Inn Welcome Sign

[GDS Metal Worx]

Hey guys, I have been beating myself up in Inkscape trying to get this to a usable dxf file. No matter how I try to trace it, when I open the dxf file i end up with all kinds of lines all over the place. can anyone help me out with this before i go bald from pulling my hair out?
TIA
Garrett

[Capstone]

This is an .svg file traced, not dxf, but SheetCAM will read it just as well if not better. You still need to fix the file to make it cut-ready first however because there are a bunch of drops.

plasmaspider help.svg

Just to state something I've been saying for a long time. If you are using Inkscape to design artwork and SheetCAM to create g-code, stop thinking that you have to convert anything to .dxf. SheetCAM will open Inkscape.svg files perfectly on a 1:1 ratio.

[acourtjester]

I traced it with Inkscape and saved it with DXF and SVG formats the DXF has extra lines like you said but the SVG looks fine. SheetCam with take either the SVG imported at a 1 to 1 ratio will give you about a 25" high part.

mac farm.svg

mac farm.dxf

[GDS Metal Worx]

Thanks Capstone. Is there any chance that you could help me get it to a dxf? I dont use sheetcam, I use bobcad and it wont touch a svg. And as for the drop outs, I am going to do this in multiple layers and colors. Thanks again

[Capstone]

I think Jester gave you a .dxf file there

[acourtjester]

The DXF file has extra lines????

[GDS Metal Worx]

Thanks so much for doing the conversions for me. I think I can work it fronm there. Much better than what I ended up with doing it myself

Here is what I get when I try to convert the image using inkscape:

[icmplasma85]

Here ya go. You won't have any problems with this one.

May want to smooth out Mac Farm text, did a quick convert. And not sure how you plan on cutting so I didn't tab everything.

Have a good one

[GDS Metal Worx]

Thanks for the help guys. I got this cut and finished up this weekend. All pieces were powder coated and then glued up. I threw in a surprise for the customer and used a glow in the dark white. I didnt tell them about the glow part, I want to wait and see what their reaction is to it. I ended up cuting it from 16 gauge and it is about 34" tall.

[acourtjester]

Nice work

[Capstone]

that came out pretty nice. team effort!

[KIDTech]

So when I do a trace in Inkscape it looks fine until I open the .dxf in ACAD. What I have found is that once it is open in ACAD, if I highlight the drawing, click on one node, hit enter, click the node again and then hit ESC. the drawing will adjust itself to look as it should. I will try and make a video this week to show what I am talking about. It sounds crazy but it has helped me a lot and sped up my process of tracing.

[little blue choo]

Looking forward to the video.

Thanks
Rick

[KIDTech]

Here is the video, let me know if this helps out.

https://youtu.be/vU40wicJbvs

[Capstone]

Let me just point out again that if you are using SheetCAM, trying to convert anything from Inkscape .svg's to DXF before opening the file in SheetCAM is an utter and complete waste of time. SheetCAM opens and reads .svg files 1:1 perfectly. Stop banging your head and creating/tracing stuff in Inkscape, then saving it as a dxf!! Just leave it as a .svg and go straight to SheeCAM. Leave the ACAD alone unless you have to precisely engineer a part and CAD is required in order to measure distances between features quickly. I have found ways to make parts in Inkscape as well, and they turn out great, but that's another discussion for advanced Inkscape users.

[Capstone]

Thanks Capstone. Is there any chance that you could help me get it to a dxf? I dont use sheetcam, I use bobcad and it wont touch a svg. And as for the drop outs, I am going to do this in multiple layers and colors. Thanks again

Here's a better and cheaper idea IMHO, drop BobCAD. Just being honest. You are banging your head on wall trying to work with BobCAD and dxf's if you're doing mostly artistic stuff. Bobcad is the least supported software package in your production process and Inkscape is the cheapest widely used design software. I would work with the later especially if SheetCAM can do both .svg's and .dxf. Inkscape ain't the problem here, it's BobCAD.

On top of that, no CAD program generating .dxf's will work as well for artistic stuff in .svg's, so why would you limit your creative abilities because of an outdated CAM software package when again, SheetCAM is so widely supported and used and works with both graphic formats

[tnbndr]

if I highlight the drawing, click on one node, hit enter, click the node again and then hit ESC. the drawing will adjust itself to look as it should.

KIdTech: have you tried just typing "regen"? Seems like that is what is happening.

[KIDTech]

Yes you are 100% correct but with my laptop it takes forever to regen using the command so this is much quicker. I am on the road a lot and use my laptop to do my drawing in hotels at night so when I am at home on the desktop I can just regen with no issue. It would take every bit of an hour while it sits and does it's thing for this drawing on my laptop compared to seconds on the desktop. I know I could fix this with a better computer but right now I have other things to buy.

I do not do much in art unless it's someone that wants their logo in a part. This method of adding the .dxf to my customers parts that I design in ACAD is how I like to do things. I usually still draw everything in ACAD then import the .dxf into Inventor F to build the 3D model and do the CAM work for machined parts.

[Vintage Sign]

I had the same problem with extra cut lines appearing. This was from the unstable version of Inkscape 91. Use Inkscape 45 . That is the stable version and will not give you unwanted cut lines.