Not sure if this is a SCAL issue or Inkscape

[HeatherM]

I haven't been able to open the .wmf because I don't have uniconverter installed, but would the paint bucket work for these files?

It would work, and maybe I'm a little picky but one of the reasons I don't like the paint bucket is because it tends to round out corners.

[GrammyKrausse]

You can open wmf files in Inkscape and take apart for saving as svg's. No converting needed.
Grammy

[annie21211]

I'm beginning to think this is a lost cause for me. It's very frustrating. I'm attaching a file (the .wmf and the inkscape svg)for someone to look at if they will. I saved it as a .wmf from autocad and imported it into inkscape .47. I ungrouped and combined but am not understanding about the connecting the nodes. Well, what I mean is that I don't see where I should connect the nodes in this drawing.

My problem with this particular drawing is the rounded corners. I made sure my drawing in autocad is closed with no openings anywhere and converted everything to a polyline. In Inkscape, Path/Union does not work for me at all, it makes my drawing go crazy.

Test.svg

(3.04 KiB) Downloaded 203 times

squared rectangle part 2.zip

(477 Bytes) Downloaded 155 times

I feel like I'm almost there but am surprised I'm having this much difficulty. I appreciate all the help!

[HeatherM]

I think what you need to do is Close your polyline in Autocad before you export. The problem with your polylines right now is that they are just line segments that are combined but not welded. I think Close will weld the segments together. http://www.we-r-here.com/cad/tutorials/level_2/2-7.htm

[annie21211]

In autocad my polyline is definitely closed before exporting. Heather, I appreciate you and I'm sure you are sick of me by now but is there another way to get my files in svg form? I don't understand how so many others can draw original designs and get them in .svg format and I can't.

I've tried a converter (converting .dxf to .svg) and that works some of the time but not enough to use it on every drawing. Sometimes the converted file looks right in SCAL, even when I preview it before cutting, and when I cut it's all screwed up and not a usable cut. Is there someone who converts files for a living that I can contact and possibly hire to do this?

[DogCarbon]

From my experience in Microstation (a relative of autocadd) I can't do the work that I would like to do.

I tried to draw a simple rectangle box, and export it to bring into inkscape to save as an svg.
What I ended up having was 4 independent lines in inkscape.
I would have had to join each line segment at the corner with the two nodes, but even then I was having trouble selecting each node because they were on top of each other.

I admitted defeat and learned to draw in inkscape. I try to draw to a scale and use the x and y coordinates to line things up straight. and then at the end, things can be made bigger or smaller in inkscape for cutting, but for designing/drawing it is to a scale.

[HeatherM]

For simple shapes, you would be better off to work directly in Inkscape. With the sizing and alignment tools it is pretty easy to combine shapes as needed to get more complex shapes like boxes. Also you might be better off from a node standpoint to work directly in SCAL. The image below shows one of your curved corners and it is made up of a bunch of straight line segments with nodes on each end. The more nodes in your file, the longer it will take to cut.

Overlapping nodes look different, the circle in the image below is two overlapping end nodes. You can connect the overlapping end nodes easily, just use the node editor to select the nodes (drag a selection box around them), then use this button to connect them into one node.

join nodes.png (8.08 KiB) Viewed 2816 times

[firstcut]

Has anyone tried print to svg with autocad? From what I am hearing on this thread, I suspect it may also yield unconnected lines, but it is worth a try. I would try it with and without polyline, if that is possible.
Instructions on my blog here
http://cleversomeday.wordpress.com/2010 ... -cutfiles/

Also, if you need to use the paint bucket, you can set the thresholds to minimize corner rounding or you can select the nodes that are supposed to be corners and click the make nodes corner button.

[MrThumbs]

If you are interested in designing in AutoCAD and producing SVG files, try my Visual Basic macro for AutoCAD. You can create SVG files from polylines, circles, arcs, ellipses, and lines (although I don't recommend using lines). Try to keep your polylines continuous and closed for maximum efficiency of the cutter and to avoid problems at corners. Example dwg and SVG files are included. Download the zip file from http://home.cogeco.ca/~mybrainhurts/SVG_OUTPUT.zip
Enjoy!