Follow path
Follow path puts the tool’s centre exactly on the selected lines, open or closed, down to the end depth in passes. Use it for engraving, V-grooves, score and fold lines, or a single cut through thin material.
Select the shapes, then Follow (ribbon, OPERATION). A picture of handwriting or line art can be traced into centre lines for it.
- Open lines are cut back and forth, pass by pass.
- Closed shapes go round, as a profile on the line does.
- Order: the paths are cut nearest first.
It cuts only what it selects. Profiles and pockets keep skipping open lines, so a centre line on a cutting layer is never cut by them. A follow path that selects a whole layer does cut that layer’s centre lines.
| Setting | |
|---|---|
| Start depth, End depth, Step down | as on every operation |
| Entry | plunge, or ramp along the path. A pointed V-bit counts as centre-cutting. |
| Feed, Plunge feed | mm/min |
There is no side, oversize, tabs, lead or start point: the tool is on the line.
In the file
"type": "path" in the project file. Lengths are
in mm, feeds in mm/min, angles in radians.
| Field | Setting |
|---|---|
name | Name |
enabled | the tick on the operation’s row in the Browser |
part | the part it belongs to |
select | the geometry: {"layer": "NAME"} or {"shapes": [ids]} |
tool | Tool: the project tool’s id |
start_depth | Start depth |
end_depth | End depth |
step_down | Step down |
feed | Feed |
plunge_feed | Plunge feed |
entry | Entry: plunge or ramp |