If you are talking about an "image" as in a bitmap you need to look at Bitmap to Vector conversion programs. There are several out there. You have to understand that CNC machines cut in vectors only (unless you are peck engraving with a router or engraver). It can be anything from a fairly simple process to gut wretching to convert from bitmap to vector. The programs that have that feature embedded (ala PlasmaCAM) are just doing it inside the software and their examples are of very simple shapes were it's easy to find the distinct edges. There have been a lot of complaints that it don't work that way in the real world and the demo is misleading. In other words, the dirty little secret is that there is no Easy Button. There is tons of artwork already in vector (see
www.vectorart.com for one source).
If you are going to use you plasma to cut decorative stuff with text, fonts and designs you are miles ahead to start and end with vector art and not try to scan something then cut it. When forced to develop designs from images we import and use the tools in Corel to hand trace and build the objects. Most of the autotrace conversion programs take a lot of tweeking to even get something close and there will be a lot of hand cleanup to get good cut files (not to mention that some artwork has to be modifed for plasma cutting)
You can try all kinds of software combo's but there is nothing out there that will replace a human on the mouse.
We cut miles of decorative plasma every year and I can afford to buy whatever software I want. I have ended up with CorelDraw12, SheetCAM, and MACH3.
The good news is that none of those packages cost much. You just have to commit to the time to learn how to use the tools. Corel can be daunting since it is a major illustration program, but for shape cutting you can concentrate on 6 or 8 tools and forget the others.
See our commercial plasma stuff at
www.FourhillsDesigns.com.
Tom Caudle
www.CandCNC.com 
08-12-2006, 03:29 PM
Linear Mode
