Test Carve Of Side Panel On CNC

I have done my design in SketchUp and am ready to start cutting wood.  For the side panels I want to use my X-Carve CNC.  To do this I need to create the G-code - the commands that tell the CNC what to do - which I use VCarve Pro (VCP).  The problem is getting the design from SketchUp to VCP.  I believe the paid version of SketchUp provides an export option that would work but I am using the free version and do not want to pay the fees just for that option. 

I have used Visio many times in the past for similar drawings and found that it can export a dwg file which I can import into VCP.  So I fired up Visio and created a drawing of the side panel along with the measurements noted in SketchUp.

The material is 2' x 4' and the panel is roughly 18" x 30".  From there I exported and then imported into VCP.

(I could have skipped the Visio step and drew it directly in VCP but, I've found, creating precise and accurate line drawings in VCP is lacking and I actually saved myself time by taking the Vision route.) At this point I confirmed that my dimensions were correct.  Since this is just a test of process, I shrunk it by 50%.  This way I could test, using a smaller piece of wood, saving time and material.

After defining my tool paths I did a test render in VCP and it showed 'good so far'.

A quick hustle to the shop and I started carving.

I then did some quick measurement checks and everything came out correct.  YAY!  I need to do some more detailed checks to make sure I did not miss anything and, after that, I will be cutting some side panels.