New to designing for plasma cutting

[shiver]

Hello Corel community.

I have added CNC plasma cutting to my existing business of vinyl and heat trasnfers for apparel using thermoflex. I use Corel X7. My knowledge with designing files is getting the file ready for my plotter. For those not familiar with using a plotter/cutter, the files have to be vector files and need to be converted to curves.

I have made a couple of custom designs for customers, exported the file as a dxf, then brought it into Sheetcam. I called support at the company who manufactures the table, Dynatorch, and asked for some guidance to get the file ready to send to the plasma table. The support staff told me that Corel isn't file friendly when creating files for Plasma cutting. He said there are typically too many nodes in the design for the torch to cut nice cuts. I sent the file to the owner we bought the table from, and he sent it back to me after he looked at it in Illustrator, the software he used for designing files. The previous owner also told me I need to create my files in layers, which I don't understand, as I thought I already was, it being only 1 layer.

So, my questions are,
Will Corel give me the type of clean file I need to get a nice cut from a plasma torch?

Is there a certain way I need to be creating my files?

Any input is appreciated.

Thank you

[muzza]

If you're using X7 your files should be fine. Prior to X5 there were some issues with splines.

I think you will find that CorelDraw is probably the most widely used program for creating files for our application. I use X5 and draw using mainly the "Polyline" tool if using the mouse or "freehand" tool if using the tablet and rarely have a problem.

When I download a file or have one sent to me, the first thing I do is check the node count and make sure I'm working with curves. It makes my life easier and my table work better by minmising nodes and using polylines.
Murray

[shiver]

Thank you. I now have some confidence that Corel will work. Now I just need to learn how to prepare art for plasma.

I don't do my free hand designing. So the polyline tool probably won't be much help to me.

Let's say I'm designing a name to go on a wall. I choose the text, size it accordingly. Then do i convert to curves, look at the node count, and eliminate notes where I can? Then save file as dxf?

Same for art files. I'm mainly doing metal art. If I import a silhouette of, say a horse. For my plotter, I would make sure it's a vector image. Check it over in wireframe to make sure no lines overlap. Weld where I needed to. Save file for plotter

Is there a different process for plasma? I was told Plasma works with lines, not fills. How would I prepare a silhouette for plasma cutting? Is there a process in Corel that creates a file for lines only? Is that what splines are?

Thank you

[muzza]

Pretty much as your doing.

As you say, your only using lines, I only use fill to check. Some people like to make their line thickness the same as their kerf but at the end of the day line thickness is immaterial as the dxf file will only be the centreline of the line you have as it will be a vector image which is infinitely scaleable.

I have never had a problem with a ttf having too many nodes.

I export to dxf 2008 and have no problems with splines or short straight segments, a curve stays a curve and the less nodes you have the smoother that curve will be.
Murray

[shiver]

Thank you so much for your help Murray. I think I'm doing it right. I am saving the file as a dxf, importing it into Sheetcam. I get the yellow and red lines for inside and outside cuts. All the lines are there and there are no broken lines. I think that is what is most important. And that there are no overlapping lines. I read that somewhere.

I found where I can but a DXFtool to minimize the number of nodes in a design, making it easier for the plasma torch to do it's job, giving smoother arcs. It's a little of my price range at the moment, but maybe in the future. For now, I can eliminate the number of nodes on my own, before saving the file. I'm sure I'll learn more as I do more cuts. Comforting knowing if I have more issues come up, I can come here for help.

Thanks again,

Vicki