converting my dxf to a good jpeg gif

[otisa2007]

i have had alot of customers who are having trouble with my catalog pictures. i converted my raw dxf files to gif and jpeg formats but when printed some of them are hard to see exactly whats in the picture. now my signtorch cd's the pictures of the dxf are easy to see and show what the finished product will look like does anyone have any input on how to do this i have the corell draw but i've had mixed results thanks for any input

[beefy]

Hi Otisa,

I'm trying to figure out what you are saying is going wrong.

Are you saying that what you see on your screen is not what is printed ?

You've put this post in the Coreldraw section so are you converting them in Coreldraw. This is what I just did and got perfect results from dxf import to printing:

1. Import a dxf with only an outline
2. Smart Fill to fill it with colour
3. Export as a jpeg
4. Print the jped from Windows (XP) Picture and Fax Viewer and the print is just like what's on screen. The jpeg looks just like what's in Coreldraw.

Are you doing a different process to that ?

Keith.

[fostercoburn]

You didn't specify what was the issue.

Did the import of DXF into CorelDRAW have issues?

Note that JPG and GIF are both bitmap formats. They are only as good as the number of pixels you specify when you export. JPG adds lossy compression (many people just say lousy) which can destroy bitmaps. It is a very bad choice for graphics with a very limited number of colors. Your best choice may be PNG.

Exporting to each of these formats is detailed in my CorelDRAW X6 Unleashed DVD (http://www.unleash.com/coreldraw-x6-unleashed/)

[otisa2007]

thanks for the replies it was cold last night and i was out of propane so i didnt fully explaine i can import the imagess into corell just fine and the export works fine its just getting the dxf line images to fill with color and look right i will try the auto fill and see how that does i purchased some art disks and just printed the dxf files so in my catalog their just line drawings and im trying to make them easier to see as a picture like the ones that come with the signtorch artwork thanks for the help

[beefy]

Otissa,

I bought a book not so long ago about designing websites. It's called "Don't make me think". It's basically saying the viewer shouldn't have to try and figure things out, etc.

We can't see what's happening at your end so you have to be as specific as possible so we can understand where the problem lies. Your latest response is still a bit vague when you say, "fill with color and look right". What do you mean when you say "look right". Perhaps try and explain what effect you get when you try and fill with colour. That helps us visualise what is going on.

I sometimes find when I import a dxf, not all the nodes are joined. You can use the Join Curves function to help with that. Smart Fill requires a closed curve(s) to be able to fill, and after failures I've used Join Curves, then I could Smart Fill.

Could that be your problem. I've never used Autofill but I'm guessing it needs closed curves too.

Keith.

[otisa2007]

alright now i got a new issue i found that the auto fill worked just like i wanted after about a hunderd converts i'm getting an unrecoverable error from corel when i try to import the dxf files it gives me an error unrecoverable error and it wont import the file if i try to import a jpeg it will work just fine but it will not import anymore dxf files even the files that i've already used with corel any ideas on how to fix this

[abmagrum]

im not sure where but you changed the file types the program reads
you want to click read open all files.
I can answer better when I get back if no one else does
I think you are going to need that corel draw unleashed dvd like I do lol.

[abmagrum]

in corel open a page
click file
click open
in the bottom right corner make sure it says all file types

[fostercoburn]

It sounds as if the true problem is importing DXF files that are workable. In short, the CorelDRAW DXF import (and export) sucks.

What looks like a continuous line to the eye make come in as a large number of separate objects. This makes filling objects extremely difficult since what looks like an object can be hundreds and even thousands of objects. The huge number of objects can lead to instability.

If you have access to CAD software, convert the DXF to a PDF file and then import that PDF into CorelDRAW. Now the lines will actually be lines and you can more easily fill shapes.

Another alternative would be to look into CorelCAD. Definitely try the trial version before purchasing to see if it does what you want. What can it do? It can save to CDR format!

Either of these alternatives could save you many hours of work while also improving the quality of the finished product. Yes these options are covered in CorelDRAW X6 Unleashed in the Lesson on Importing Files.

[fostercoburn]

I totally forgot I also covered importing DXF files in detail in a blog post last year.
http://graphics-unleashed.unleash.com/2 ... ldraw.html