Hi all

As you know I haven't learned about Inkscape yet, I've managed to track down the book and have ordered it but I'm in desperate need of a bit of advice about the setting up of svgs to cut in a cutting machine.

If I draw a design like the doily or the lace heart or some other design, what would I have to do to that design in Inkscape to ensure that the cutting machine knows how to cut the design as it is drawn and how would I indicate on the svg where the cut should start and end. As you can see from this message I know nothing, but I need to understand the process to ensure that the cutting machine is being given all the correct and relevant information. Can anyone help me out please?

Inky

I'm afraid that I can't help you out on this, as I've not ever cut using an SVG, I want to, but I have a small Cricut and it's not set up for it. I have made a design for a friend with a cutter and via her we both learned a few things. The cutter follows the nodes of the svg file, you don't want to have too many nodes, or have them overlap, but you do need to have enough so that it can be followed, especially on the curves and turns. On some files, you will need to cut the design up into several pieces. You'll especially want to do this if you are scrapbooking, so you can overlap the objects for a dimensional look, but you have to be careful if you are cutting lace.
You're taking on a big task of going from never having used Inkscape - straight to cutting. To be honest, it's taken me a couple of years just to get to an intermediate place of using Inkscape (and beginner in some areas still). So, like anything, to be good at it, it takes a lot of time and practice just to really learn Inkscape.
I'm not sure there are very many people who use cutters on this forum, though there are a lot of artists (and math whizzes) here.
You might want to check the SCAL YouTube tutorials, and others of that nature, I've seen a few, and those really tell you what you need.
I hope someone with cutting experience can help you, in the meantime, if you're looking for a specific design to test draw, you're welcome to send me a private message, and I'd be happy to work with you privately, as best as I am able to.
dee

Hi Flamingolady

What I was thinking is, Is there a set of principles to be borne in mind when creating svg cutting files to ensure a good cut so that the cutter gets clear instructions and doesn’t receive conflicting or confusing instructions, or anything in particular to be avoided. Before I start to learn Inkscape I’m trying to avoid spending loads of time developing something only to find it doesn’t cut because of a technical point. I thought the Cricut could cut svg files but then as you can tell from my posts I obviously don't know what I'm talking about and am easily confused. Thank you for responding.

All I know is that those machines cut along paths. I don't know how the machine knows which paths to cut on.

Maybe a separate layer would do?
I heard that's what you do when you want some spot varnish in print. Maybe it applies to cutting as well?
Just thinking.

AFAIK your requirement would depend on the cutter & cutting program you are using, e.g cutters like the LaserPoint, Graphetic you need to have avector to cut hence an eps file. I just goggled "will cutters cut svg files" and found lots of information. Also Tux-Plot & InkCut will cut directly from Inkscape just search the forums here & you will find lots of information on those two. Hope that helps.

From what I've read on here, Inkcut never got cutting correctly for windows users, so I ended up deleting Inkcut....

There's really not a whole lot of pointers for cutting (with Cricut for example), the main thing is to have a straight line for the cutter to follow, it follows nodes, so there needs to be enough to follow, but not too many that the nodes are overlapping. Try to ensure there are nodes at each and every turn or bend. You may need to group objects and do a path/combine so there's just an outline to follow. you don't want the cutter to zigzag all over.
SCAL (Sure cuts a Lot) has several YouTube videos to follow, and they have lots of good tips.
good luck, and let us know how it goes. I'd love to see examples of what you cut, I haven't done much myself, but, as I said before, if you want to contact me privately, we could try a few things out.

Inkydinkydo,
InDesign, and other cutter software packages use different conventions to tell the machine what is, and is not a cut line, so caveats and things to know will really
depend on the cutter and software combination your designing for.

If you haven't already visited http://www.inkscapecuttingdesign.com/index.php you can stop by there and ask them your questions,
They'll be glad to help, and will probably know a lot more about these things than we do here.

Hi all

Thank you all for your replies, there are very helpful people here on the Inkscape Forum.

I've posted on the cuttingdesign forum, thanks for that inkspots.

Flamingolady,

I was looking at this doily

http://createatdreamscrapbooks.blogspot ... april.html

free download at this address

http://www.mediafire.com/?p4bj3gthksuqv23

If I've broken any rules/etiquette by posting these links here please don't be afraid to shout at me, there's so much for me to learn.

And, given the number of holes and the placement, couldn't even guess how the cutter would know where to start first and which route to follow. I'm wondering if the question is one that I should be directing to a designer of cutting machine software. Your comment about the path combine does make sense though.

I think (when my book arrives, ha! snow permitting) I will probably learn and have a go at making some holes/lines/paths of various types and send them to the ecraft (when it comes back from the hospital), and see what happens. I will go have a look at the SCAL videos.

And when I find out how, I'll send you a pm and we can maybe get together to test a few things.

must submit before I'm cut off.

Hope you get the cutter back soon. That doily (your linked one) is very detailed, I'm wondering if a Cricut could even handle it, from just the things I've tried, it'd be too complicated because there are more holes, and it would probably tear at some point. I've found that the Cricut does great with basic designs that aren't too 'holey'.

p.s. Re: your last line 'must submit before I'm cut off' - are you talking about being auto logged off of this site? What (most) of us do is to log on automatically to this site each time you come on (there's a place you can choose that, under accts or settings, I forget which), but, once you set that, and you log on, you don't have to worry about being logged off before you can post.

Inkydinkydo,

The doily you linked to is really lovely, lacy and very dellicate. it's certainly worth trying to cut it.
Hope the company gets your cutter back to you soon. I've read that the eCraft tab system can be a little tricky
to get used to, but a lot of people seem to really like it once they get the hang of using it. You mentioned a book your
waiting for...so now I'm curious about that.

Dont worry about posting links to offsite items that are relevant to the discussion, I'm pretty sure someone would have blasted me for it by now, if it was a problem.

Hi

1.30am so another very quick rambling post

Over on Inkscapecuttingdesign at

http://www.inkscapecuttingdesign.com/vi ... 5&start=10

there are some screenshots of the svg and a pic of it actually cut out, it is lovely, very detailed, I think it was about 8", can't remember which machine it was cut on (there seem to be so many I get a bit confused as I haven't had any dealings with cutters other than the ecraft - which is still in the hospital!), if ever it comes back I will have a go at cutting the lace doily, but won't hold my breath. my ecraft seems to put tabs in even when it's been told not to, disobedient or what!

The book that I've ordered is the one with the Swedish Flag exercise, I tried learning from the free online version but I don't learn well that way, I'm much better if I've got the book and can flick back and forth.

Hhmm, apparently you have to be logged in to view their images!

I couldn't see any images either.

Hi

I asked if it would be ok form me to put a screenshot of the doily on here, she very kindly said that she will take a better photo but it will be a couple of days as she is a bit busy at present, I will post it as soon as it appears over there. My cutter is back, it arrived yesterday despite all the snow. I might even have a go at cutting the doily myself, probably on Sunday, need to develop some courage before I even plug it in, I don't handle disappointment very well. I'm still on the trail of my initial question and I think I've found the person who can tell me the answer, just gotta read some more of his page in case he's already answered it.

Inkydo (is that ok for a nickname?)
yay, on getting it back. May I just give some encouragement - pls don't worry if your first several attempts appear to be failures, you can't make strides unless you take the necessary steps to get to the desired end effect; and those steps are usually disappointing. In ever single hobby, art, work, whatever, you have to accept that these are necessary. You should have seen some of my first attempts at cake decorating (at least we could eat the mis-attempts). And I laugh now at my attempts at painting the One-Stroke method, the flowers looked almost dead. It takes practice to make perfect, whether cooking a meal, painting, or making a perfect doily. If the doily doesn't come out right, it's a few dollars down the drain, but nothing compared to the beauty you will find 6 months from now when you are an expert in it. My first Inkscape designs are laughable, but now I sell clipart on some of the major stock sites, talk about the feeling of satisfaction!
The difference between a winner and loser is hanging in there and not giving up, so please remember that when things fail (and find another use for the not cut so good doily's, like putting the good part behind s scrapbooking pic, so they only see the good parts!).
hang in there, can't wait to see the results, good or bad, no judgement here!

Brynn,
You do have to be logged in to see the images.

Inkydinkydo,
Glad you got your cutter back.
Hopefully it will work better for you now.

Flamingolady,
We can always count on your for a little encouragement.