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Help Using Inkscape => Using Inkscape with Other Apps => Topic started by: millo_k on July 31, 2015, 05:52:57 AM

Title: Win32 Vector Print extension with Epilog laser cutter
Post by: millo_k on July 31, 2015, 05:52:57 AM

Using the Win32 Vector Print seams the most reasonable method to send a cutting patern to a laser cutter. In this case, an Epilog Legend 36EXT is used as a recipient. While testing different drawings, I have noticed, that not every object of the original drawing is receiced/detected/cut by the laser cutter. To be more precise, squares are not a problem, but lines, circles, or ellipses are ignored. Also clipping boarders are not considered. Notice the following example:

 

Code: [Select]

<rect
     style="fill:none;stroke:#00ff00;stroke-width:0.001;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-dasharray:none;stroke-opacity:1"
     id="rect4139"
     width="100"
     height="100"
     x="150"
     y="150" />
  <circle
     style="fill:none;stroke:#00ff00;stroke-width:0.001;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-dasharray:none;stroke-opacity:1"
     id="path4139"
     cx="325"
     cy="200"
     r="50" />

If a SVG-file is including the code example above and is then sent to the laser cutter using the Win32 Vector Print extension, the rectangle is cut while the circle is not. The complete SVG-file is attached.
Is there an explanation for this? Is there a solution to solve this problem? Is there more information available about the Win32 Vector Print Extension?

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Title: Re: Win32 Vector Print extension with Epilog laser cutter
Post by: brynn on July 31, 2015, 09:18:23 AM

Welcome to Inkscape Community!

Gosh, I'm not familiar with Win32 Vector Print.  But why can't you send the SVG directly to the cutter?  Doesn't it cut along paths?  And if the vector files are all paths, why do you need the intermediate program?

Or maybe it's the case that particular hardware/cutter can only use certain vector formats, and SVG isn't one of them, and the intermediate program simply converts the SVG into the other vector format??

I have a few minutes right now, so I'll look to my favorite search engine, to see what I can learn  :)

Edit
Hhmm, I can't seem to find such a program.  Does it have any other name?

Title: Re: Win32 Vector Print extension with Epilog laser cutter
Post by: brynn on July 31, 2015, 09:35:54 AM

Oh here, maybe I found it!  Made by alvinpenner (who I think is an Inkscape developer) and posted over at IF a couple of years ago:  http://www.inkscapeforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=11779#p45862. 

Is that it?  I didn't read that topic closely, but if that's it, you might read, to see if it gives you any clues.

From what I did read, it sounds like he would welcome any comments and testing -- assuming that's the program you're using.

Title: Re: Win32 Vector Print extension with Epilog laser cutter
Post by: millo_k on August 02, 2015, 11:40:43 PM

Thank you brynn for replying to my post. The link you provided is addressing the same issue. If I send a file within Inkscape directly to the lasercutter, the output will be rasterized. To avoid this, they suggest to use Win32 Vector Print, which is a built in extension in the latest Inkscape version 0.91.

At first, I thought this would do the trick, but now I experinced some information loss. From looking at the SVG files I cannot figure out why a rectangle is cut perfectly fine, while a circle is ignored, using the same color, linethickness, etc.

Any suggestions how to proceed solving this issue?

Title: Re: Win32 Vector Print extension with Epilog laser cutter
Post by: brynn on August 03, 2015, 09:39:13 AM

Oohh, I didn't realize it was an extension.  That must be new in 0.91.

Well, I can tell you that there is some fundamental difference between circle (ellipse) and rectangle shapes in Inkscape, as you can see in the code you posted above.  And in fact, rectangles are rather unique, among all kinds of objects in Inkscape.

Draw a rectangle, ellipse, spiral and a regular path with Pen or Pencil tool.  Open the XML Editor and look on the left side.  You can see that everything is identified as a path (even though they are shapes, and not paths on the canvas, this is how the SVG/XML code works) except for rectangles.  Rectangles have the id "rect" and everything else has id "path".  I've read what the reason for that is a long time ago, but I didn't understand it, and therefore, don't remember what it is.

Whether that circumstance has anything to do with your problem, I don't know.  Plus, by this logic, one might think everything should work except rectangles.  But it still could be part of it.

Have you tried cutting anything else, besides circles and rectangles?  I'm just curious if it follows the same pattern of the SVG/XML ids.

After you draw the circles and rectangles, have you converted those to paths (Path menu > Object to Path) before sending to Win32 VectorPrint extension?  I have the impression that everything has to be a path, to be cut with these digital cutters.

If that's not it, all I could suggest would be to contact the creator of the extension.  Or if you post this problem on the Inkscape's user mailing list, he will see it.  I've seen him reply to the mailing list often.  Or  :idea2:  maybe search the mailing list archives.  Maybe it's been discussed there?  http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?forum_name=inkscape-user

You'd have to join the mailing list, to post to it.  But you don't necessarily have to receive all the future mail.  http://lists.sourceforge.net/mailman/listinfo/inkscape-user

I hope some of that helps  :)