how to export cleanly from inkscape to rdworks (the lasercutter)

[kr...@sleepingplanet.com]

Hi all,

I have been having issues with importing dxf file from inkscape to rdworks. the main issue was fine detail was mangled.

This has now been solved AND has the added bonus of keeping your colors so that rd works can easily engrave certain parts and cut others.

This is the process:

 

In inkscape you no longer need to ungroup or convert objects to path. I'm unsure if you have to have everything on the root layer.

Go file, Save As and choose EPS

in the dialog box, choose the following:

 

• Postscript Level 3
• Convert text to paths
• Rasterrise filter effects (resolution should be around 600, but if you don't have any pictures in your design don't worry and leave it at 90)
• Use exported objects size

 

Now open your command line (ctrl+shift+t on linux)

cd to the directory you saved this in and run the following

pstoedit -dt -f "dxf_s: -mm" nameofthefileyousaved.eps nameyouwantthedxftobe.dxf

that's it!

obviously you need to have pstoedit installed first, on Ubuntu go

sudo apt-get install pstoedit

on windows please see the following

http://www.pstoedit.net/

there are versions for windows 32 and 64 bit.

thanks to Sebastien Laforet for his post which got me here

http://rdworkslab.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1407

if anyone wants to make a plugin for inkscape that does this automagically that would be very cool...

Kind regards,

Kris

[Peter Hardy]

And, just quickly, to round out the three main platforms, MacOS users can install pstoedit via Homebrew.

brew install pstoedit

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[Daniel Smith]

That's awesome Kris, thanks for the update. Can you remind me which color is engrave/cut/raster etc? Or do people usually set up the behaviour for each colour at cut time?

[Kris]

Yup the latter
In general I've found Black is always set to cut.

I think, but haven't tried yet, that you can save a cutting template in rdworks which define what colour does what.

On the laser cutter laptop you'll find a shared folder. All members are welcome to create a folder within that (with your name) and save projects/templates in there.

---

From: Daniel Smith <drsmi...@gmail.com>
Sent: 28 April 2017 8:17:24 AM AEST
To: Robots & Dinosaurs <sydney-h...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [RnD] how to export cleanly from inkscape to rdworks (the lasercutter)

That's awesome Kris, thanks for the update. Can you remind me which color is engrave/cut/raster etc? Or do people usually set up the behaviour for each colour at cut time?

--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[Darryl Adams]

So, why is RDworks not working with Dxf format cleanly?

And Kris, could your workaround work with PDF files which for all intent and purpose (as far as I know, if I am wrong don't hate me!) EPS anyway?

[Kris]

Rd works is much less forgiving of inkscape dxf output than lasercad.

Pdf is a bit of a grab bag of stuff so is harder to decode, but read up on the intermediate app and see if it supports it.

---

From: Darryl Adams <vora...@gmail.com>
Sent: 28 April 2017 9:48:16 AM AEST

To: Robots & Dinosaurs <sydney-h...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: [RnD] how to export cleanly from inkscape to rdworks (the lasercutter)

So, why is RDworks not working with Dxf format cleanly?

And Kris, could your workaround work with PDF files which for all intent and purpose (as far as I know, if I am wrong don't hate me!) EPS anyway?

[Daniel Smith]

Cool, thanks Kris. Do you use a particular line width in inkscape or does it not really matter?

[Kris]

Inkscape does wierd stuff with fill and line.
I'm away at the moment, but from memory I think I keep the line at 1px and use fill to define the shape.
Otherwise I end up with the shapes changing dimension ever so slightly during additive it subtractive operations.

---

From: Daniel Smith <drsmi...@gmail.com>

Sent: 30 April 2017 8:10:57 AM AEST

To: Robots & Dinosaurs <sydney-h...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: [RnD] how to export cleanly from inkscape to rdworks (the lasercutter)

Cool, thanks Kris. Do you use a particular line width in inkscape or does it not really matter?

[Daniel Smith]

Thanks Kris. Roughly what's the typical width of vector-cut lines (not rastered)? I assume it's ~1mm from what I've seen of previous laser cuttings 

[kris]

do you mean kerf? the width of material removed by the laser as it cuts?

if so then start at 0.2mm, focus, power, speed and material plays a big
part in this.

James has a nifty template you can cut to determine kerf.


whatever you are doing, please accept you'll need to test parts, more
than once. and you'll need to adjust settings on the laser cutter such
as power and speed, and you may have to adjust your design.

and it will change depending on the day.

On 02/05/17 19:11, Daniel Smith wrote:
> Thanks Kris. Roughly what's the typical width of vector-cut lines (not
> rastered)? I assume it's ~1mm from what I've seen of previous laser
> cuttings
>
> On Sunday, 30 April 2017 08:29:33 UTC+10, Kris wrote:
>
> Inkscape does wierd stuff with fill and line.
> I'm away at the moment, but from memory I think I keep the line at
> 1px and use fill to define the shape.
> Otherwise I end up with the shapes changing dimension ever so
> slightly during additive it subtractive operations.
>
>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Daniel Smith <drsmi...@gmail.com <javascript:>>
> *Sent:* 30 April 2017 8:10:57 AM AEST
> *To:* Robots & Dinosaurs <sydney-h...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>>
> *Subject:* Re: [RnD] how to export cleanly from inkscape to

> rdworks (the lasercutter)
>
> Cool, thanks Kris. Do you use a particular line width in inkscape or does it not really matter?
>
>
> --
> Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
>

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