Creating part properly for sheetcam

[bad-rat-57]

I am trying to create a sign with a picture attached to a name. I am using corel x4 to draw the parts. I have figured out that if I type the text and draw a line unter the text, I can "weld" the text to the line and it will behave in sheetcam nicely. However when I open a picture (GIF) and set the picture on the line with the text, I can't weld it for whatever reason. Sheetcam doesn't see the image... Anybody with an "idiots guide" to creating a sign with an image to work in sheetcam ?

Thanks.

[locost_cam]

You can't directly machine bitmap images such as GIF, JPG, BMP etc. You need to trace the image first. I would recommend tracing it by hand in Corel but you could try CorelTrace. CorelTrace will only work if the image is very sharp and has really good contrast. In most cases tracing by hand works much better because automatic tracing usually produces really rough results that you have to spend ages cleaning up.

[donutguy640]

I figure this is a similar enough topic that it would be better to reply than make a new thread, but I'll leave that to the discretion of the mods

I'm using CorelDRAW X4 as well, but I can't get it to even go that far O_o

anything and everything I have drawn in it, results in practically NOTHING in G code when I export it to dxf and run SheetCAM's postprocessor on it

when I compared the designs I've drawn with the designs we've recieved, I found that the ones I drew consisted of one continuous line per shape, whereas the ones we've recieved, are made of a hundred little rectangles

I think surely this has something to do with why my drawings wont work, but don't have a clue what to do about it

any ideas? is it something to do with Corel? the settings in Corel? SheetCAM?

any help will be very much appreciated!

[locost_cam]

There are a few possibilities here. Can you describe what you do once you have loaded the drawing into SheetCam. For instance what sort of cut operations do you set up?

[donutguy640]

we just import it into SheetCAM, insert a tool operation, and postprocess it

for the tool operation, there is no waterjet option, so I think we choose plasma (we never change anything on that step, so I don't look at it much)

I don't really think it's SheetCAM though, since it works fine with the dxf files we're given

[locost_cam]

You are probably using a different layer. When you create your plasma operation, check you have the right layer selected.

[jemmyell]

Hi,

Please try the DxfTool for CorelDRAW as a part of your process. It creates high quality DXF files composed of boths lines and arcs for smooth cuts.

You can download a free trial copy at http://www.coreldrawtools.com

-James

[donutguy640]

come to think of it, yeah, I think there were two layers on the drawings I made, but one on the ones we've recieved...I'll see what I can do with that

could you explain layers to me, please?