Is there a program that i can buy to convert to dxf files

[Enfib]

is there a program on the macket...prefferable one i can buy that converts anything to dxf...unlike all those free half horsed ones?

[little blue choo]

I purchased one that works great with portraits or any picture, you just select and click make file and poof your done. Found it in the search feature on the Plasma Cutting Software Discussion Forum. Not at my home computer now and can't remember the name of it. Does anyone out there remember it's name.

Rick

[Enfib]

id sure appreciate it if i could get the name cause iv been search for a while cant seem to find anything worthy

[ian.]

I use vector magic. It does SVG, EPS, and PDF formats. The desktop edition also produces AI and DXF.

[lazijames]

I found cloud convert .Its free and has worked for most of the things Ive tried to do.

[beefy]

is there a program on the macket...prefferable one i can buy that converts anything to dxf...unlike all those free half horsed ones?

Based on the wording of your question, I'd guess like many others you are searching for that elusive magic bullet software that gives you a cut ready file from "anything". If you find such software, let us all know

Auto tracing software is really just looking for distinct colour/shading differences and is creating lines at those differences, adding in things like smoothing, etc. If the original image does not have these distinct separations (many have gradually changing colour gradients), you end up with crap results based on the softwares "best guess". You'll certainly get your DXF but it probably isn't what you were expecting.

Unfortunately, there's no free lunch in this regard, and you really need to learn to manually trace to cover all bases. You will get lucky on quite a few occasions, but even after a half decent auto trace, it's often still necessary to go in and manually adjust things.

[little blue choo]

OK I got several messages saying I was being mean although they both laughed. So I'm sorry. Some of you will know what fore, others want have a clue.

Rick

[beefy]

Rick,

I know where you're coming from. Unfortunately the culture of Plasmaspider has dramatically changed for the worse. It's more about instant conversions, press a button (hardly anyone seems to be interested in learning basic gcode), free files to "contributing" members, getting "elite" member status for not much, getting "help" (just do it for me) with file conversions, etc.

I seen the decline happening years ago, voiced about it several times, and all I got was knocked down. It's a loss for many new members now because as I warned several times a few years ago, the forums "hardcore" members were gradually leaving. Not much deep knowledge in the new threads anymore, you've mainly got to search through the old stuff if you want that.

All the better for the guys who knuckle down and learn stuff.

[robertspark]

I know where you're coming from. .... It's more about instant conversions, press a button (hardly anyone seems to be interested in learning basic gcode), free files ...
...
All the better for the guys who knuckle down and learn stuff.

+1

but as problem shared is a problem halved {or is that doubled?}

[Ironken]

Rick,

I know where you're coming from. Unfortunately the culture of Plasmaspider has dramatically changed for the worse. It's more about instant conversions, press a button (hardly anyone seems to be interested in learning basic gcode), free files to "contributing" members, getting "elite" member status for not much, getting "help" (just do it for me) with file conversions, etc.

I seen the decline happening years ago, voiced about it several times, and all I got was knocked down. It's a loss for many new members now because as I warned several times a few years ago, the forums "hardcore" members were gradually leaving. Not much deep knowledge in the new threads anymore, you've mainly got to search through the old stuff if you want that.

All the better for the guys who knuckle down and learn stuff.

Very well put! I am fairly new to Plasma Spider. I would prefer to learn why and how so I can walk away with the tools to solve future problems myself. I've gotta say and at the risk of coming off as a dick......often you see an individual whose handle is "xxxx metal works" or "Joe's Signs" or whatever asking for others to fix a file or trace a file or if anybody has a file for a doohickey bracket. How the hell can you be "xxxx metal works" and not be able to draw a simple part? C'mon....you gotta be shittin' me! Ok....rant off.

[beefy]

Very well put! I am fairly new to Plasma Spider. I would prefer to learn why and how so I can walk away with the tools to solve future problems myself. I've gotta say and at the risk of coming off as a dick......often you see an individual whose handle is "xxxx metal works" or "Joe's Signs" or whatever asking for others to fix a file or trace a file or if anybody has a file for a doohickey bracket. How the hell can you be "xxxx metal works" and not be able to draw a simple part? C'mon....you gotta be shittin' me! Ok....rant off.

Ha ha, I would like to return the very well put comment
I've seen that so many times. The amount of members who openly admit they are running a custom plasma cutting business is shocking. It seems they set themselves up with all the gear, advertise for work, them come here and ask someone to do a drawing for them.
It really is a kick in the nuts to people who put the hard yards in to learn something, then others want to profit off that.
If I'm a dick for thinking that way then a huge dick I am.

[jimcolt]

I use Arbor Image Cutting Shop raster to vector conversion software. It will convert pictures (assuming there is decent contrast) from Raster to Vector files that can be imported into a CAD drawing package...….then you need to take some time to do some manual drawing and deleting to get the desired .dxf files that can be converted to a cut file. Everyone must learn CAD drawing if you plan to develop your own cut files......there is no software that automatically converts images into cut ready files. Jim Colt

[Ironken]

Very well put! I am fairly new to Plasma Spider. I would prefer to learn why and how so I can walk away with the tools to solve future problems myself. I've gotta say and at the risk of coming off as a dick......often you see an individual whose handle is "xxxx metal works" or "Joe's Signs" or whatever asking for others to fix a file or trace a file or if anybody has a file for a doohickey bracket. How the hell can you be "xxxx metal works" and not be able to draw a simple part? C'mon....you gotta be shittin' me! Ok....rant off.

Ha ha, I would like to return the very well put comment
I've seen that so many times. The amount of members who openly admit they are running a custom plasma cutting business is shocking. It seems they set themselves up with all the gear, advertise for work, them come here and ask someone to do a drawing for them.
It really is a kick in the nuts to people who put the hard yards in to learn something, then others want to profit off that.
If I'm a dick for thinking that way then a huge dick I am.

Thanks, Beefy! I guess the up side to this is those that can will always have the edge on those who rely on others to get the work done. If I have a customer that needs something done, I generally can take care of it on the spot. I don't have to shine the customer on and use somebody else's generosity on a forum to bail me out. In fact, only once have I ever used a pre drawn dxf that I obtained elsewhere (my buddy sent me a Honda wing that I saved and eventually used to make a gift). I have however seen something that somebody else made in a pic that I liked and drew one up myself and made it mo better.....still kinda cheating. This is an example.

[beefy]

Way to go Ken, you sound like a man after my own heart.

I don't really consider modifying anothers drawings cheating.

There's lots of talk on this forum about the "evils" of copying. However, it's really an "artists" way of thinking, and most people don't seem to consider that most things we all use in everyday life are copied from some guy/girl that first thought of the idea. The wheel, internal combustion engine, cars, glass, rotary hammer, excavator, whatever. The list will literally go into the millions of ideas that some person originally conjured up. Some ideas would have got patents, etc and the inventor reaped the rewards of their ideas. Probably though the majority did not and the whole world is now shamelessly using those ideas and would gag at the suggestion of asking permission from the original creator (if they're alive of course LOL).

I've had to accept that anything I put out there WILL immediately get "used" (I prefer not to say stolen), copied, etc, by those that are capable. It's just the way the world has always worked and will always work. Everyone is guilty of doing this. Look at most products. As soon as some manufacturer comes out with a new gizmo, or adds a cool feature to and existing product, many other manufacturers immediately copy it. The only thing that will stop it is legal protection like patents, trademarks and copyrights, but more importantly spending a gazillion dollars to enforce those. If the world didn't work this way, many of the products we all use every day would cost a great deal more. Most people are happy about this copying because it pits manufacturers against each other and drives prices down and makes things more available to the masses.

But when it comes to "art"...................

Keith.