DXF files from SketchList 3D – a VCarve Tutorial.

How to use SketchList 3D generated DXF files in VCarve

Want to learn about DXF files and VCarve?  Then read on.  Ralph Bagnall has been a CDC advisor and consultant to SketchList for nearly ten years.   He is highly qualified in the area of CNC training.  A professional woodworker for more than 20 years, he is also a woodworking author, writing articles and books on woodworking  This experience has given him an extensive background in CAD, CAD/CAM, and 3D programming.  He had used every type of software from a $40 2D Drafting program to a true 3D modeling program costing tens of thousands of dollars.   From time to time he joins our Sketchlist 3D evening meetings to share ideas on CNC setup training, answer questions about software and hardware, and provide you with his opinions.

 A few words from Ralph:

“I first learned how to program and operate CNC machines in the wood industry back around 1997, and after 20 years, I still enjoy running them and watching them work. So when Fox Chapel Publishing asked me to write a beginner’s guide to CNC machines {a guide to CNC set up training}, I jumped at the chance. Now a lot of things have changed since I started out. You no longer need to handwrite every X, Y coordinate into the program, the software does most of the work for you. And designs can be imported into the machine directly from programs like SketchList, allowing much faster and flexible designing. Maybe the biggest change is that CNC machines are now available in sizes and prices that fit into many home wood shops.”

First SketchList

As Ralph said many times VCarve is the market leader.  And he usually adds that SketchList 3D is a great software ‘partner’ that allows you to easily create designs to feed into VCarve.  For this first segment of this post, I created a YouTube video showing how to design a side of a cabinet.   Because I am using SketckList to create the design and the dxf file is an automatic by-product of that design – everything is complete in one process.  The dados and shelf pin holes are applied in SketchList and placed in the DXF file for VCarve to use. [Note – this video was made with V4.  V5 is the current version which makes this even easier. If you’d like a step-by-step tutorial, check out our guide: How to use SketchList 3D generated DXF files in VCarve.

Then VCarve

Then in the second YouTub video, Ralph uses the VCarve software to import the DXF file and create both the tool path and the code.   Because of his expertise, he explains a great detail in a very organized fashion.

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