Export text to CAD program

[ikwi]

Hi I'm try to export text from Inkscape into a CAD program (Freecad, I can get some of top graphics but not all of them.
I want to remove the background and the shapes, I have tried deleting them but  they keep appearing.
The only text  I can get are the top 3 in the left hand corner which were copied and pasted into the drawing.  The file needs to be SVG to be compatible with Freecad.
Any help would be most appreciated.



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[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm not clear what you're asking.  It looks like there is no background (or the background is transparent).  By "the shapes" you mean the rectangles and circles?  If this is a vector file, it's possible everything is in a group, and you just need to ungroup everything.

But it's not clear whether you have a vector file at all.  When you try to select something, is everything selected?  (Look for the dashed line rectangles around something, to know if it's selected.)  If so, look at the status bar (bottom of the window) and tell us what it says.

If it says "Image....." then you have a raster file, and you won't be able to edit it with Inkscape.  But you can use Inkscape to convert it to a vector file.

However, if all you want is text, then I would forget about vectorizing the raster image.  I would just open Inkscape, and type the text that you want.  When finished, duplicate the text, and move it outside the page border.  Then select the text which is inside the page border, and do Path menu > Object to Path.  Then Save As SVG, and you're good to go!

But, if you really want to vectorize the file, try Path menu > Trace Bitmap.  Use the first option, Brightness Cutoff.  Then Ungroup.  And then you will be able to delete the things that you don't want.

[ikwi]

Great thank you.
Now how do I keep the color white, all I am getting are the borders of the text

[brynn]

I don't know what you decided to do.  I guess....Trace Bitmap? 

 -- select the text
 -- click the white chip in the palette at the bottom of the window
 -- hold the Shift key, and click the little x chip on the far left end of the palette (holding shift allows changing the color of the stroke (the outline) - using the x chip removes it)

(If you decided to type the text, and you are getting only the outline, then it's really the same process for making the text white.)

[ikwi]

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply trouble logging in.

I'll try to fully explain what I am trying to achieve.
I am trying to put text on the faceplate of an electronic enclosure. The circles and squares in the picture in the first post are cutouts in said faceplate and are only reference points in Inkscape and will be deleted in the final export.

These are the steps I am taking :-
         
        1. Resize page
        2. Type in the text
        3. Re-colour the text white and remove superfluous items.
        4  Resize page to fit selection
        5  Trace object to path. I have tried Trace Bitmap but it doesn't work
        6  Save the image
I then import that into Freecad.

The result is the text whjch is whites in Inscape becomes just borders in Freecad.
I have followed the steps in your 2nd post with the same results.
I have also changed the the SVG export in Preferences to export colour
 

[brynn]

Trace Bitmap converts raster images to vector.  Since (Inkscape) text is already vector, it does not need to be converted (and in fact, Trace Bitmap won't work anything that's not raster).

Probably your step #1 can be skipped, since later you resize the page again.

Why do you import the text into FreeCAD?  That's the part I don't understand.  I don't know anything about FreeCAD, so I don't know if the color should be expected to be retained.  Is it going to be used as the cutting software (or etching)?  Or will the text be printed onto something like a decal?

I guess you could try not using Path menu > Object to Path on the text, and try importing the text, as text, into FreeCAD.  But I have no idea if that might retain the color.

Could there be some import option in FreeCAD that needs to be set?

[Moini]

For cutting out, color isn't needed.

[brynn]

For cutting out, color isn't needed.

That's my thinking as well.  But for some reason, ikwi seems focused on keeping the white.  So that's why I'm trying to explore the details of the process.

In the world of the home/craft type of cutter, there is a process referred to as "print and cut"  (or it might be cut and print  ).  So it's a much more detailed process, because you have to set it up so that it's being cut precisely where it's printed.  But in this case, I don't know if FreeCAD is being used as the cutting software or printing, or maybe both?

Or maybe FreeCAD is an intermediate step that can be skipped??  Just need more info.

[ikwi]

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I apologize for taking so long to reply had a lot of trouble logging in.
i trying to make an enclosure for an electronic project. the text will be screen printed on to the face of the project. The front of of the enclosure will be powder coated black hence the need for white text.
The black holes are cut outs for various switches and LED's.
I'm using Freecad to design the enclosure  with both enclosure file and graphics file forwarded to a manufacturer to cut out, fold and print graphics on the front and back.
These are the problems :-
       1. The graphics designed in Inkscape have to line up with the cut outs on the front face so I'm unsure whether to use absolute or relative co-ordinates.
       2. When importing the file in to Freecad (which is the only way to get the graphics in to Freecad) depending on the zoom the text goes from solid to just the borders. I have tried the above suggestions with the same results. I need to be sure that when the file is forwarded to the manufacturer we are working with the same picture and the text will be printed as solids and not just out lines. I can change colour of the text in Freecad.
I hope this clarify's what I want to achieve


i

[brynn]

When you say

When importing the file in to Freecad (which is the only way to get the graphics in to Freecad) depending on the zoom the text goes from solid to just the borders.

Do you mean the zoom level at the moment when you import the SVG file?  Or do you mean that after you import it into Freecad, and then you zoom it, the text can lose its fill?

If that's the case, that sounds like a bug in Freecad.  Based on experience with Inkscape, I would think that's a display issue in Freecad, although of course we would really have no idea about that.  If it's a problem with the Freecad display, that means the correct info is there about the text having a fill, and it's just the zoom level makes it seems like it's not filled.  But that's huge guess on my part.

I guess you could just avoid zooming, after you import the SVG file.  Just import it as the last thing you do, before you send it away.  Or there's another free CAD program, called LibreCAD, which you might have better luck with.

When you say

I'm using Freecad to design the enclosure  with both enclosure file and graphics file forwarded to a manufacturer

Is the SVG file the graphics file?  I'm confused.  That sounds like you send them together, at the same time, but separately?  Does the SVG have to be imported into Freecad?

I can't answer your question about absolute vs relative coordinates.  Are you referring to Inkscape Preferences > Input/Output > SVG Output > Path data ?  Unless you know what you're doing, Optimized is the best choice there.  Or maybe someone else would have an idea about that.  I really don't understand that setting very well.

And finally, I wanted to ask about the trouble you mentioned logging in.  Was the forum malfunctioning?  If so, please give me details, so I can fix it.

[Moini]

For best compatibility with other programs, it can be a good idea to save a copy (not the document you're working on, but the result) as plain or maybe as optimized SVG. I can't help with issues in FreeCAD or LibreCAD.

What file formats does the manufacturer expect (for both files)?