I am new to CNC and trying to make a sign for a lifelong friend. I am completely overwhelmed and going cross eyed attempting to make this into a sign. Any help and guidance is appreciated. I attached a pic of what I am attempting to make into a sign.
Perhaps we can start by gathering some information from you - I am sure that will guide the forum help that no doubt will come your way.
Do you already have your 1F CNC up and running?
Have you been successful making simpler projects already that involve the process of taking a file, creating tool paths, and then loading the gcode and cutting?
Is the image you are showing one you made, one you found as an example? What type of file is it?
What design software are you planning to use?
These are some things to share so others can identify exactly the scope of help you are looking for. It will look great once it is finished,
… Also, do plan to carve/engrave or do you have a laser you plan to use?
I am new to CNC and just diving in head first. I have made about a dozen different things so far that I designed. I have been starting with my own personal sketches and turning them into vectors and making signs and a few other things. I really want to make this sign for my friend but the vectors are all over and I am having a tough time making it look like I want. The picture he gave me is just something close to what he wants for a final product. I have V-carve Desktop and Carbide create for the larger projects. I plan on using the funds from my first few signs to upgrade to V-carve pro so I can use my machine to its full potential. I have the Woodworker x50. Thanks for any guidance or help.
Try this PhotoVCarve Product Page | Vectric
That would be perfect for a lasered image! Mybe you could v-carve then back fill with epoxy you could do it in steps with multiple colors. v-carve one color let it cure then v-carve another color.
Also, you got to think in black and white/carve and no carve.
What software are you using? If using Vcarve you can use the import Bitmap (it will import more file types than that, just a name). Then use the Trace Bitmap tool and select either black and white, or select the colors you want it to trace. Another option would be to use another photo edit tool and convert to either black and white, or grey scale, then import and trace.
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Thanks for all the advise, I ran the bitmap tracing on a couple different programs and came up with something close. I had my friend send me pics of the dogs so I have it on my phone for a reference to tweak things. We will see how it ends up.