FrogDog

Vectorizing for cutting different?

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Been using CorelDraw since V3 and I can fumble around in AI so I understand vectors vs bitmaps stuff.  I am complete green, wet behind the ears newbie, however, with vinyl cutting.

I am trying to cut a spray mask of beveled objects.  I want all of the bevel sections to be cut and I will pull them out one at a time. I don't really want the same line cut twice.  Do I have to figure a path through all of this for the cutter and then draw my line sections in that order when I am vectorizing the bitmap in Corel/AI? 

Ya know that even confused me and I wrote it....

Maybe a simpler way of asking the question is :  When I trace a bitmap do I have to trace it in any special order.  Like, the order that I want/expect the cutter to cut it?  OR am I over anal-zing this stuff and I just trace it and Signblazer will figure it out from the file I send over?

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If I understand the question correctly...... you can trace any part of the graphic in any order, then arrange them how you want afterward.  For me, it's just easier to attempt to do them in the layer order...but it's not necessary. 

I usually trace the bottom most layer first, send to the back, then trace the next layer, etc, etc.

If I totally misunderstood - then post the file so we can "see" what you're talking about.

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Sometimes when I have imported files from AI into SignBlazer, I have seen as many as 20 copies of the same image stacked on top of each other.... I don't know if this could also be causing some of cutting the same line twice

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Thanks.  I think you answered it.  But here is a file with an example.

I am cutting the Air Force logo out.  The eps you get from the AF site is very bad for cutting (it has 1700 objects for the beveled version I want).  So I need to retrace it.  For this file I erased all except a single object, a beveled diamond. 

If I was making a mask to spray, I would trace the outside diamond, trace the inside diamond and drop in the lines at the corners and print it.  Then with my trusty xacto I would make a cut on each line ending up with 5 pieces. 

If I needed closed objects to fill with shading and print I would trace each surface 1-5 and overlap the lines that are common to two objects.

So, I am thinking (which in my case is dangerous :)) that for the cutter I have to trace it by picking a starting point and then make a single line with nodes at the corners around all four objects and I have to figure a path to do that while I trace.  Because, if I start tracing at the top corner in Corel, when it gets to the cutter, the cutter will start cutting at the top corner and follow my path.  And it will cut and recut every line it sees and if I have overlapping lines when it cuts those multiple times there is the potential to shave little strips of vinyl off the object with the second cut and when I transfer and go to paint it I will have gaps and lines.

Does that make sense?  OR am I just over analyzing the thing.  I can just trace it any way I want and SBE is smart enough to lift and move and cut it right.

BTW, if anyone is concerned about the AF logo copyright, I have legal authorization to do this job.

Graphic1.pdf

Graphic1.pdf

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Thanks BP but I haven't gotten that far yet. :)  I'm all wrapped around the axel with which way to do the original trace.  Although I will remember that when I switch over to AI.  I am using Corel because I started with Corel and it is so "intuitive" but one of my jobs requires AI so I have to move over before I start. 

I am starting to think I am over analyzing and I should just trace it, cut it and see what happens and quit trying to engineer it in my head. 

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I think brands of the world got theirs from the AF.  The silver one is the exact one I am using but all the fountain fills are making it nasty.  It was pretty easy to trace and I'm done but now I have another problem.

I export to eps then import into Signblazer and it looks good.  But when I switch to cutter a couple objects, faces, are moved way out of place.  On my way to the Corel thread to see what that is.

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Thanks.  I think I got it. Between tracing the faces and then welding. I got output.  The double lines are canceling out so I'll have to fix that.  I put a pen in the cutter and made my first plot.  It was missing all the lines at the corners. 

But my first output from the device!!!!!!  Woohoo.  This is really cool.

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