Hello All, new meber to the forum

[ghost31]

Hello All, I have been stalking this forum trying to learn as much as I can for awhile now. I have been broadening my knowledge about various programs, and knowledge of this craft that for approximately one year now. I have been reluctant to ask questions due to the fact that I have been trying to figure out my issues by scouring Google, and the search function on this site. However, have not had any luck and thought I might get some clarity if I asked in a manner that would make sense to someone who was had the same issues. Prior to the acquisition of this plasma table I was not a "computer", software, or program guru. Therefore, a lot of what I have learned has been from YouTube, and reading posts on this site.

I use Inkscape for all of my file creation, tracing, and to vector images. Most of the stuff I am doing is "open source" or purchased images from various sites. I have done some work based off of images the customer wanted, and provided. What I am struggling with is having "drop outs" and losing a bulk of the material during the cut process. I have looked at numerous posts, and noted that most of you can look at an image, and tell when things will drop out. Furthermore, I noted that the images was in an outline look, and did not have any fill or color. Based of my rudimentary understanding, Sheetcam "sees" the positive and negative space in an image to determine what to cut. My understanding is Positive being white (what the machine cuts), and negative being the black color.

I apologize if this all seems like winded, but I do respect the levels of expertise on this site and would like to learn so that I can assist others who face the same issues in the future.

To sum it up my questions are:

1) What will be seen in Sheetcam (and cut) as far as the colors?
2) How can you tell what will drop out in outline mode?
3) How can I recognize when something will drop out, and remedy it so it doesn't?
4) Will choosing inside or outside cut on the operation set up in Sheetcam prevent this issue.

Thank you for any help that may come my way.

[rdj357]

Welcome to the forum! I don't use those programs so I'm of no help but there are many here who do so I'll defer to them!

[acourtjester]

This is a area that takes a little time to identify by new comers, I'm sure you will get great tips from others here.
Here are a few things to watch for, picking weather to use inside or outside cutting can be looked at by your images on the screen. By this I mean if you car cutting a sign that is made of letters you would use outside cutting so no lead ins are in the finished product. Now with that you will have parts of that sign like the inside of letters (O, P, R, A, D, ect) this have parts that will need to be cut with an inside cut so they drop out. This will all change if the sign is to be a shape like a billboard and the letters are cut out (removed for the metal). Now to have the letter look normal the insides with be needed to remain so you use stencil letters or develop what are called bridges in the letters. These will hold the insides for the letters in place to give the full effect of the letter shape, again letters like above. Another thing is the size of these bridges is important so any parts left in the cut will have enough to support for all the remaining sections of the sign.
When using Inkscape using the node tool is a way to move of increase things like the bridges, you can also use kerning to move letters closer or farther apart again to have enough metal for support.
When using SheetCam try zooming in to check how things are with the cut paths you can see when you use inside of outside cutting the actual cut path.
This will show the kerf width and that will tell you weather cut lines are to close. You can use the cursor to measure distances in SheetCam in vertical and horizontal directions with a direct read out. The attached image shows 2 cuts an inside and out side cut paths, even though they are close there is no problem as they do not touch. attached is that part cut out.

wind mill parts.jpg

This is a great example of a sign that is a letter only cutting, All the gold is left.
http://www.plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21138
here is an example of using bridges in letter and the letters are cut out and not part of the plaque, and this is done with an inside cut path
http://www.plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16808
To help you more may be you could show a area where you have a direct question.

[Funbum]

Thanks!!!

[BBmetal]

In inkscape you can use the fill and stroke function (under object then Fill and stroke). If you give you piece a fill color it will fill in all of the drawing that it considers as positive (metal remains) the non filled areas will remain white and they are what will drop out. Under Path you can use the Union, Difference, intersection, exclusion and division functions to either add or remove elements from your drawing. I have found that sheetcam does a really good job of deciding what elements stay and which one fall out but it's harder for me verify while looking at the file in sheetcam. I have found it easier for me to take the time to make the file look the way I want it to in Inkscape first. That way I know for sure that the finished piece will come out the way I intended. I hope this helps but if you would like more info, you can PM me and I'll try give more detail.

[tcaudle]

To sum it up my questions are:

1) What will be seen in Sheetcam (and cut) as far as the colors?
2) How can you tell what will drop out in outline mode?
3) How can I recognize when something will drop out, and remedy it so it doesn't?
4) Will choosing inside or outside cut on the operation set up in Sheetcam prevent this issue.

Thank you for any help that may come my way.

1. SheetCAm does not "see" anything. It simply works in lines and closed objects. The concept of a closed object is important. Its akin to cutting out paper dolls (sorry best analogy) or Origami. You have to look at the design and realize you are cutting the outlines of the closed objects that will fallout , not the parts that stay. It CAN help if you fill the material with a color and the drops out shapes in white .

2. Once again you are cutting the white parts out. To do it without fill takes a little more experience but you look at the entire shape from start to finish (should be the same points) and realize that complete object will fall out. Several riles: You cannot let cut lines overlap. you cannot overlap objects . incomplete objects are simply lines and will cut as such and are used typically for "details" in artwork to enhance the visual appeal.

3. to keep a n object from dropping out it you have to break the closed object apart. in short the beginning and ends cannot be closer than it takes to hold it in place to the background material. Sometimes you have to do that on purpose. Example. When cutting out letters that are close (like the letters P and O) the centers will drop out. You have to either is a font that is not completely close (stencil type) or create your own by "welding" (in the software which I think is a "Join") so the inner is connect out to the material and has tabs to hold it in place.

4. No inside and outside cut simply defines which side of the cut line the kerf will fall. It still cuts the full object it just changes which side if the line you "color" on. Most inner cuts are done with an inside cut so the materiel left is to the right size. The toolpath display in SheetCAM will actually show you if you zoom in where the kerf width will be .

Sometimes those of us that have been doing this for many years forget how being able to look at a complex design and understand waht it will look like after it cuts took a lot of trial and error.

The hardest thing to do is to take artwork not made for plasma cutting or to generate your own from a trace or freehand or from canned Fonts and "fix" it so the right parts stay and the right parts drop. Bottom line, if an object is not closed you cannot fill it with a color. You can have complete objects inside other complete objects. The outside (final) cut needs to be a closed object (unless you are using the outside edges of the material as the border. even if you plan to do that make a closed square or rectangle in the drawing that represents the edges of the material because the edge of the "paper" in the drawing is not anything.

Get some art work made for plasma and study the cutouts. Look for vector art made for doing similar type processes like Scroll saw cutouts and to a large extent artwork for signs and vinyl cutters (although with vinyl you do not have to worry about drop outs.

There are lots of files available for free to work with and to help you hone your skills and be able to fill the objects and visualize the final cutout. One valuable tool you can have is to be able to present to a customer that is paying you money a printed "proof" of what the final project will look like. Have them sign off on the design BEFORE you cut it. Mastering your drawing tools to be able to show a proof in 2D can be invaluable when the project gets large and expensive (like a full scene gate design )

[ghost31]

Thank you everyone for the responses and knowledge. Based off of the responses I have a better idea of what to look for, and how it can be remedied. I am sure I will have issues from time to time, but this will help me tremendously. Thanks again!!!