What's New in VCarve Desktop 9.5

Welcome to VCarve Desktop V9!

This documentation provides a convenient guide for previous VCarve Desktop customers to highlight new and enhanced features specific to this release of the software. It is intended as a way for existing VCarve Desktop users to locate just the new or changed aspects of the software.

If you are new to VCarve Desktop, don't forget that full documentation of all the features of the software can be found here , or by selecting Help ► Help Contents from the Main Menu on VCarve Desktop's main window.

New Drawing Tools

This latest version of VCarve Desktop introduces several entirely new drawing tools and features,

Smart Snapping

The way you draw in the software has seen some huge improvements making it quicker and easier to create and align geometry in the software with the introduction of Smart Snapping. Smart Snapping can dramatically reduce the time taken to create vector geometry. It enables geometry to be snapped to lines, extensions and intersections which don't exist as geometry thereby reducing the need for most construction vectors.

Quick Keys

In addition to the Smart Snapping feature we have introduced the ability to transform and create shapes using Quick Keys. This allows you to add more precision to your shape creation and editing process more easily by allowing typed values while creating geometry. This is supported for creation of circles, ellipses, rectangles, polygons, stars, polylines and in editing nodes or transforming vectors.

Pressing the Space-bar re-opens the last vector creation form you used. This is very useful when using other forms in between each shape / text / dimension you create.

Vector Validator

The Vector Validator is intended to help locate issues with contours after importing vector files to look for problematic issues that could potentially affect toolpath creation such as overlapping contours or intersections. It also indicates zero-length spans that are in the file, where the software can fix them at the click of a button.

Enhanced & Extended Drawing Tools

This section details the improvements that have been made to features you will already be familiar with from earlier versions of VCarve Desktop and includes the following:

Text Editing (V9.5)
Picture Editing & Cropping (V9.5)
Dimensioning
All Closed Shape creation tools are now fully consistent
Create tangents lines to circles & arcs using the Polyline Tool

Text-Editing (V9.5)

The Create Text Form (V9.5)

From version 9.5 any text is edited in-place including Arc Text and Text on a Curve, even if it has been moved, scaled and rotated. Custom kerning and spacing is also maintained where possible.

Editing text on a curve

The behaviour of the Create Text form has changed to provide more visual feedback about the changes you are about to make. If the form is opened with no selection, the new text is placed somewhere on the material (if possible) between the center of the material and the center of the view to help keep it visible. An empty box is drawn in the view which helps visualize the currently specified text height and anchor point.

Text height and position guide for empty text

Existing text has guide lines showing the height of the top line of text. Some fonts will descend below the lower line like handwriting on a note pad. Clicking selected text while editing, changes the anchor point to a box which can be dragged and dropped with snap.

The view is updated shortly after the user stops changing the form properties (e.g. mouse-wheel scrolling through the font list) providing a live update of your edited or created text.

Arc Text (V9.5)

The arc sector is now drawn when editing and provides a handle at the center of the arc which can be used to move the text. The text and font properties of Arc Text can be edited using the Create Text Form whilst still keeping the text on the arc.

Picture Editing & Cropping(V9.5)

The Edit Picture Form (V9.5)

The Edit Picture form allows you to adjust the visual properties of a selected bitmap. You can adjust the contrast, brightness and gamma of any selected image. Borders of different sizes and radii can be added to bitmaps. Bitmaps can also be made black and white.

Rectangular Border

Oval Border

The Crop Bitmap Tool (V9.5)

The Crop Bitmap tool can be used to select the parts of an image you are interested in, and remove the parts you are not.

Dimensioning

Further improvements have been made to the way you can create dimensions in the software. It has been enhanced to allow faster placement and more freedom. You now have the option to edit existing dimensions while the form is open. Dimensions can now have custom text. This text is stored per dimension, so you change between calculated and custom text without losing a dimension's custom text.

Note: The Length, Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions allow the text to be placed freely with a snap-point-point at the center of the dimension line for consistency with previous versions (disable snapping by holding down a Shift key).

Shape Creation

Improvements have been made to the way we create shapes. If a shape is selected when a shape's form is opened, the form will load its values from the selected shape, otherwise it holds the same values it had when it was last closed.

When drawing a shape, the size of the shape you are drawing will be displayed, changing appropriately for the snap radius and job size. You can now edit a shape whilst in the shape form.

Creating Tangent Lines

Using the keyboard shortcut T in the Polyline Tool, you can create a tangent to and from existing arc spans or circles.

Extending A Polyline (V9.5)

There are two new ways to extend an existing polyline:

Open the polyline tool. With ctrl held down select the end point of contour you wish to extend.
In node editing mode select the end point of the polyline you wish to edit. Then use the right-click Menu to select Edit Polyline. This will open up the Polyline Form with the selected polyline now being extended.

Smoother Joining (V9.5)

Version 9.5 of VCarve Desktop upgrades the 'Join vectors with smooth Curve' method with an alternative joining algorithm which produces smoother results. Select either one or two open vectors and click the button.

Example of new smoother joining (left) versus old joining (right)

If you want to access the old joining method then hold the Ctrl button down to use the older join method. The Smooth Join Vectors option can be used to choose which method is the primary join method and which method is the alternative join method and hence requires Ctrl to access

Bitmap Background (V9.5)

It is now possible to choose a bitmap to be a background image for your 3D view. This image can be set by setting Edit ► Options ► Shaded Background Style to be Image and specifying the image path in Edit ► Options ► Image File Path

New Modeling Tools

Mirror Mode

Many decorative designs and patterns are symmetrical and the new Level Mirror Mode makes the process of creating and editing these sort of jobs much easier and far quicker. A dynamic and non-destructive mirroring effect can be applied to all of the components within a level so that you can concentrate on just one half or quarter of your design and let VCarve Desktop take care of the rest.

For more information on this exciting new feature read more here....

Enhanced & Extended Modeling Tools

Add Zero Plane

In previous versions of the software, to access the Add Zero Plane command you had to select it from the Model main menu, to make this easier to find, the Add Zero Plane option now has an Icon that can be accessed from the Model Creation section of the Modeling Tab.

Improved Quality of Imported STL Models

Previously, STL models were imported and converted at a fixed resolution. With the average computer being so much more powerful these days we have successfully enhanced this feature so that VCarve Desktop 's modeling resolution can be used. This means that for very dense STL meshes we can preserve the detail much more effectively when you are working within a high resolution model within VCarve Desktop.

Note: Ultimately the detail possible will still be limited to the initial detail of your STL mesh. We cannot add detail that was not there to start with!

Enhanced Toolpath Features

Setting Toolpath Start Point

Within the Profile Toolpath form, a new Start At tab has been added giving you more control over the toolpaths start position. There are three options to choose from:

Keep current start points
Optimize start points
and the new Move start point to be closest to selected point on vector boundary box.

This new third option allows you to make the start point to be closest to a selected point, to influence the start point define which part of the bounding box of the profiled vector it should start near and the software will look for the nearest point, from all of the endpoints of spans, and will start the toolpath from that point. This is particularly useful if you wanted to alter the start point to multiple vectors in your job to a common point without having to go in to each individual vector to alter them separately.

Note: Keep current start points and optimize start points are not new features but have been moved from the Machine Vectors section in the Profile Toolpath form to the new Start At Tab.

Preserve Arcs across Toolpath Tiles

Previously, when tiling a toolpath, arcs where smashed to small lines if they were going across a tile. Arcs are now maintained when tiling to creating smoother, more efficient toolpaths if arcs are supported by your CNC machine.

Helical Arc Support (V9.5)

VCarve Desktop now supports the output of helical arcs. These are like regular arcs when viewed in 2D but where the start z and the end z differ. They are typically found in toolpaths where ramping occurs. These arcs can now be ouput via the newly introduced post-processer variables:

FIRST_CW_HELICAL_ARC_MOVE
CW_HELICAL_ARC_MOVE
FIRST_CCW_HELICAL_ARC_MOVE
CCW_HELICAL_ARC_MOVE
FIRST_CW_HELICAL_ARC_PLUNGE_MOVE
CW_HELICAL_ARC_PLUNGE_MOVE
FIRST_CCW_HELICAL_ARC_PLUNGE_MOVE
CCW_HELICAL_ARC_PLUNGE_MOVE

Using these moves for the output of helical arcs may result in smoother toolpaths and smaller toolpath file sizes

Note: Please contact your machine tool manufacturer to see if your machine tool supports helical arcs. The post-processer editing guide (accessible from within the software via Help ► Post Processor Editing Guide ) provides a more complete treatment of the new variables

General Improvements

Two-Sided Job Support

Major changes have been made throughout the software to support jobs which require you to machine both sides of your material. VCarve Desktop now helps you to manage and organize your drawings, models and toolpaths for each side of your part using simple controls. The software helps with correct alignment of your vectors and toolpaths and even provides a full 3D preview of your part as it will look when cut from both sides. For lots more information please see the new Two-Sided Machining section of the full documentation.

Rotary Job Support (V9.5)

Major changes have been made throughout the software to support jobs which require a rotary axis to machine. These include:

Integrated support for rotary jobs
Automatic 3D view wrapping
Support for 3D machining including Inverse Time Feed mode (G93)
Support for simulating spiral toolpaths
Improved model import into rotary project

See Rotary Machining section of the full documentation.

A new View Toolbar is displayed above the view window, which allows easier access to common tools. With the ability to create a double sided project you have easy access to switch between the Top and Bottom Sides of your project. The Layers Drop down bar has now moved from the drawing tab to the View Toolbar, making it accessible at all times. The other icons displayed in order of left to right are as follows:

Snapping Toggle Options

View Controls

Toggle Pan / Twiddle View
Zoom to box
Zoom to drawing
Zoom to selection

Toolpath Drawing Toggle

Toggle 2D Toolpath Drawing
Toggle solid 2D Toolpath Drawing

Tile 2D & 3D View Windows

Stack 2D and 3D View windows vertically
Stack 2D and 3D View windows horizontally

There are also additional tools available when you are working on a two-sided job. For more information, please see the Toolbar section of the documentation.

Export to PDF

You can now export your drawings to PDF. This is a useful and standard format but it also enables you to print your drawings to scale on a suitable printer using Adobe or other 3rd party PDF software.

Online Clipart Access (V9.5)

Version 9.5 adds improved access to the online clipart that comes free with VCarve Desktop. This clipart can be downloaded directly from the running software. The software comes with previews of the clipart you're entitled to. In order to get the latest entitlements , click the refresh button.

The Login Dialog will then appear and you may then be prompted to log in to your V&Co account to allow the software to access your clipart. Once logged in, your previews will be refreshed. These previews are displayed with an overlay to make it clear that they are not yet downloaded.

To download a preview,

Right-Click the preview and click Download
Drag and Drop the preview onto the job directly. If the download is quick (which depends on the internet connection), the clipart will appear in the job like a normal clipart drag & drop. If it's slower, you'll get a notification when it's done.
Right-Click a folder and click Download to download a whole category. You will get a progress on the download in the status bar.

Note: Installers for the free clipart can also be used. These can be found with the installation media or within V&Co. Once the clipart is installed, it will appear as the usual local clipart in the software (i.e. without the overlay).

If it is desirable to view only the clipart that is currently downloaded, then the cloud button found above the clipart preview display toggles the visibility of the online clipart.

Available online clipart not shown

Available online clipart shown

See The Clipart Tab for more details.