DXF Help

[zakscott22]

I have been trying to convert this into a DXF file to cut for my local fire department, everytime i try to trace it i can not get a clean file that will look ok when being cut. Alot of the corners and what should be sharper edges get more rounded and kinda looks sloppy to me. I have asked for a better looking file but this is the best they have given me. Can someone help me, im not even sure if this is the right location to ask for this.

IMG_20240311_192535.jpg

[Larry83301]

Most of that design is available using the search on the left side right below the topic on the DXF & SVG Plasma Cutting File Sharing Forum" Just search for fireman or related words till you find each piece you need. As for the shield I would pick the one that you have the best lines of and then clean it up. Then you can do an offset line from it to get the other set of lines. All thee lettering I would do myself that way they come out easier and good. Let me know how it comes out or post the file you come up with and we can go from there.

Larry

[Joe Jones]

If you are going to do a layered sign, this will be fairly easy to do. If you’re trying to cut all of this out of one sheet of metal, it’ll be difficult because you have many colors, and only two options, Metal, or Air. I would suggest that you do a layered sign and decide what gets cut out of each of the layers that overlap each other.

Joe

[adbuch]

For best result, I would suggest doing a layered piece. An Inkscape auto trace will produce an acceptable result for most of the piece. The text, center "X", and perhaps the ladder could be redrawn probably easier than node-editing the trace result.
David

1.jpg

2.jpg

[adbuch]

Here is an example of a similar project showing some details of the layered approach. This one was to be cut at about 48" x 48" and intended to be a "wall hanger".

You would basically use an Easyscriber or equivalent installed into your torch (in place of the consumables) to scribe the details onto the backer, then cut the backer. If you don't have an Easyscriber, you could accomplish the same thing using a sharpie pen holder attached to your torch. If you choose to do it that way, then you would use a silver colored sharpie pen and mark the details after painting the backer. Then simply cut out the smaller parts, paint the proper colors, and attach to the backer using some sort of adhesive.

David

Raiders.jpg

Raiders Wall Hanger 1.jpg

Raiders Wall Hanger 2.jpg

[adbuch]

Raiders scribe pattern image.jpg

Raiders final Inkscape.jpg

[ben de lappe]

To go along with all the in depth information on ways to construct this piece I've drawn much of this by hand to give you some decent profiles to work with for when you figure out exactly how you want to cut this, layered or not. For the center EMT logo to work out at scale the overall size of this piece came out to 31"x36". I stopped where I was with the font. It was a close match but at this size some interior details are too close. Also I didn't attempt to arc the letters though CorelDraw has that feature. Maybe next time.

[adbuch]

Ben - I made an attempt to arch the text to match the original image. Here is what I came up with. So now the question is - what it the best way to do a layered piece for this one?
David

Clear Lake arched text Inkscape image.jpg

Clear Lake arched text Inkscape image 1.jpg

Clear Lake arched text Inkscape image 2.jpg

Clear Lake_PS rev.1.dxf

[adbuch]

Here is the Inkscape file I was working with.

David

CLEAR LAKE Inkscape working file image.jpg

Clear Lake curved text.svg

[acourtjester]

Very nice suggestions/examples by Ben and David. it will be nice to see what the OP does for the final product. Would really POP with a layered look finished with high gloss epoxy.

[ben de lappe]

Ben - I made an attempt to arch the text to match the original image. Here is what I came up with. So now the question is - what it the best way to do a layered piece for this one?
David

That's quite close David, nice job. I'll normally do similar with TM but in some rare instances cannot replicate it exactly due to the manner in which it's been created. CorelDraw has a feature called envelope that'll arc text in some amazing ways but I can't figure it out just by playing with and will need to watch some tutorials.

To your question what's the best way to layer this? I suppose that depends on how much material is deemed acceptable for this project. Maybe something like this with two layers?

[ben de lappe]

Very nice suggestions/examples by Ben and David. it will be nice to see what the OP does for the final product. Would really POP with a layered look finished with high gloss epoxy.

Layered in a manner the way you do would be absolutely awesome. Just an interesting fact, but 99.9% of the requests I receive want everything in one layer.

[acourtjester]

I know this is way off base for Plasma but shows what layering and how to mask off parts of a project to paint. This guy is a real artist, different take for a firehouse project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwFJ39a ... ustomSigns

[zakscott22]

You guys rock with all the suggestions, I'm just getting started with this whole plasma thing and mostly picked it up for off road fab type stuff. I'm on the dept and the Chief found out I have the plasma table and asked if I could do this sign for them. I kept struggling with getting the medical shield to look decent when I tried to trace with inkscape. I'm still working on figuring out this whole trace and art side of the plasma world and if I really wanna dabble in it. I appreciate all the advice, I'm gonna keep playing with it and see how I can get it layered and possibly back lit also.

[ROKCRLER]

.....off road fab type stuff.......

I wanna see

[zakscott22]

.....off road fab type stuff.......

I wanna see

My first big thing I have done besides some little brackets or shackles for other people. My current build is the 47, coil overs, 1 tons, 42s, slowly working on it as I get time. The XJ is my current trail rig 1 tons and 40s.

[ROKCRLER]

Very nice!

[acourtjester]

take is slow so you enjoy the art side, as you do other thigs it will start to make sense and you will grow. The layered and back lit takes a little more to get the big picture, you can look back at some posted projects here to see how others go about it. Layered you will need a backer plate for the other layers to attach to. Now with back lit you now have stand offs to give space for the lighting. Here are some I have done.
Let you mind wonder, and ask questions you will get it soon.

[adbuch]

Ben - I made an attempt to arch the text to match the original image. Here is what I came up with. So now the question is - what it the best way to do a layered piece for this one?
David

That's quite close David, nice job. I'll normally do similar with TM but in some rare instances cannot replicate it exactly due to the manner in which it's been created. CorelDraw has a feature called envelope that'll arc text in some amazing ways but I can't figure it out just by playing with and will need to watch some tutorials.

To your question what's the best way to layer this? I suppose that depends on how much material is deemed acceptable for this project. Maybe something like this with two layers?

Ben - I like your idea of just doing it with 2 layers. Using that approach, the OP would need to stencil some of the letters to keep the centers intact when cut. As far as the arched text goes, I don't believe that CorelDraw has the capability to actually arch the text. It can fit text to a curved path, but not arch the text so that the sides of the individual letters remain vertical. I was experimenting with another program which will arch the text, but the problem is that it keeps the spacing between the individual letters constant - where as the image the OP has provided has variable spacing between the letters - as if the original artist may have positioned the individual letters individually.

Arched text spacing.jpg

With the previous file I posted, I had created the arched text as shown above, and then attempted to node edit it to more closely match the image. You saw the result - which was not perfect - and involved lots of "messing around" to try to get it to match. I think that probably the easiest and quickest method is to simply hand trace the letters if they really need to match the original image.

David

arch text comparison 1.jpg

arch text comparison 2.jpg

[adbuch]

take is slow so you enjoy the art side, as you do other thigs it will start to make sense and you will grow. The layered and back lit takes a little more to get the big picture, you can look back at some posted projects here to see how others go about it. Layered you will need a backer plate for the other layers to attach to. Now with back lit you now have stand offs to give space for the lighting. Here are some I have done.
Let you mind wonder, and ask questions you will get it soon.

Tom - you show some great examples of multi-layered pieces. Some very nice work! Thanks for sharing those with us.
David

[zakscott22]

thank you, guys, luckily no big rush on doing this so I can play around with it. Thank you for showing some of your work. I keep reading and watching youtube videos, but I learn best by doing it so I'm going to keep plugging away and hopefully figure this out.

[adbuch]

thank you, guys, luckily no big rush on doing this so I can play around with it. Thank you for showing some of your work. I keep reading and watching youtube videos, but I learn best by doing it so I'm going to keep plugging away and hopefully figure this out.

Here is one way to do it as a single layer that I think may work out well for creating a back-lit sign. I have stenciled some of the letters to keep the centers from falling out when cut.
David

Clear Lake Foster TWP back-lit image.jpg

Clear Lake Foster TWP.svg

Clear Lake Foster TWP.dxf

[adbuch]

You may come up with a more creative way to stencil your letters that is more to your liking. I just did something quick to show the basic idea.
David

stenciled letters.jpg

[plasmanewbie]

Nice work David! That would work out very well as a single piece.

[adbuch]

Nice work David! That would work out very well as a single piece.

Thanks plasmanewbie! I did the screen shot over a black background with the white behind the actual sign to try to give a better idea of how it might look with backlighting. I think this one may work out very well for the OP if he decides to actually cut it.

David