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?

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

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.....

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

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

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

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

Just loaded Mach3 Ver 1.84 and it seems it still had the bmp import.
Hood

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.

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