illustrator to SCAL issue

[gdubya 0]

I design in Illustrator. When I import either aa svg or ai file, scal5 see the clipping mask but when I preview the cut the mask does nothing. Preview shows everything outside the mask will be cut too.... 

 

Aslo, is there an easy way to make stroke in illustrator become a blackout in SCAL??

[darcshadow 1,626]

masks are just that, masks. They don't actually change the design of the cut file, just the way it looks on screen.

I'm unfamiliar with AI, but I would assume the easiest way is probably to convert the strokes to paths in AI before trying to open in SCAL, at least that's how I would do it in Inkscape. If I'm not designing in the cut software I try to get the file exactly the way I want it cut in the design program. If it doesn't look right in wire frame mode, it's not going to cut right either.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

IF heading to a cutter you will need to learn how to make your designs without stroke. Illustrator is very robust and there are other ways of getting from point A to point B. Rather than using stroke and trying to then convert it to an object use the path offset tool to achieve the same look. The complication with converting a stroke is that when you do so Illustrator in AI you are typically going through the Expand Appearance option in the Object menu and when AI goes about this is will create a new fill for the inside or original object that sits half way in the middle of the expanded stroke. This can be used as a neat tool to create perfectly layered outlines for letters and objects in Heat Transfer Vinyl and I do this quite often but otherwise can create a problem for other work. Instead of using stroke, use the path offset for the same value you would use stroke. It will work best if you make sure your live text is converted to objects and I usually go a second step and make the selected text a Compound Path and by doing that it will automatically weld all the Offset Paths together rather than having to do that manually. AI looks at Compound Paths a one path or object rather than a group of objects and that is why that happens. The other complication in working with paths is that an offset path will naturally fall behind the original object if it is a positive offset and in front of an object if it's a negative offset. The offset will then become a solid object behind there. If you do not want it to be solid and instead are looking for the outline mentioned earlier then you'll want to use the stroke and Expand it and know that it will go on top in the build process. 

In AI Clipping Paths and Stokes and Gradients are only useful for printed or web published work. When working with a vinyl cutter learn to avoid these options. Also beware of using the Merge option in the Pathfinder Menu, instead use Unite. Merge will usually create a whole bunch of unfilled objects in any open hole within a Compound Path and your cutter may make a second pass on each of these if you are not very careful to de-select them in the cutting program when using cut-by-color. 

This all probably sounds more complicated than it actually is but hopefully helps you out.