svg export

[Lee Keenan]

I'm using a laser cutter a lot now for making scale theatre scenic design models. I do all my drafting in Vecotworks and have to jump through some 3rd party hoops to convert to svg. A direct svg export that supports basic colors  (red = cutting, black = raster etching and blue = vector etching)  would be AN AMAZING  new feature for me. I saw this discussed in General and that someone at VW was researching it, but I wanted to signal boost that request.

[Claes Lundstrom]

7 hours ago, Lee Keenan said:

I'm using a laser cutter a lot now for making scale theatre scenic design models. I do all my drafting in Vecotworks and have to jump through some 3rd party hoops to convert to svg. A direct svg export that supports basic colors  (red = cutting, black = raster etching and blue = vector etching)  would be AN AMAZING  new feature for me. I saw this discussed in General and that someone at VW was researching it, but I wanted to signal boost that request.

I agree. I also make models (product replicas) with super photo realistic high res textures and cutting it out with a cutter. My solution is to compile the high res textures with cutting lines, alignment marks, and scoring lines,  dividing it into classes, and then exporting it as a PDF in scale 1:1. I then open it in Affinity Designer, which imports the model perfectly while maintaining the class structure, and then export as SVG into the cutter driver and the graphics to the printer. Works very well. Affinity Designer can be described as something similar to Adobe Illustrator, but for a very modest price. 

 

Picture: Real product, paper model, 1.5 meter high fabrics skin model. 

 

 

 

[Brian(J)]

I also am getting more and more need for SVG export, so I am hoping there can be progress on this soon,

 

thank you,

Brian

[Art V]

On 8/25/2019 at 5:43 AM, Lee Keenan said:

I'm using a laser cutter a lot now for making scale theatre scenic design models. I do all my drafting in Vecotworks and have to jump through some 3rd party hoops to convert to svg. A direct svg export that supports basic colors  (red = cutting, black = raster etching and blue = vector etching)  would be AN AMAZING  new feature for me. I saw this discussed in General and that someone at VW was researching it, but I wanted to signal boost that request.

I am assuming you need to use SVG for some reason. Do you have the option to use DXF? Most cutting software I know of does support DXF as well unless DXF is not a feasible option for some reason (e.g. circles not being perfect circles but strings of very short straight lines).

But having SVG export would be welcome anyway.

[Claes Lundstrom]

1 hour ago, Art V said:

I am assuming you need to use SVG for some reason. Do you have the option to use DXF? Most cutting software I know of does support DXF as well unless DXF is not a feasible option for some reason (e.g. circles not being perfect circles but strings of very short straight lines).

But having SVG export would be welcome anyway.

The thing with DXF is that most cutter drivers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to reading files. You typically loose this or that almost every time. This is at least in my experience having gone through a number of them. SVG is by nature a much simpler format and therefore works better. 

[Art V]

I'm using intermediate software to create G-code files that get sent to the cutting machine instead of having the driver directly reading the dxf file. (though that software typically costs 2,000 USD just for the basics and then you need the machine specific translator on top of it for optimized G-code etc.) so it will end up costing more than just VW.

 

There are DWG and 2D/3D file viewers that can generate generic G-code files (ABViewer is one of those). If the cutter driver can import G-code files then that could be an option as well to try but you would not have specific for the cutter optimized G-code.

[Paolo]

Hello, I am happy to show you my next coming plugin (menu command) to export SVG out of Vectorworks.

Here's a short presentation with a video:

 

 

[Paolo]

A beta version of my Export to SVG menu command is now available for a limited time...

 

[Paolo]