Problems cutting file imported from PDF and EPS

[jhenise]

Hello, I just purchased a Silver Bullet 24" !

I own a lot a machine tools and will have to say that I am very pleased with the quality of this units construction, it looks very nice.

My application is probably a little different then most people here...

I am a metal fabricator and bought this unit mainly to cut templates from paper card stock that will be used to transfer to metal for further operations. Basically I design things in a CAD program because I need high dimensional accuracy, I want to cut the designs from card stock so I have templates to transfer to metal so i can then cut them from metal. I have been printing the designs and cutting them out by hand for years, it works great but is very time consuming, so enter the Silver Bullet!

Here are some images of this process if you are curious, I make complicated 3D shapes from many flat patterns.
http://www.highwaymanbikes.com/complex- ... nes-total/

HERE IS MY ISSUE:

From my CAD design programs (I can not switch design programs, I have custom software to generate the parts I need, its a complicated process!!) I can export .dxf, .eps, and .pdf files. I have used the .dxf files with almost any other computer controlled manufacturing process (CNC machining, CNC plasma cutting, CNC laser cutting, with no problems), however Sure Cuts A Lot does not support .dxf files.

I can import the .eps, and .pdf files that are generated from my CAD software into SCAL no problem, but when I try to cut the designs the cutter lifts and pierces at every node in the drawing and does a poor job. It is as if the line between each node is a open vector and the cutter trys to cut each segment as a unique line.

I have seen people post this same problem with converted .dxf based files on other SCAL forums, but have not found a solution.

I have tried opening the files in Adobe Illustrator and re-saving them .svg and get the same result.

So the million dollar question! What is an easy way to take a .dxf, .eps, or .pdf, file and join the vectors into a path that will open and cut from SCAL???

A solution to this issue would be valuable as .dxf is the most common universal file format in the engineering and manufacturing world, and used to drive almost any other computer controlled manufacturing process. Basically we need a way to integrate the design power of CAD with with SCAL and the Silver Bullet.

I downloaded Sign Cut software and noticed it supports .dxf and can open the CAD files directly but haven't tried a cut yet. I like SCAL's user interface better, and think it makes using the Silver Bullet more simple, so if I can make SCAL work, that would be better!

I appreciate any help!
-JEFF

[Gigi]

Jeff -

Your projects are amazing. Wow....... what a lot of work and how labor intensive.

I would be happy to play with one of your files to see if I can get a good result if you want to post it or PM it to me, but short of that, I would email Brandon (creator of the SCAL software) and ask him and send him a file. Brandon is very responsive and I am sure will be the most helpful in defining the best solution for you. brandon@craftedge.com

Again, happy to look at a file if that would help in the meantime......

[galon1]

Jeff
Did you try converting the file to Adobe Illustrator and importing it into SCAL as an Illustrator file? I use mine to cut model railroad buildings, ViaCAD 3d has A.I. as an export option. It's the only file format I found that I can export from cad to desktop and import to SCAL and have it the correct scale and cut right.
Galon

[kmmhug]

Have you tried it in the Make the Cut software? I know SB comes with SCAL but it can also be used with MTC and that is what I use with it most of the time. It is able to import EPS files so I would give it a shot. If you want to send me the file, I will be happy to try and cut if for you or you can download the trial version for free and give it a shot. It will cut lines thru the design in trial format but you should be able to see if it will cut nicely with it.

[jhenise]

Thanks all for the kind words and offers to help!

I contacted Brandon so we will see what he says.

One of the CAD programs that I am stuck using will only output DXF or EPS files.

The EPS files open in SCAL but the cut path is useless, way too many lifts and pierces.

I have not tried MTC yet.

I tried SignCut. It supports and opens the DXF files directly and cuts them, but they open at the wrong scale and resetting the scale is not always trivial, I seem to get different scale errors with different files.

I have attached two files here from my CAD program, one DXF and one EPS.
The files contain a drawing of a 31.4 x 31.4 mm square.

If anyone would be willing to try to get one to work in SCAL that would be awesome!

I am still trying things here, so I will post what I learn.

I have lllustrator in that helps, I have not tried to convert files to .AI format for import into SCAL.

JEFF

[jhenise]

looks like I can't upload a DXF file, or send one in a PM...
I attached one of my EPS files to my last message though...

JEFF

[Gigi]

Jeff -

I emailed Brandon as well

You can probably zip the dxf file and upload it - that is what you have to do with SCAL files as well. If not , would you mind sending me the dxf file. Inkscape, which is a free program will open dxf files (I cannot get it to load the eps file). Can you please send me the dxf file so I can open it in Inkscape and see if I can send it to SCAL seamlessly? Hoping...... gigica@cox.net

Can you also please send a screen shot of what it should look like so we know it has imported correctly as I have had different things come in with different programs and am not sure what I should be seeing!

Thanks

[jhenise]

here is a zip file containing my DXF and EPS files...

[Gigi]

Thanks Jeff. Struggling with getting the dxf to open in Inkscape as I don't know the options to choose - still working on that as it is a free fix

But....... I did just import it into Corel Draw assuming that if I could do that It would also work in Illustrator. It opened perfectly in Corel Draw, and then I just used the "send to SCAL" option and that also worked easily.

I also tried saving as an svg and then opened in SCAL and that worked perfectly too. I like the "send to" application just because it eliminates a step - but you want to be sure to save it at some point!

So please let me know if that works in Illustrator. There is a free plug in on the craftedge website that you can install that allows you to just send to SCAL and keeps it simple. Hope that helps.

In the meantime I will continue to fool around with Inkscape and see if I can get the right settings there.......

[jhenise]

Thanks Gigi,
I will give it a try...

Did you try to cut the square by chance?
The main problem I was having after getting the files into SCAL was the cut path it follows: not a smooth line, many lifts an pierces...

[Gigi]

No - but will do it right now!.......

It cut just fine - since it was just a simple square it wasn't an issue although it did cut twice and I see no reason for it to do that - no hidden layers, just stroke selected - will have to play more - but the cut was clean.

If you want to send me something more complicated I am happy to try it.....

[jhenise]

Thanks for letting me know Gigi,

I can't open the DXF files I sent in Illustrator, it doesn't like them (not all DXF files are equal!) and the EPS files give the poor cut path. I get Similar results with SignCUt, my EPS based files give a poor cut path, and the DXF based ones cut smooth, but import at a weird scale...

Perhaps your method, DXF --> Coral Draw --> SCAL, is the solution!

I attached a more complicated shape as a DXF in a ZIP file.
I also uploaded a screen shot of what the shape looks like, its the flat pattern of a cone. You can see a 3D modle of the cone in the screen shot. The flat pattern should have a vertical height of 116.2 mm and a width of 101.1 mm.

[jhenise]

FYI the program I use to generate the cone templates is called "Cone Layout."
(see the screen shot in my last post)

http://www.conelayout.com/

It is free for 21 days and only costs $39 to buy, it allows you to make flat patterns of cones with angled ends.
you can make patterns for rolled or folded cones. Pretty awesome if you need cones of specific sizes

[jhenise]

Looks like I found another rout to get the DXF files that are generated from Cone Layout into SCAL.

DXF (from Cone layout) --> Open in Solid Edge (CAD program, because they don't open in Illustrator) --> re-save as DXF --> Open In Illustrator --> Send to SCAL using plug in

this isn't bad because I can open and arrange many cones in Solid Edge, then get a file that opens in Illustrator, then send to SCAL. Will test a cut when I am home tonight!

[Gigi]

Awesome - on the program and the fix. Will try the newer file when I have some time later.

Fingers crossed for you - and that explains why I was seeing cone layout on the bottom of the inkscape page!

Will see how many options we can find for you!

[galon1]

Jeff
The reason SB lifts and pierces is because your cad program, Cone layout is drawing the verticals as 511 individual lines whether its a 31.4 mm line or a 116.2 mm line. The square you attached has 511 small vertical lines grouped as one line. Both verticals of the cone are 511 small lines, the horizontals are a single line in both.
Galon

[jhenise]

thanks Galon,

there is a way to lower the resolution of the segmented lines in Cone Layout, but they will still need to be joined into a single path some how?

SignCut cuts them in one pass. I will be trying my new cone layout --> solid edge --> illustrator --> SCAL files tonight...

[jhenise]

Success!

Recap: Cutting DXF files generated in cone layout.

Method: (Gigi) Open DXF file in Coral Draw then send to SCAL with plug in.
Result: cuts fine but makes several passes.

Method (Jeff): Open DXF file in Solid Edge (CAD program) and re save as DXF (to make illustrator friendly) then open in Illustrator and send to SCAL with plug in.
Result: cuts fine but makes several passes.

I attached my Illustrator File just in case anyone wants to try to figure out why the cutter makes several passes at this shape...

Thanks a bunch!!!

[Gigi]

Ok - just got it to cut in one pass using the method I shared the first time. The only thing I did differently was I selected the entire object and grouped it, even though it appeared to be one item. That gave me one pass. But it paused a few second before starting, cut two sides, paused again, and then cut the last two sides. So I believe that what was mentioned earlier is figuring into all of this . That these are not four simple lines making a square, as the machine is clearly processing a lot of information.

Ok - more information........ I tried a lot of things that didn't work, but when I clicked on path simplify to see what that looked like, there are 1028 nodes!!! That is the problem with the slow transmission of information and all of those nodes, as stated earlier, are in the two vertical pieces.

It still cuts fine with brief pauses, if you group it, but those nodes are killers as far as processing information. If you can get that down to a more manageable number, that would probably make all of the difference in the world......

[Gigi]

jhenise
I got it!

I just opened the ai file and could not figure it out -

Go to Edit>Preferences. Under the General Tab, change the SVG DPI to Illustrator and click ok. Then cut - it will cut it out once - and you only have four nodes. Way to go!

I think that' s it - lmk!