each tool path as a separate file? I saved 3 tool paths into one file and imported the G-Code into Easel. I did not see anyway to make them different work pieces...

[@stephenjames820]

If you are doing an inlay for instance you may have 3 to 4 toolpaths and you will have a file for each tool operation. If you use Easel as your post processor and you try to save all the toolpaths, Aspire/Vcarve will have a popup that will tell you that Easel doesn't support tool changes and will force you to save each toolpath separately. Then you would open Easel and open a new project for each toolpath file.

[@dublinrobotics2885]

What table do you have for your X-carve, I just built mine and am looking for a table to bolt my machine to

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

I think this is a duplicate but here is the link again. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWWWYpZvmK54jLs

[@kentg86]

Can you change the feed rate (faster/slower) while cutting when you're doing an imported gcode, just like you can with something created in Easel?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

No, you can not. You can run the g code but you can not make any changes in Easel to the g code.

[@gijoelx84]

I was wondering this same thing. I am just running my first gcode import from vcarve into easel. And yes you can, increase or decrease the feed speed while it is cutting. as Paw Paw states in the video, the starting feed rates and depth per pass are all set in vcarve when you set up your tool as he shows and none of this can be changed in easel after import. But yes, you can increase or decrease the feed rate during the cutting job just as you can normally with a native easel job set up.

[@michaelpollina8034]

Paw Paw, is this carve software the same as Fusion 360, should I get carve? I have fusion 360 on my desktop along with easel. Love your teaching. Michael

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

VCarve Desktop and VCarve Pro is a software that you must purchase from Vectric. Fusion 360 is a free software for hobbiest and is capable of creating 3D images and generate the gcode to send to the XCarve. You must chose the correct post processor to make that work. There is a steep learning curve with Fusion 360.

[@gotm5035]

Hi Paw Paw. I'm looking at buying vcarve pro. Do I need separate software such as easel to send to the machine or can it be sent directly to the machine from vcarve pro? Thanks

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

go tm . Yes you do need an additional software to send the gcode to the machine. With VCarve Pro, you will be able to create your design and generate the gcode. You will then send the gcode to Easel or another software such as UGS to get the project to carve.

[@gotm5035]

Thank you very much for your quick reply 😊 much appreciated

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

You are welcome. Good luck

[@Rexjackson007]

There are 3 fundamental errors with this video. First up you dont need a “sender” with V Carve or Aspire as if you look in the post processor area there is a field that says “ send direct”. Secondly Paw Paw has complicated things by messing with graphics outside Vectric as it has an absolutely brilliant but map tracing function. And thirdly on V Carving generally you get far better results if you DONT use tool depth as this gives a liney finish unless you use a very fine step over

[@stephenjames820]

I have Aspire and I don't have the “ send direct” in my post processor list. Is it somewhere else??

[@michaeljoachims6532]

When carving, what spindle speed (rpm) do you normally use?

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

I use the lowest setting on the Dewalt 611 router which is "1" The RPM is 16000

[@michaeljoachims6532]

Thank you. I’ve had my X-carve 500 mm for 3 months now and I’ve had mine set on max rpm. I also have the 611 router. I enjoy your videos. Keep it up!

[@thefeet]

Very cool! I noticed you have an X-Carve machine. Is the X-Carve able to communicate with "Universal G-Code Sender"? I would think it can, but have you ever tried sending GCode to the X-Carve with anything besides Easel? The reason I ask is that, I tried Easel and HATED IT! "Browser-based phone-home" software really turns me off... I also found Easel to be sluggish, probably because it's browser based :( I'd be interested to know if an X-Carve can easily be setup with UGS. (My preference for sending GCode so far)

[@thefeet]

I'm torn between X-carve and Shapeoko for my next hobby CNC (have a Bobs CNC E4 here)

[@thefeet]

And there's THIS: carbide3d.com/vs/shapeoko-vs-xcarve/

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Yes, you can use UGS on the XCarve. Both are GRBL based. You might want to check out cnc4newbie New Carve. I just got one and I love it. lol, now you have three to compare. I like the no belts and no v wheels. I believe all are good machines.

[@MrKingtiny]

Is the VCarve Desktop software worth the price? Great video keep up the good work.

[@PawPawsWorkShop]

Thank you very much. I enjoy doing the videos. Thank you for subscribing to my channel. Absolutely, the VCarve Desktop is worth the money. I started with just easel for the first year that I had the XCarve. My wife got me the VCarve Desktop this past Christmas. The tool paths are smoother than Easel and generally takes less time to carve. You can do soooo much more in VCarve than in Easel. I have only scratched the surface on what it is capable of. I will probably get the VCarve Pro next. All you have to do is pay the difference to upgrade. The work area on the desktop version is 24x24 stated. It will actually do 25x25. The Pro version is only limited by the size of your machine.

[@MrKingtiny]

Thank you for your response.

[@Cwestnov1978]

I would love to hear more about you starting with easel and moving to V-Carve. I want to do the same, but curious on what lessons you learned. Maybe even a quick 3 minute video or something.

[@JohnColgan.]

I find it a bit of an irony that for the price you pay for Vectric software, you have to take the G-Code to a competitive product to carve it out!! I noticed you used the VCarve Post Processor and not the Easel one. Is there much difference in the functionality?