Hello and hope all is well. Small business here starting to explore the CNC realm of woodworking. With that being said, we did have a question:
What are some good resources for users on the Carveco Maker software?
Only real resource available are the videos on their website (reposted to YT). The other thing is, we find that there aren’t many 1F users on Carveco Maker. Please advise.
Note: We currently have our 1F CNC and are using Carveco Maker. Understanding the point that there are more easier/ friendlier software out there, we would prefer to invest our time in Carveco Maker to reach our goals. Thank you
Hey Chris,
Carveco has tutorials on their site. https://learn.carveco.com/
I use Maker and have had success with several projects. I am
only a Month into my cnc journey with the Journeyman.
I’ve been using Carveco maker since I’ve started. I do find the youtube tutorials helpful, and there are some YT users outside of the Carveco brand, that have posted great tutorials.
The biggest complaint I have, which is partially my own fault and misunderstanding, is that I cannot seem to get the pocket feature to work well for me, all of the time.
It may be worth a thread, if it does not already exist, and to compilation a playlist for all Carveco related items. It could be a discussion thread for Carveco specific questions.
I went with Maker after trying the other options and for me (40 years as a toolroom machinist and CNC programmer) it was the most intuitive. I had just got my X50 Woodworker set up and got a year’s worth of Maker, then as I had just retired we decided to move across the country, everything packed up, and trying to sell the house. I do agree that I would like to see more user activity no matter the machine being used in the Carveco world. But you can add one more Carveco + 1F user to the list.
After 25 years on AutoCAD I went with Carveco Maker on the whole is a great bit of kit it does have a few annoying traits but so does every software. Why you cant increase the size of the tool library screen and also have full screen crosshairs as in auto have to be the 2 that drive me crazy
There are a few things in Maker Plus that I wish were in Maker such as nesting and more workable 3D but I really cant justify the big price difference between the 2 products. The online tutorials on YouTube are great.
I am sure I don’t use it to its full potential but as long as I can produce what I need to then that’s all I need
I mostly use Carveco myself, but have dabbled with most available options. I prefer the lower up front cost for now rather than going for a full Vectric License, plus you get a couple extra features with Maker that you don’t have in Vectric.
I mostly relied on the same training videos they have posted on their site. My only gripe with Carveco is how picky it can sometimes be when imported vectors aren’t perfect. It’s possible other software us just straight up ignoring certain issues, but sometimes clearing and dealing with all of those little red circles is a bit of a nightmare.
There’s probably a good number of people using Carveco, it’s just that it’s not considered to be the default option so I think you see less posts tailored specifically to it.
We have and a lot of videos we find are either +2/3 years old and not current or of individuals who use other CNC machines. At least when we search. Example: the Roger Webb channel never populated when searching 1F videos. What we mainly get is the reposted videos from Craveco or not with a 1F. What we are looking for are the 3rd party videos with people using both Carveco AND a 1F. We’ve begun to understand its a very small group when comparing 1F users who use V-Carve/ Fusion 360/ Easel.
You may be too concerned about the combination of software and 1F. The software is pretty agnostic of the CNC machine. Beyond choosing the right size of work area so it fits, setting the right feeds and speeds for cutting, and setting the correct post processor, there’s nothing really particular about any CNC hardware that a video would have to show. Use them to learn the software, that’s the big part of the effort and apply it to the 1F, or most any other CNC.
I am trying to get to my first project cut on my woodworker. 1F team test file is a .ngc - how do you get that? How do you get a .art file in car eco into what will run in 1F? Save as…? Just being dense here.
Aiph5u
(Aiph5u (not affiliated with Onefinity))
13
Hey Charles,
wow, you’ve already received and built the machine and only then you start to think about that . But congratulations for your new machine!
The advice is actually to start at the latest when you order the machine, because learning to use a CAD/CAM program can take some time. But never mind, go ahead.
To answer your question: You need a CAD/CAM program in which you create an object or open one that you got from somewhere else, and then export it as a g-code toolpath, selecting a postprocessor. This then results in the .ngc file that you load onto the Onefinity and run.
Here are the infos from the FAQ section that will help you:
. But congratulations for your new machine!