• File type

    Posted by Bruce on October 16, 2026 at 3:38 pm

    Hi, I’ve been doing the kickstart and things are going ok but I have to admit upfront my computer skills suck. I have a Shapeoko 5 pro and it was a little tough following along while Andy was using the Vectric software as Carbide Create looks a bit different. I’m at the 3d crocodile and I’m stuck on what file I’m supposed to use from the list. Again my computer skills are lacking here. Will the basic Carbide Create software I downloaded when I got my machine support this design or do I have to upgrade to the Carbide Create Pro version? Any help would be appreciated.

    Miranda replied 4 days, 2 hours ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Miranda

    Administrator
    October 16, 2026 at 3:48 pm

    Hi Bruce,

    Thanks for reaching out, and no worries at all on the computer side of things. There’s a lot to learn when you’re getting started, especially when the software on your screen looks different from what Andy is using.

    For the 3D Crocodile project, the course playbook is set up around Vectric VCarve or above. After downloading the project folder, you’ll want to extract the zipped folder and then open the included project file in Vectric. The project uses two separate 3D toolpaths: a roughing pass with a 1/4″ endmill and a finishing pass with a 1/8″ ball nose bit.

    Your Shapeoko 5 Pro is absolutely capable of doing this type of project. The playbook even includes recommended starting settings for a Shapeoko or similar machine.

    Hope that helps,

    Miranda

  • Bruce

    Member
    October 17, 2026 at 4:39 pm

    Thanks for getting back. I’m still wondering if one of the files listed in the project will work with my carbide create software and if so, which one? Or, do I need to upgrade to carbide motion pro or buy Vectric software and use that.

  • Bruce

    Member
    October 20, 2026 at 2:13 pm

    Still hoping someone can respond to my most recent post. Thanks

  • Miranda

    Administrator
    October 20, 2026 at 4:07 pm

    The basic version of Carbide Create won’t support the 3D carving toolpaths needed for the crocodile project. You would need either Carbide Create Pro or Vectric VCarve (or higher) to create the 3D roughing and finishing toolpaths.

    As far as which file to use, Carbide Create Pro supports importing STL files for 3D carving. However, Vectric project files won’t open directly in Carbide Create.

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