Detect intersections

[jen]

I hope someone can help with this issue - I am using the Design Edge software - when I think I have an item " cleaned up" - shows no intersectons and ready to convert to a cut file, I convert it, then check for intersections again. Most of the time, it will show me that I have intersections, but I swear no matter how close I zoom in, I do not see an intersection. So I then explode the lines and hit join again. Sometimes this fixes the interection, but more times that not, the intersection still shows. What am I doing wrong and what can be domne to fix it.
thanks in advance for any tips

[BrianMick]

The lead ins will show as intersections if you don't have a gap at end of cut set.....When I have intersections like you are describing you can also(when zoomed in) Hit the b key for brush, hold the control key and actually delete the area, then just hit the j key and relink the cut path. hope this helps. the intersections are likely caused by a slight minute crossover created by your offset when you converted.
Brian

[jen]

thanks, I will give it a try - I appreciate the suggestions

[rottenleonard]

This is probably the most discusting thing about p-cam, It works great for brackets and dimentional parts, but I spend tons of time screwing with it to get artsy files to work, I just doesn't seem like it should be that hard. Does everyone have better luck with the"advanced design software"? I would hate to drop a grand on software that is still aggervating.
BTW I'm using a combo of turbo cad and correl draw 5

[SignTorch Vector Art]

I think that is because when calculating the cut path, when it gets to the bottom of a V, it doesn't look ahead to avoid crossing that point where the kerf does not fit in the V where the red and blue lines intersect, then it goes to a similar position for the adjacent red path , which creates an intersection and a triangular glitch in the cut path

the original path is valid (no intersection), the cut path is not (has intersection)

theoretically, if you offset the edge by the kerf compensation amount in a CAD program, or any program that can offset to the outside correctly, then convert that to cut path with zero kerf compensation, then maybe the cut path won't have intersections

in autocad it'd be the offset command, in corel it'd be the contour command, I forget whether sheetcam can export dxf after kerf compensation, in other words just do your kerf compensation in another program, I have no idea which versions are affected (or not).