Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Ski on October 26, 2012, 10:10:14 AM

Title: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: Ski on October 26, 2012, 10:10:14 AM
Does anyone else use Mach 2 or Mach 3 to create vectors for carving photographs?   I have used Mach2 for the past 4 years to carve photos on wood.  Is there a way to use Mach 3 and create the same product?

My web-site is www.woodcraftsbyski.com and to see the photos I have carved on maple, birch and pine.     

Mach 2 being unsupported I am afraid my computer will crash and then I will be lost. 

Does anyone have a sugguestion?
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: BR549 on October 26, 2012, 11:34:47 AM
What version of MAch2 are you running the simple solution would be to save back a copy of MACH2 and your XML for that disaster.

I am one of those "IF it is not broke then DON"T fix it "  dudes.

There IS a Mach2 version saved on the mach FTP site (;-)


Also I see on your site that you think you are too small for Ccards (;-) Have you looked at using the SQUARE reader and your  Iphone or Android (If you have one) to take Ccards ? may open a broader market of buyers .

Just a thought, (;-) TP
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: Ski on October 26, 2012, 11:49:10 AM
I am a retired teacher, so I do not own any of the up-to-date Iphone, Android or other expensive items as you sugguest.  With the limited budget which is fixed I have no room for those items.

I have back-ups of the Mach 2 but the problem is that Mach 2 does not run efficiently on the Windows 7.  Also, the configuration of Mach 2 is so difficult for me to set-up for any new computer if this one crashes.....
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: BR549 on October 26, 2012, 12:55:47 PM
Gotcha, I don't own one of those phones either (;-) Don't even own a cell phone.

IF you convert from 2-3 you WILL have to reconfig 3 to your current settings. 3 does things differently. But once you get it working correctly then everything is portable with updates from there on out.

Beautiful work by the way (;-)

(;-) TP
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: Hood on October 26, 2012, 01:42:58 PM
Photo Vcarve is a nice programme, its not hugely expensive but obviously more so than the free one that came with Mach.
I believe you can use LazyCAM to convert images but how well it works I have no idea as I have never used it.
Hood
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: BR549 on October 26, 2012, 05:04:51 PM
Thats right you DO loose the cool import features that MACH2 had.

Lcam is mainly  potluck, you get what you get on images.

obiously MAch2 is working very well for you  LIke I said IF it is not broke (;-).

(;-) TP
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: Hood on October 26, 2012, 05:08:46 PM
Did Mach3 not still have the import option before LazyCAM came out? I am sure it did, maybe installing an old version of Mach3 would help with your W7 compatibility and still allow you to use the old bitmap import.
Hood
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: Hood on October 26, 2012, 05:11:47 PM
Just loaded Mach3 Ver 1.84 and it seems it still had the bmp import.
Hood
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: Ski on October 26, 2012, 07:13:55 PM
Thanks so much for the kind words.   I have Mach 3 and it just doesn't do what I need in the photo carve business.  Thanks for your help.

Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: BR549 on October 26, 2012, 08:05:59 PM
IN mach2 are you using the import bitmap function to do the carving ? IF so the EARLY versions of mach3 still had that function as part of mach3 that is what Hood is pointing out.

SO if that worked for you in mach2 it will work for you in Mach3 (early version).

IF you are not using the bitmap import what CAM are you using.  CUt wise IF mach2 can doit so can mach3.

Just a thought< (;-) TP
Title: Re: Photos carved from Mach 2 and Mach 3
Post by: RICH on October 27, 2012, 07:34:14 AM
Quote
I have Mach 3 and it just doesn't do what I need in the photo carve business.

Just my nickle, but if you are going to do a lot of that type of work maybe just invest in software intended to address that kind of work.  Vectric or MeshCam come to mind.

RICH