Photo to DXF

[04 Marine]

Hey Folks,

Every now and again, I get a request to convert a favorite photo to some form of metal art. I've always loaded the photo as a BMP and then started to trace it one node at a time. If it a good black and while image I can use my CadLink software to do an auto trace, but it won't work on color photos.

There has got to be a better way...any thoughts on how to do this...shareware would be my first choice.

Glen

[plain ol Bill]

Glen I don't think you are ever going to find a way to do it effortlessly. Just make yourself buckle down and learn how to do it by tracing over it in your Cadlink. If cadlink has a three point curve option that is a better way than one node at a time.

[04 Marine]

Bill,

I don't know about a 3 point node option but I can talk to Torchmate Tech about it and see what they can tell me. Thanks for the insight.

Glen
www.usm-c.com

[Scratch]

Corel has a trace function that works on color photos, but I try to cover all the rest of the photo with white paper so it doesn't take so long tracing all the background too. It still needs to be worked a little though... I would love to hear a good answer to this problem too.

[04 Marine]

Hey Scratch,

Thanks for the response. I'll put that in line for a try as well.

Glen
www.usm-c.com

[TammyVB]

I open the pic in gimp2 and flatten the image, then using black and white with the pen tool (leaving the pic in color), I color it in using the pen on my Wacom graphics tablet alternating between the black and white depending on what I want to be cut out and what is part of the pattern. I work on the image in X400% or more if necessary. Then I convert it to a grayscale image and continue inverting the image back and forth until I have it all cleaned up. I export it as a bitmap and import it into PlasmaCam software---usually this gives me nice lines to work with in PlasmaCam and it just takes minutes to go through and clean it up so it's ready to cut.

[04 Marine]

Tammy,

What is gimp2?

glen

[Loyd]

Glen,
Gimp is an image manipulation program.

www.gimp.org

Loyd

[Wine Country]

I have been sending my color photo work to create silhouettes to Jason at Cascade for my DXF conversions. Even though
I have Vector Magic, after scanning a photo it will pick up shadows and too much detail to work with. I would rather be cutting than manipulating images. He is very reasonable and I just pass the cost on to the customer. I email him the images and he does his magic for me. I can be cutting other projects and making money. I will try to attach the last project using his services.
Marty

[TammyVB]

Glen -

Gimp2 is comparable to Adobe Photoshop Elements, MS Paint, etc. - I learned about it on Kim Komando's website: www.komando.com. She has a lot of free software downloads there.

It's free and simple. I have Adobe Photoshop Elements 7, as well, but I prefer Gimp2.

Once I scan in an image or open a image in Gimp2, I do all of my cleanup and b/w coloring---this works best if image is at least 300dpi. Then, I export the image as a bitmap and import it into PlasmaCam.

[Plasman256]

If you want a really great software for this that will virtually clean it up prior to outputing a DXF, I suggest Arbor Image software. It takes some learning, but the owner will work with you over the phone and he has great support and will let you send him the file, he will fix it and send it back and then call you and tell you how he did it. Great people to work with.

[Ironman]

I use a Transparent Window for onscreen tracing
Get it free here http://www.vasilios-free.gr/freesoft/transp_apps.htm
Then open your picture on screen with whatever picture viewer you have, and make it large.
Now open your tracing software (I use Inkscape) or your machine program, and make it half transparent so you can see the picture through it.
Trace away.

[boodog710]

I agree with Plasmaman256. I also use Arbor Image Cutting Shop program. Works great, not only for photos and scans to DXF but is invaluable in cleaning up DXF files and for manipulating them. Most every thing I cut goes through Cutting Shop first.