AutoCad :: Converting Illustrator Files To DXF / DWG For Laser Cut
Dec 20, 2011
I'm looking to start offering laser cut pendants and such. Laser cutters require AutoCAD files, and I have no idea how to use any of the AutoCAD software (I intend to learn, eventually) but I heard you can take Illustrator files and convert them into the necessary formats. I have experience with Illustrator so I thought that was brilliant.
I took my Photoshop sketch and brought it into Illustrator and traced all the lines on one layer using the Pen tool. It's all straight lines. I temporarily deleted the layer with JPG artwork, then chose the Export option and selected dxf.
I didn't change any of the default options, so AutoCAD version was set at 2000/LT2000, colors set at 256, and raster file format was left at BMP. The "Export Selected Art", "Alter Paths for Appearance", and "Outline Text" options were all left unchecked.
Upon sending the file to my laser guy, he said that when opening it, there were no entities. I don't know what I did wrong. I just exported it as a DWG as well and sent that to him.
I need to send 2D drawings for laser cutting. Opti is the laser software..My issue is that the laser cuts to each grip and gives the cut metal a serrated looking edge.
Removing/simpliying the lines into fewer (microscopic!) segements or being able to adjusts the number of grips.
I've been trying to export some CS4 Illustrator files to cad for laser cutting. Fab shops here use mostly Solidworks, but can use autocad. I'm selecting dfx/dwg in the export, and scaling to inches, even double checking the scaling is correct from a decimal measurment found on another forum thread, and it is-- but I've tried this about 8 times now with 2 different fab shops and they both say when they open the files the scaling is WAYYYY off, and there are breaks and "splines" all over that are disconnected.
I'm converting batches of my EPS files to JPEG. I've created a keyboard shortcut, but still need to select JPEG in Format (default is PNG), then select 'Use artboards', then image type, resolution, etc.
Although it's quite quick to do, it's very repetitive and I don't want to miss a step if I lose concentration.
I've seen a script that does a batch conversion, but that has to have the file type that you're opening and the location. I still want to open each file individually and use a keyboard shortcut to execute that script.
If no ready script, how can I change the default from PNG to JPEG?
I need to save from Illustrator in .dwg format, for laser cutting. However the scale shown in Illustrator is not the same scale in the .dwg when they look at it at the laser cutting firm.
btw when I export in .dwg format the setting for scale is set at 1 centimeter = 1 unit. I don't know what they mean by unit however.
In older versions of Illustrator (8 & 10) I can change the lpi to a 20 or 30 with a GCC Elite XL printer and have no problem printing BIG dots on vellum paper for screen printing on T-shirts.
I'm running newer version (CS2) now, and I can set the halftone to 20 lpi, but when I print it to my HP 5si mx printer, it comes out looking as smooth as a paper printed dot can look! Not what I want!! I've tried changing all kind of settings, both on the printer menu, and in the print dialog box. But my HP seems to default to an 'enhanced' halftone dot!!! My GCC is getting really old, only has drivers for 8 & 10, and I need a back up in case it dies someday and I can't print those big dots anymore!
I can't update to newer (600 or 1200dpi) printers because I need to print at 300dpi so my dots come out looking big and bold. I know, I know, it's not what most people want these days, but it's what I n
I can't figure out how to create outlines (vector lines) for my patterns , as I need to laser cut the pattern, and all the lines have to be seen I use Illustrator CS6.
Is there a best setting for the mode, color settings, and color profiles when printing a grayscale vector illustration to a monochrome laser printer? I am making vector maps, and right now they are mostly black line and black text with only the K values in CMYK. There are some gray tones—for example water areas are 10% K, with no C, M or Y. Would it make any difference if I used RGB mode values at 100% (255,255,255), or a rich black in CMYK (such as 40C, 30M, 30Y, 100K)? I printed in K only at 1200dpi to a Generic Gray Gamma 2.2 profile, and it doesn't look too bad. There aren't many of the lines that are really jagged. I just wondered if there are better settings.
I'm using Mac OS 10.6, Illustrator CS6, and a Brother HL-5470DW monochrome laser printer.
How the PMS color palettes "simulate" on screen how the color will print on different substrates (glossy vs matte vs uncoated paper). That's great for comps, but if you convert it to CMYK to print it, and the values are representing a "simulated" color it won't look correct (by that I mean come close to matching the spot color). For example, the uncoated palette simulates the color by making them appear a bit washed out on screen - pretty good visual simulation. But it might do so by adding black and cyan to orange for example, etc. - effectively dulling the original color.
So if I convert that to CMYK within the new Pantone + color palette, and then send it to the printer - it won't appear as it did on screen, it will dull the end color even more because it's converted the color to the dull simulated version - what a disaster! It's only doing half the job - showing us what it should look like on screen. In order to be truly efficient for design professionals the CMYK conversion might remove black and cyan completely to effectively brighten the color in the final output on uncoated paper. I would prefer it just stick to the standard conversion, which Pantone did have as a standard palette option (PMS to process), and then I can adjust if I think it's necessary.
Any corporate branding system will likely start with a PMS spot color palette for the identity. Then it will build into many different adaptations - full color brochures, large format banners and trade show graphics, website, advertising. So any corporate branding system will need to have PMS, CMYK and RGB versions of their main corporate color palette. There was a standard for these translations that was automatically consistent in the Adobe software and that is now all over the place, so it relies on individuals manually adapting the color mixes for final use - what a great way to screw things up.
As an organization, we have opted to go with STB as we have some complicated requirements that CTB doesn't accommodate. The wisdom of that decision is a moot point and I'm aware of the vast array of opinion.
We have a legacy of CTB drawings that occassionally need to be brought forward when projects get resurrected (state government highway designs are prone to getting shelved).
Up to AutoCAD 2009, I've had a VBA routine that performed a few operations on a list of files stored in a text file:
- Open the file
- Convert to STB using "CONVERTPSTYLES" with a specified STB file.
- Run a script to load a layer state file to change the plot styles from Style1, Style2 etc, to their correct named plot styles.
- Manage a recalcitrant layer that refused to play ball.
- Save and close the document
- Get the next file........
This was all fine until 2010 came along with the announcement that VBA was to be phased out. 2010 is OK with the VBA enablers, but now I've got some work to do.
Our organisation's development language is C# and I'm using Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition to develop my C# .NET code.
Is there another mechanism than "SendStringToExecute" for sending a command such as convertpstyles to AutoCAD and getting .NET to wait for it to finish before proceeding.
I've got CommandEnded code that handles waiting for MTEXT and DTEXT commands to finish and I've tried constructing a CommandEnded for CONVERTPSTYLES, but it seems to me that commands that throw dialogue boxes such as CONVERTPSTYLESand SCRIPT aren't handled the same way.
I've tried setting FILEDIA to 0 prior to running the CONVERTPSTYLES command, however the message box that CONVERTPSTYLES presents before asking for the STB file appears to be getting in the way.
I am using AutoCAD lt 2004. I used to easily save files to pdfs using the plot command. My previous HDD was C:. Since replacing the drive and a few other things my HDD is now H:
When I try to save(plot) a file as a pdf now I get a message saying "windows is unable to read drive C;. Make sure there is a disk in the drive and that the disk is formatted and free of errors".
How do I convert a shape file (.shp) from GIS into a file format that I can use in Autocad (dwg, dxf)?? I use Autocad 2002.I am trying to convert a GIS county land use map that shows things like roadways, waterways, etc. into Autocad.
I'm looking for an application (retail) that does a good (accurate) job of converting PDF files to DWG or DXFs. I realize that it is not an exact science and each program has its strong and weak points.
I have an aerial ortho image with a world file and a .dwg that is in UTM NAD83 17N and some shapefiles that are LL83.
I know that these shapefiles correspond to the subject area, but right now these are not lining up at all because the shapefiles are in lat and long ie. -73.xx, 48.xxx and the UTM coords are i.e. 4870562.56, 555859.08.
How to do the transformation?I have tried to assign the NAD83 projection to the shapefiles, but they remain in the same lat long coordinate space.
I have been building a library of beams for our robotics department for my work. They need iges files to put into weldpro. When I am converting to iges sometimes i get this error message, Unsupported photometric object light type. Not really sure how to fix it, like I said sometime this happens and sometimes it doesn't.Here is the command box text,
I created a few files using the student version of Inventor hoping to have a local water jet place do some cutting for me. Unfortunate, they can't read ipt files. They wanted it in dxf files.
I have to sometimes make files for a router table, water jets, and plasma cutters. Some of the shapes are created from splines and or polylines. Our router program and some of the programs that our vendors use (water jet and plasma cutter) programs that have major trouble with the amount of control points (nodes) that are required to hold that shape as it should be. When I try to remove the nodes in autocad the shape changes.
One of the methods I have to use is to import the DXF file into Corel Draw X3 and remove all the extra nodes that the program will allow me to delete without changing the shape of the item. This works sometimes depending on the program that the vendor is using. I have to do different things for different vendors, and as I said this only works 50 percent of the time, and I will not know if it worked or not, until the vendor starts complaining about open files or not. On one occasion the final product came in from the vendor, and it was a mess, inside corners were blown out in large circles, and outside corners were rounded off into large circles.
The in house router table issue has been overcome, it is the water jet vendors and plasma cutter vendors that we are still having issues with.
I'm used to using AutoCad R14 and just recently had to purchase AutoCad 2010. The printing service that I have to use has to have the drawings in a PDF format and I found out how to make the conversion. However, the lineweights, the linetypes and the linetype scales are all out of wack. I have read about setting up a CBT file, but apparently I'm missing something someplace. I want to plot by color to achieve lineweight. Linetypes and linetype scales are set when the object is drawn, where the default is Continuous and 1 respectively.
How do I go about converting MOV files into DV or mpeg files to edit? When I import the files are choppy I downloaded the quicktime, dvx and direct x files. No success.
I'm doing an internship at school and need to convert alot of .tiff files and .dpf files into drawings. I also experimented with a program that converted the files from raster format into vector format. This is what I've found so far...
Able2Extract – Works very well when it does. Creates everything on 1 layer. Has options to use Autocad 2000 color palette or Autocad 2004 color palette. 2004 palette usual fails. Program works 50% of the time.
Aide PDF to DXF – Worked very well, once. Tried multiple floor plans and it came out chicken scratch.
I'm having problems plotting to PDF's and maintaining the line weights etc.. that I get when I print to my plotter. It seems like Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 converts based on the color of my pens.... the lighter color value i.e. yellow, the lighter the grey tone. white is darkest. It ignores my lineweight settings, so I have no control on the quality of the output. Is it possible to get it to use the .ctb files that my plotter uses when creating it's PDF? I'm using AutoCAD LT 2010.
I have had a client send me over some information about a site we have out in the middle of nowhere, Australia, and they've sent over the info in a bunch of .shx files. The types are shown as Shape Source and Compiled Shape. So, is there a way for me to change the .shx files to .dwg or .dwf files without downloading a piece of software for $150-250USD without knowing if it really works? I've looked through the forums, but I don't want to convert the files from .shx to .shp, I also tried a couple of trial downloads for converters, but for some reason have only found downloads for 32bit machines, whereas I'm working with a 64bit machine, or they don't do what they say they do.
I am trying to convert a 2013 ACAD file to ACAD 2010LT but some objects are not viewable in the converted file. I used DWG Truview to convert the 2013 file to 2010LT.
I need to convert shapefiles to a pretty old version of dxf. Shapefiles is a file format used in geographical systems.
[URL].......
For example a shapefile could contain points, lines or polygons, and attributes for each point/line/whatever.
Now I need to convert shapefiles to an old version of the dxf format, I don't even know exactly what version so I'll have to find out by trial and error I guess. (But a gut feeling says somewhere in the 90's.)
Luckily there are tools to convert shapefiles to the modern versions of DXF, but where do I go from there?
Is there any way of running a batch process to convert a number of AutoCad drawings into Tiff format, at once? Also, if a batch process is not available, can we save our plot settings for conversion to Tiff so that they can be recalled at a later stage? We would like to be able to transfer the same plot settings to other PCs so that we are all producing the same formatted files. Are the plot settings transferable?
I had a question as to whether or not there are any upgardes / improvements / options in any of the later Autodesk versions (2013, 2014) have the ability to convert 2D drawings from NX/Catia/Solidworks to Inventor. Is it possible to convert 2D drawings from these other software to extensions that are compatible with Autodesk software? I'm running an earlier version of Inventor on my machine but it seems as though even those at our other locations running Autodesk 2013/2014 are having trouble converting 2D files properly.
