VS3D File Menu

1.1.6 Warp Vectors, Cutting Tool - Load/Save/Import/Export.

"File / Warp Vectors => Load Warp Vectors (.vsv)..." : This will load a ".vsv" file containing warp vectors. Existing vectors are not deleted when new vectors are loaded from a file. Warp vectors are typically of the form (X1, Y1, Z1 , X2, Y2, Z2). There are three basic types of warp vectors in VS3D: XY Vectors, Z Vectors, and Stationary Points. For XY Vectors, Z1=Z2=0. For Z Vectors, X1=X2, Y1=Y2, and Z1=0. For Stationary Points, X1=X2, Y1=Y2, and Z1=Z2=0. The ".vsv" files are a simple ASCII format with one vector per line and from 2 to 6 columns. Values can be separated by commas (","), spaces, tabs, line feeds, or carriage returns. The number of columns determines how the values are interpreted as follows:
2 columns, (x1, y1) : Stationary Points, X1=x1, Y1=y1, Z1=0, X2=x1, Y2=y1, Z2=0.
3 columns, (x1, y1, dZ) : Z Vectors or Stationary Points, X1=x1, Y1=y1, Z1=0, X2=x1, Y2=y1, Z2=dZ.
4 columns, (x1, y1, x2, y2): XY Vectors or Stationary Points, X1=x1, Y1=y1, Z1=0, X2=x2, Y2=y2, Z2=0.
5 columns, (x1, y1, x2, y2, dZ): all vector types, X1=x1, Y1=y1, Z1=0, X2=x2, Y2=y2, Z2=dZ.
6 columns, (x1, y1, z1, x2, y2, z2): all vector types, X1=x1, Y1=y1, Z1=z1, X2=x2, Y2=y2, Z2=z2.
The 3-column case is especially useful for importing (and later triangulation/griding) of scattered X-Y-Z coordinates from a 3D digitizer or other source. The values stored in ".vsv" files are data coordinates. The current data coordinate scale ranges will have an effect on where new vectors are placed on the sculpture grid when loaded. XY vectors are drawn on the sculpture grid as orange arrows. Stationary points are drawn as an orange "X". Z vectors are drawn as an orange "+" with the Z height (text) indicated above it.

"File / Warp Vectors => Save Warp Vectors (.vsv)..." : This will save all current vectors to a ".vsv" file with 6 columns of numbers (one vector or stationary point per line).

"File / Cutting Tool => Load Cutting Tool Parameters (.vst)..." : This will load a simple ASCII file containing the geometry of a cutting tool. An example of the contents of a ".vst" file is shown below:

VS3D TOOL
3 Ball
0.0100000 R
0.0200000 H
0.110000 Max Depth

The first line must be "VS3D TOOL". The 2nd line is the tool type, and it must start with : "0" (Flat), "1" (Bullnose), "2" (Cone), "3" (Ball), "4" (Parabola), or "5" (Laser). The 3rd line must start with a number for the "R" (radius) parameter. The 4th line must start with a number for the "H" (height) parameter. The 5th (last) line must start with a number for the maximum possible cutting depth of the tool. The numbers are in data coordinates (inches or mm).

"File / Cutting Tool => Save Cutting Tool Parameters (.vst)..." : This will save a simple ASCII file containing the geometry parameters of the currently-defined cutting tool.

1.1.6 A