DXF for cut and engrave
I think this has been raised before but I would like to be able to export a
single DXF file containing both parts for cutting (like an outline) and
parts for engraving (inside the outline). I don't really need them to be
distinguished by color but it would be nice if all parts could be in a
single DXF file - currently I only get the outline and have to export two
DXFs and merge in the laser cutter software.
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The problem is OpenSCAD can only model solid objects, not laser tool paths.
The correct model for an engraved line would be a shallow trench with a
width equal to the laser beam width. I.e. it would be a 3D object and laser
host software won't process it.
I plan to build my own laser cutter next year and if I do I will write my
own CAM software to handle STLs. In the laser world the CAM step seems to
be missed out because the kerf is so small. The design modelled in a vector
art packages is the tool path.
On Mon, 21 Oct 2019 at 12:18, kitwallace via Discuss <
discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
I think this has been raised before but I would like to be able to export a
single DXF file containing both parts for cutting (like an outline) and
parts for engraving (inside the outline). I don't really need them to be
distinguished by color but it would be nice if all parts could be in a
single DXF file - currently I only get the outline and have to export two
DXFs and merge in the laser cutter software.
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I am trying to visualize your problem, and am having difficulty in seeing how
you can export a DXF with anything OTHER than an outline. When you export
the two files, does the 'engrave' file have a 'fill' with no 'stroke'?
My usual method is to export all parts of the object, then use something
like Inkscape to set the colours for whatever I want the laser cutter
control software to do.
OpenSCAD mailing list wrote
I think this has been raised before but I would like to be able to export
a
single DXF file containing both parts for cutting (like an outline) and
parts for engraving (inside the outline). I don't really need them to be
distinguished by color but it would be nice if all parts could be in a
single DXF file - currently I only get the outline and have to export two
DXFs and merge in the laser cutter software.
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OpenSCAD mailing list
Discuss@.openscad
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Suppose you have
square(40,center=true);
circle(10);
The implicit union() means that the DXF file contains only the outline of
the square and not that of the enclosed circle.
Actually I've just thought that
difference() {
square(40,center=true);
circle(10);
}
outputs DXF with both paths ; how those paths are used on the laser cutter
depends on how I color the lines and configure to cut one and engrave the
other.
so maybe Ive answered my own question :)
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I think that only works if you want to engrave closed, non overlapping
loops.
On Mon, 21 Oct 2019 at 15:24, kitwallace via Discuss <
discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
Suppose you have
square(40,center=true);
circle(10);
The implicit union() means that the DXF file contains only the outline of
the square and not that of the enclosed circle.
Actually I've just thought that
difference() {
square(40,center=true);
circle(10);
}
outputs DXF with both paths ; how those paths are used on the laser cutter
depends on how I color the lines and configure to cut one and engrave the
other.
so maybe Ive answered my own question :)
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Not sure how you could engrave a open area?
and why have we gone all anonymous?
kitwallace
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On 21.10.19 18:09, kitwallace via Discuss wrote:
and why have we gone all anonymous?
Oh, indeed. I suspect this is trying to fix the issue
that some mail providers don't accept outside mails
claiming to come from a domain that does not own the
mail domain.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sender_Policy_Framework)
E.g. GMX publishes the SPF info via DNS so every
compliant mail provider will not accept any mail
coming from a Nabble server claiming to be from a GMX
address. And that's a good thing.
But that also meant I could not really use the forum
interface as most people would not receive the mails.
Looks like the mail part was rolled out but the forum
part is missing.
Thunderbird shows as mail sender now as:
kitwallace via Discuss discuss@lists.openscad.org
so there the author is visible.
ciao,
Torsten.
The main issue with OpenSCAD in regards to laser cutting / engraving is
that "Solid Modeling" does not transfer well to "line art". There's no
practical way to define a standalone "hairline" with no width. It works ok
If the line you want corresponds to the outline of a soiid, but the
"standalone" qualifier is the problem. You can approximate lines with
thin rectangles, but the laser will end up doing a double pass along the
two long sides no matter what. The other issue is that lines can't really
be made to overlap.
I'm not sure if its even feasible for OpenSCAD to support such features,
since its such a fundamentally different usage from solid modelling.
On Mon, Oct 21, 2019 at 11:01 AM kitwallace via Discuss <
discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
Not sure how you could engrave a open area?
and why have we gone all anonymous?
kitwallace
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On Mon, Oct 21, 2019 at 06:14:18PM +0200, Torsten Paul via Discuss wrote:
Thunderbird shows as mail sender now as:
kitwallace via Discuss discuss@lists.openscad.org
so there the author is visible.
Still, "reply-to-author" in my mailprogram is probably broken by this.
Rogier.
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The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike
Phil, this plan just might work.
I use modules with a unique name suffix _dxf to denote they make dxf files,
+stl for STLs, etc. Then I have a script to export them. Another approach
would to be make the engraving another module with a different suffix, so
they both get exported and combined. I would probably use SVG instead of
DXF as it is easier to manipulate in Python with a library.
On Mon, 21 Oct 2019 at 17:57, Hans L via Discuss discuss@lists.openscad.org
wrote:
The main issue with OpenSCAD in regards to laser cutting / engraving is
that "Solid Modeling" does not transfer well to "line art". There's no
practical way to define a standalone "hairline" with no width. It works ok
If the line you want corresponds to the outline of a soiid, but the
"standalone" qualifier is the problem. You can approximate lines with
thin rectangles, but the laser will end up doing a double pass along the
two long sides no matter what. The other issue is that lines can't really
be made to overlap.
I'm not sure if its even feasible for OpenSCAD to support such features,
since its such a fundamentally different usage from solid modelling.
On Mon, Oct 21, 2019 at 11:01 AM kitwallace via Discuss <
discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:
Not sure how you could engrave a open area?
and why have we gone all anonymous?
kitwallace
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