importing from Adobe illustrator

[fourperf]

hi guys, I need to import a capital letter (in a certain font) from adobe illustrator into solidworks. Give it dimensions and then machine it. I tried exporting from Illustrator as a dxf then opening in solidworks. I cannot get it to work. Is it even possible? Could some one walk me through the process?

thanks
in advance

Mark

[trevis1st]

Did you convert the text to path in AI? If not then when you saved it as a dxf it may not save it as lines and curves but just embedded rich text.

[fourperf]

Thanks for the reply Trevis. I did not convert the text to path. I have not used illustrator
Before this. How do you do that?
Thanks again
Mark

[trevis1st]

Here is a link that I think describes what to do better than I can.
I usually use other programs but the same basic idea is the same in them all.

Using Adobe Illustrator How to Convert Text to Outlines

[fourperf]

Thank you very much. I appreciate the help. I will give it a try tomorrow
Mark

[fourperf]

ok, so I got it converted to path and imported it into sw. It was imported as a block not a normal sketch like I am used to seeing so editing it is not what I would have expected. Are there any different steps to take once in sw to work with it like a normal sketch?

thanks again for the help.

Mark

[trevis1st]

Mark

Would you attach the AI and DXF file that your using?
I'd like to take a look to see what might be going on.
Thanks

[fourperf]

Mark

Would you attach the AI and DXF file that your using?
I'd like to take a look to see what might be going on.
Thanks

thanks a lot, I appreciate that. I could not attach them for some reason. Would you ming either pm`ming me your email address or emailing me

mark@dektor.com

and then I can email them to you.

Thanks again, I do appreciate your help with this.
Mark

[fourperf]

well it attached the dxf just not the ai file

[mafitch7479]

can't you just open the illustrator file in SW? That's how I do it at work. Or is there something I'm missing in what you're trying to do?

[fourperf]

This is the first time I have done it. I ended up getting it to work by importing the dxf then exploding the block. It worked well. Next time I will try to import the AI file.

Thanks

Mark

[mafitch7479]

This is the first time I have done it. I ended up getting it to work by importing the dxf then exploding the block. It worked well. Next time I will try to import the AI file.

Thanks

Mark

It might depend on your version of SW, but I know in 2010 and 2011 I could just open the AI file directly. Simply by changing the file format I was browsing for from .sldprt to .AI. I've done it quite a few times in the past few months with the projects we do.