Silver Bullet Cutters Forum

Hello all, I have been having a blast playing with my new machine and learning all the tricks and techniques but I can't figure out how to make a hatch fill in Illustrator export to SCAL. I have created the text or image and filled it with the a fill pattern but every time I either save as a svg or export it to SCAL the fills disappear. I've tried with text and shapes and I only get the outline shape with nothing inside. I've also tried creating my own pattern and using a clipping mask with no success.

What am I missing? How can I get it to save to etch a solid area?

Thanks for all the information you have all provided so far this forum has been a great help.

Jason

Hi Jason,

I don't work with AI but I know others do, so I'm sure you will get an answer soon, or at the very least, a place to look for the answer. I do know that with CD I had to export as a pdf, import that back in and then send to SCAL/save as an svg file. Don't know if this would work with AI or not...

I'm no help with AI, I use Inkscape (free program) and the Eggbot Extension to create my fills, and it works great with SCAL.

I know there is a really great tutorial on the UK Forum which you can join. But one quick fix might be select the fill then object expand. I found that worked when I was doing fonts. The fill pattern you are making I don't believe is a vector, just like when you use fonts. I will try to find the tutorial on the UK Forum. But honestly the eggbot extension in Inkscape is way better than what AI does. And I am a dedicated AI user, but I do use other software for the things I really like. It gets crazy at times. LOL

Thanks Suzan! I use Inkscape for my fill now, especially since CD isn't compatible with MAC! grrrrrrr

I just started playing with EggBot and Inkscape yesterday. It seems to work really well. I am relearning some Inkscape tricks. I love the easy interaction between SCAL and Inkscape. It is great to be able to export directly to SCAL, rather than having to save first. Working with clones is really fun. I could do it all day long!

I am a firm believer that even with my favorite software AI. There are other programs that do other functions better. I always trace in MTC. Print and Cut in SCAL Pro, Rhinestones in Corel Draw, SVG and vinyl in AI. and cut with Sign Cut. I take the best of everything and move around LOL. I am not saying this is the solution for everyone. But this is what works best for me. Funny thing is now doing all the stone work I do, I have really had to stretch my comfort zone learning Corel. I don't like it. But the software I use is excellent and the videos are superb so I only have to actually learn the features I need for the software.

I'm with you, Suzan. I think it's great to be able to work with whichever program best suits my needs for a particular project. I just need to make sure I keep up with learning all of them. I had stopped using Inkscape for awhile, and I forgot much of what I had learned. That's ok, I should be able to relearn, right?

One problem I am having is that I can't open SVGs in Ink. I have the latest version, and get a "failed to open the requested file" error message. Anyone know what I need to do to be able to open my files?

Elizabeth, try importing it into Inkscape instead of opening.

Thanks, Diane. I just tried that, and got the same error. Maybe I need to do a re-install.

I get a validation error sometimes in AI and then I take it into Ink to check it, then save it and it will open in AI sometimes. Weird how software tends to have its own mind.

Elizabeth if you want to send me a file you are having problems with, I will see if I can open it. I wonder if it has something to do with the way the file was saved. I don't recall if I have gotten that error in Ink.

Can you open the file in SCAL or MTC and then export or save as an SVG and then open it in Ink?? Is it just certain files? or any SVG?

Thanks for the offer Angel135612. It prompted me to try to open a few different files. They are all working fine. The ones I was trying to open are from the SVG Cuts set, Jacqueline's Swirlies. I didn't need them for anything particular, just wanted to play around a bit. I will try to open and save them from SCAL, and see if I can get them to open in Ink.

That worked!

Elizabeth,

Just for the heck of it, I tried to open the same files that you had trouble with and the swirlies opened fine in Inkscape, but I am using the earlier version. I wonder if that is the issue? Glad you were able to get them open.

I think it was Suzan who said it earlier... these software programs do seem to do their own thing at times and not necessarily what we want or expect them to do!!

I know Gigi, and I hate it at times.

Glad that you were able to get them open. I have those designs as well, but I don't know that I have tried to open them in ink. I will see if I have the same problem when I get back on my computer. As Gigi said it could be the version of ink, or the way the files were saved to begin with.

Thanks for checking, Gigi. I'm guessing it's a compatibility issue between whatever program they were originally saved in and this version of Inkscape. I was just glad to find that I could open everything else I tried the easy way in Inkscape.