How do I create a cut file for a piece that has already been

[adamsfab]

I have a customer that has a plaque type piece that he uses over and over, just changes the name cut into the bottom section. He is not happy with his current supplier, and wants me to cut the plaques for him. i have one of them in my possesion, but do not know how to create a duplicate. He would like them to remain as close to the original as possible. I am a total idiot when it comes to computers, and just got my table to cut my first pieces yesterday. So, not very advanced . I was wondering what is the best path to convert the actual piece back into a cut file. I do have a digital camera if that helps.

Mach 3
Sheetcam
Solid Edge
Inkscape (that I don't know how to use)

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thank you.
Rich.

[Gamelord]

If possible, place the piece on a copier face down with the lid open. it will copy the image and blacken out everything else. Then take a picture, import it into your computer and trace. If you have a scanner, scan the image straight into your computer. The copier will copy it in black and white (if you have a color scanner/copier, make sure to select black and white). From there, make your trace. If you can't trace it yourself, post the black and white image up here and someone probably can do it for you. You can also take a good quality picture and send it to someone like Jason who you can pay to give you a cutable DFX.

[adamsfab]

Too big for a copier. How do you trace, with what software? Any direction you can point me in, would be great. It would be easier to let somebody on here do it for me, but I need to learn how. Nothing like a paying job for motivation.
Thank you,
Rich.

[beefy]

Svg file format is also accepted by Sheetcam.

Keith.

[adamsfab]

Thanks Keith,
I have not bought Corel yet because I haven't looked into which model will work best for me. I do want to buy it though. I actually already bought DXF Tools, from Candcnc with my software bundle. I have not installed it yet, because the install directions say that the install method may differ between Corel versions.??? Could you recommend which version of Corel would be best? Home version, graphic edition, student version, etc..... And which edition, as in, 4.1....5.2.... XII...preferably one with autotrace.
Thanks,
Rich.

[beefy]

Hi Rich,

A lot of people use Inkscape but a couple years ago when I looked into both that and Coreldraw, I chose to pay for Coreldraw because of available training materials

Keith

[Gamelord]

Excellent advice. I am currently running Corel X5. I wouldn't suggest anything older than this unless you are using an old computer with a very old version of Windows (like XP). If you are using Windows 7 then the X5 would be the oldest I would recommend. It is suggested to update to X6, but I have heard there may be some issues with running X6 on Windows 8 64 bit. I am currently using Windows 7 64 bit and have no issues (other than some known quirks / bugs that Corel has). As far as installing and running in Windows 7, it seems to be flawless.

Hope that helps.

[adamsfab]

Thanks guys,
Since I am such a computer idiot, and Candcnc recommends window XP for their setup, I bought two identical computers that are windows XP type. One dedicated to the plasma cutting, running Mach3, and the other for designing in the office. I did not know that only the dedicated plasma cutting computer needed to be windows XP. I actually had a hard time finding them, and had to go to a computer reconditioning/repair place to get them since nobody runs XP anymore. Sometimes being in a small town in Alaska brings up some issues.
So, I think I should stick to the Corel X5 is what it sounds like. Or is that too much for XP? The computer does have a pentium 4 processor if that means anything.
I did find some Corel stuff on Ebay, but the price difference is huge. Is there any reason to buy new vs used? I was thinking maybe the price difference is based on licensing. Do I need to have a licensed version to unlock features? Or is there anything to NOT BUY? I love saving money just as much as the next guy, but I do not mind spending the money on a product that works.
Thanks again for all the help. I really appreciate it. Finding this site has been a huge help.
Rich.

[Gamelord]

For XP, you will want to use Corel 12 or earlier. I used 12 and it worked very good. The X versions will not run properly on XP so stay away from X3, X4, X5 and X6. The trace tools in 12 are not nearly as good as X5+. Sorry to hear you purchased two XP machines, you may want to try and find a good deal on a win7 or 8 machine and put the newer versions of Corel on them. Unless you want to use some other programs then it may not matter as much. Corel is not your only choice and there are many other programs that work very well.

[JJsCustomDesigns]

The X versions will not run properly on XP so stay away from X3, X4,

I use CoreldrawX4 on an XP computer for the last 3 years. Except for the occasional freeze up (my Window 7 pc does it too) its been fine.

[muzza]

I have been running X5 on my PC with XP Pro, had the odd freeze but seems to run quite smoothly but then again I'm pretty slow and probably not very demanding on it. I have also installed X5 on my new laptop with Windows 7 but do any major drawing ie hand trace or new drawings on the old one.
Murray

[beefy]

Thanks for the compliment Gamelord, you're making me blush.

My laptop is Windows 7 and my old desktop is XP. Both running X5. I often have Internet Explorer, Sheetcam and Windows Explorer going at the same time. I think Coreldraw has a bit of a reputation of freezes and crashes, I've had a few but can't say if it has just been on my XP computer or both. Overall though a great program for our needs, and the better I get at the program the more it makes me smile. I tend to click and wait, let commands execute before dashing onto the next thing. I might be wrong but I'm sure some computers are more stable than others even with the same software installed. The desktop I've got now is a Lenovo, got it for $70 from our lads school. Have to say it's been very stable with everything (said looking for wood to touch).

I did read a post where one guy abandoned Corel and went to Adobe Illustrator, purely because of stability problems with Coreldraw. Hasn't bugged me enough to do that yet.

Keith.

[I Lean]

You could keep the second XP computer as a backup to run your table. Install Mach3 on it, and set it up exactly the same way as your primary computer. In case of a computer failure, you could be up and running again in just a few minutes.

[Gamelord]

That's great news that XP will run Corel X5 software. I was always under the impression that it was not recommended or would not work without issues.

Thanks for clearing that up everyone.

[beefy]

I completely agree with Ilean.

I can get the P4 towers at about $40 each so it's a small investment relative to the overall cost of the table.

Keith.

[adamsfab]

This site is awesome.
Thanks everyone for all the help. I think I might buy a new computer and keep this XP model as a back up for the plasma table. Who knew I would go from a guy with one old computer, to having 4 new(er) computers all because of buying a plasma table. Actually, all of you probably new that, it is just not what I expected going into this.
Maybe one day I too will be a computer whiz, and be able to help some of you all in return. I am definitely learning.
Thank you again for all the help.
Rich.