Converting using vector magic

[larrycameron44]

Hi plasma mad folks, if possible could someone who plasma cuts check this file for me as I am trying to convert pics to dxf. I don't have my cnc system yet as I only cut with templates by hand with a Powermax 30 but I am trying to learn some of the basics. So can anybody tell me if this file would actually cut or what I need to do differently?

[Bigrhamr]

There appears to be be 2 layers of lines in the drawing, one on top of the other. Don't know if it has something to do with how the DXF exports from that program or if maybe you just inadvertantly made a copy in the same spot.

Different machines interpret arcs in different ways. That drawing has all straight line segments with thousands of short segments making up the arcs. If I was cutting it I would run it through cutting shop and convert to actual arcs
and it would work much better for my purposes, Your mileage may vary. Does Vector Magic have options for exporting lines and arcs? How about a setting for smoothing or reducing node count?

[SignTorch Vector Art]

It has the right form, except I think you need to do a 2 color trace and or set ignore-background, I forget the exact settings/results in vector magic

because, it has this shape on a layer named color#040404ff, and then it has copies of the same lines spread across other layers named after lighter colors (that means it traced the dark correctly but also traced a few lighter background colors)

it also has a rectangle around it (ignore-background will get rid of that to)

you could tell your cnc to only cut that one layer, but it'd be better to have just one copy on one layer

then, it has a lot of nodes, not sure if that will affect your cut or if you can control that with vector magic, and it has two thin spots west of the spider

[larrycameron44]

Thank you both for your reply, I have a way to go I see.
I shall see what I can do within Vector magic to try and solve these problems.
Thanks again guys!

[BrianMick]

I also have that problem with the two layers....if someone can tell me exactly how to stop that from occuring that would save a lot of time editing a pic.....plus the layers are kind of annoying
thanks Brian

[Mac]

Think I have answer after 2 days of fighting double lines. On the last page in export options there are 3 settings -
Shape mode: stack shapes on top of each other (using this has eliminated double lines for me)
Stroking mode: do not stroke shape boundaries
DXF mode: lines and spline curves

Hope this helps.

Vector Magic Desktop Edition v1.15

[BrianMick]

I can tell you that I figured out that vector magic places those double lines where two colors meet. It creates a line for each color, there is a simple way to solve this with the desktop version, you should use the remove background feature and remove all colors you dont need and you wont have all of the double lines.....
Brian