New in V5.5

File & Toolpath Notes

Useful project notes such as materials, customer info, dates, tooling etc. can now be entered and stored in the Carve Pro file. The notes can also be saved inside postprocessed toolpath files for referencing at the CNC controller (subject to the CNC control system supporting embedded notes in CNC code).

If a note is started with a '.' (full stop / period) it will automatically be displayed every time the file is opened.

Notes can also be added for individual toolpaths using the new Toolpath Control form (button next to toolpath list) and this text that can also be output into the postprocessed file. For more details on adding notes to toolpaths see the new updated Postprocessor manual that explains how to use the new variables >

Program Options

A new Program Options dialog form has been added to allow the user to customize a range of settings for the program. This form is available from the 'Edit' menu - 'Edit > Options' and includes 3 main option categories.

Customize Interface Layout

The Drawing and Toolpath Tabs can now be 'dragged off / floated' and positioned / resized anywhere on the screen. This is great for users running large or multiple screens as it allows the 2D view to be shown on one screen and the 3D view on the other. The position of the 2 tabs can also be preserved / saved so they appear in the same place each time a new session of the software is run – See Edit > Options.

Note – The Drawing and Toolpath Tabs can only be moved after they have been ‘pinned’ open. Simply click and drag on their title bar to move them either completely free of the window or dock them on either side.

Selection Information

The number of Selected vectors is displayed in the status bar along the bottom right-hand side of the interface. The information is shown as S:123 selections.

Layer Information

The Layer name of the selected vector is also shown in the in the status bar. Note that this information is only displayed when a single vector is selected.

New Keyboard Shortcuts Added

Pressing the letter ‘J’ opens the Join form
Pressing Ctrl + L opens the Layer Control window
Pressing Ctrl + Shift + H / V copies and mirrors the selected vectors or components horizontally / vertically about the center of the material size