Yesterday I took my first foray into using Photo VCarve. This is our new (to us) Vectric software for the Multicam CNC. It’s designed to take photos or other relatively high-definition images, and carve them into various materials, including wood. Basically, the software uses what I would call a “rastering” approach to carving images. It divides the image into parallel lines, which it carves at a diagonal angle across the piece.
The bottom-line: I think the software is capable of producing some impressive results, but it’s not going to be easy to get them. The process of getting top-quality results will involve several steps, including both finishing and sanding.
I’ve attached photos of the finished versions of three carvings I attempted. Of these three, only the Abbey Road carving had a recognizable image at all before I stained it. The photo of my son, his girlfriend, and our dog looked like a blank piece of wood (actually, it was melamine-coated particleboard), because the carving was so shallow. The third piece (does anyone recognize this image?) was completely unrecognizable.