# Help



## Dan In Florida (Dec 11, 2015)

I just bought a Piranha FX and I cant get the files on the flash drive to show up on the machine


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## fire65 (Oct 29, 2008)

Welcome to the forum, great first post.


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## Dan In Florida (Dec 11, 2015)

any Ideas on what I'm doing wrong?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Welcome Dan. We are a woodworking router forum but we have lots of guys who are knowledgeable about computers, hardware, and software. First question is have you rebooted the machine since you plugged in the new hardware? Sometimes that helps.


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## Dan In Florida (Dec 11, 2015)

Hi, Yes I have tried everything I can think of for the last 3 hours.. I have tried every file format in the drop down and I cant get a single file to show up


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Dan In Florida said:


> any Ideas on what I'm doing wrong?


No, and welcome to the Forums Dan...
the gladiators and lions will be along shortly...


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## Scottart (Jan 8, 2015)

Dan In Florida said:


> Hi, Yes I have tried everything I can think of for the last 3 hours.. I have tried every file format in the drop down and I cant get a single file to show up


Dan

I don't have a Pirahna , but I do have a Shark HD.

What program does the Pirahna use to operate? the Shark has it's own.


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Files that are made by Cut2d, or VCarve will have .crv as an extension, and no CNC control software will see them. What your Pirahna is looking for is .tap files (I presume), creating as saved toolpaths by cut2d or VCarve using the right post processor which you may need to download from NextWaveAutomation. 

Toolpath files are NOT the same as .CRV files.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

4DThinker said:


> Files that are made by Cut2d, or VCarve will have .crv as an extension, and no CNC control software will see them. What your Pirahna is looking for is .tap files (I presume), creating as saved toolpaths by cut2d or VCarve using the right post processor which you may need to download from NextWaveAutomation.
> 
> Toolpath files are NOT the same as .CRV files.


4D is right about the files for the Piranha. You should be saving your toolpaths with the correct post processor. 

There are 5 post processors for the Piranha Fx. 4 of them are installed with the VCarve Desktop software (CNCPiranha_Arcs_inch.pp, CNCPiranha _Arcs_mm.pp, CNCPiranha_3dContour_inch.pp, CNCPiranha_3dContour_mm.pp). The other one you need to download from the Next Wave Automation site under downloads, Piranha, it is for laser files (CNCPiranha-Laser_inch.pp) and they did not provide one for mm output.

Attached is a zip file with all 5 of them just in case you don't have them. Open the zip file, select all of the files then right click on one of them and click copy on the drop down menu. Now open your VCarve Desktop software, click on file, click on Open Application Data Folder, click on PostP, right click and click on paste. you will probably get messages that some of the files already exist and want to know if you want to replace the file. You can take either option and it will be okay. This should get all the post processors where they should be.

Close the VCarve Desktop software then reopen it and save toolpaths with the correct post processor for the application you are using (Arcs - 2d carving, Contour - 3d carving, Laser - laser engraving).


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Darn, Mike----- you're amazing. Ugly, but amazing.

HJ


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

John,
I've been doing this for a while.

I have an original CNC Shark Pro with the MDF bed that I bought when they only had the CNC Shark and the CNC SHark Pro. If I remember correctly the serial number is in the 200's. Aspire was at 2.0 when I got it.

I also have a CNC Shark HD1 I bought used and have made several upgrades to that I use most of the time. This year it has been tied up cutting customer jobs and I haven't cut anything for myself since February. 

I also have the Piranha Fx (carve, laser, 3d printer) with VCarve Desktop. I haven't had the time to play with this one and hide it so I would finish all the projects I have before I started playing around. I hear it calling "come play with me, come play with me" so I turned the radio up so I couldn't hear it baiting me.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Mike,

So little time, so much you want to do. Biggest downside to the carving part is the time it takes. You ever run em all at the same time and get a real production line going? I got 4 "stations" going - cutting, sanding, staining, and clear coating - at the same time.

No way would I ever had time to work if I had my Nebula before I retired. 

HJ

Trying to find that line between hobby and business -- basically so it pays for itself plus maybe a little extra.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

One important thing I need to do is get organized. I spend too much time moving thins and looking for tools or parts.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

MEBCWD said:


> One important thing I need to do is get organized. I spend too much time moving thins and looking for tools or parts.


you nake that sound like it's an uncommon thing...


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> you nake that sound like it's an uncommon thing...


Stick,
I probably should of said I need to get organised a lot more than most people!


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

MEBCWD said:


> Stick,
> I probably should of said I need to get organised a lot more than most people!


pick one...
and only one...


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