RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted January 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2019 But how do I save on that Dave? I'd do a watercolour of the screen.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 7, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2019 Etch a sketch ? https://www.amazon.com/Etch-A-Sketch-Classic-Red/dp/B01MTS465O At last, this thread rises to my level of computer skills! Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 Yes but I find Inkscape so difficult to grasp. I could also do with a program that can output vector for another project. Any ideas anyone? Andy G I use an old version of CorelDRAW - version 7, in fact. Regards, John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jol Wilkinson Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 A nice little task for someone with a CAD package and time on their hands, given a set of hand drawn artworks and copying onto CAD. I think you seriously under estimate the amount of time and work required. Yes but I find Inkscape so difficult to grasp. I could also do with a program that can output vector for another project. Any ideas anyone? Andy G See below. I use an old version of CorelDRAW - version 7, in fact. Regards, John Isherwood. I started with CorelDraw 7 and have upgraded a couple of times over the years, but frankly there is very little difference/benefit for what we need for 2D etch artwork. Having been taught technical drawing during my engineering college days I find CorelDraw straightforward and it has a number of useful features which simplify a number of tasks. It is a vector programme and also produces pdf files. Correctly, I believe it is called graphics software and is what you need to handle 2D images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CorelDRAW CAD is something else and more complex than needed for etch artwork. Some people use CAD (such as AutoDesk, Fusion 360, etc.) but it is more complicated for a beginner. It does enable you to look at your 2D design in 3D (if you know what you are doing),but for someone not fully trained, it is probably too complex. You can pick up older versions of CorelDraw on Ebay for very little. I would recommend V7 or V12 on CD. The CorelDraw package also usually includes CorelTrace, a bitmap to vector "conversion" program so should be able to convert a scan or photo of hand drawn artwork to a vector drawing. However I have not had any experience of it. Whatever we suggest on this thread and despite how simple some people think it might be to convert/upgrade/digitise the Falcon Brassworks artwork or etch tools, I consider that it is not straight forward. Outside the technicalities of doing it, getting your head around someones else's design to alter it to rectify errors isn't easy. Whether Falcon Brassworks and/or Dart Castings have the time or technical expertise to do that at present, only they know. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Unless you're using a very old computer you might have problems with version 7 - that was released back in the days of Windows 95 and may not work on a Windows 7 or higher machine (that will be most of them sold in the last 10 years). I used to use Paintshop Pro 6 (another Corel product line these days) which was fairly contemporarily and that stopped working when I switched to Windows 7, as did Autosketch 3 which I used to use for basic CAD, but that was from the 1980s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 Unless you're using a very old computer you might have problems with version 7 - that was released back in the days of Windows 95 and may not work on a Windows 7 or higher machine (that will be most of them sold in the last 10 years). It does - all of my transfer range is designed via Windows 7 / CorelDRAW v.7. I copy to a Win2000 machine in order to print via Alps Microdry printers; (no fully functional Alps drivers for post Win2000 operating systems). Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 It does - all of my transfer range is designed via Windows 7 / CorelDRAW v.7. I copy to a Win2000 machine in order to print via Alps Microdry printers; (no fully functional Alps drivers for post Win2000 operating systems). Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers Did you install Windows 7 with the 32-bit or 64-bit option? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jub45565 Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) For 2D CAD I use DraftSight - basically Autocad - from Dassault (Big Canadian Defence company who own a large proportion of Thales too). This is free, I havent found a need to upgrade to the professional version. Edited January 7, 2019 by Jub45565 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 3 Did you install Windows 7 with the 32-bit or 64-bit option? 32-bit. Regards, John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 3 32-bit. Regards, John Isherwood. That might be why - all my W7 installations have been 64 bit and don't like playing with old stuff so much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 CoralDraw is expensive, see https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=coraldraw&sprefix=coraldraw%2Caps%2C219&crid=3BSWNPJSNT607 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 CoralDraw is expensive, see https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=coraldraw&sprefix=coraldraw%2Caps%2C219&crid=3BSWNPJSNT607 CorelDRAW; see post #129 above; "You can pick up older versions of CorelDraw on Ebay for very little. I would recommend V7 or V12 on CD". Regards, John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ArthurK Posted January 7, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2019 Not sure if I should enter this discussion as it appears to go around in never-ending circles. However I always have each of my kits on separate tools. I think that it would be silly to do otherwise. Tenders are separate from the locos, simply because the same tender was often used by several locos. This of course means that tenders can be sold separately from the loco if the customer wants it that way and never upsets the balance of loco/tender frets. To date I am still using tools on film although it looks like that may be starting to change as some etchers will now accept artwork as a computer file (EPS, Autocad and others) but for the present I am happy to continue using EPS files to produce photo tools. My ordering system is simple. When new kit is announced I make a list of would-be customers in order to judge the likely demand. The first batch will already been ordered 'on spec' as a small batch (usually six). I never accept payment until I have a kit in my hand ready to supply. The only exception is for new work specifically ordered by a customer and not forming a part of my range. The has been much said about CAD software. It is really a choice of which you find the easiest to use. With a background in CAD/CAM during the latter half of my employment I was aware of several of these and was involved in the programming of some less well known systems. I made the decision to start from scratch and write a program that would do exactly what I needed to do without the bells and whistles incorporated in the commercial systems. That approach works for me! Design is done in 3D but only as a transparent model, When it came to the artwork I fought shy of writing that. I use an elderly commercial system - Freehand. It is a bit 'old hat' these days. Designed for Windows XP, it works happily on Windows 7 which I use for every day work. ArthurK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiggy1969 Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 one of the problems with coraldraw is if you only get the home and student version then it will not export/save in dxf files fine for printing transfers as saves in pdf and the same as John i then print on my alps from an older computer running xp but no use for cutting on the laser so for that i use turbo cad which is fine and cost £10 a few years ago Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 one of the problems with coraldraw is if you only get the home and student version then it will not export/save in dxf files fine for printing transfers as saves in pdf and the same as John i then print on my alps from an older computer running xp but no use for cutting on the laser so for that i use turbo cad which is fine and cost £10 a few years ago Again, CorelDRAW. Why save in .pdf - Alps printers work direct from the .cdr output of CorelDRAW? Just install CorelDRAW on your older computer. What file types will your laser accept; .cdr files are vector-based? Regards, John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiggy1969 Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) Again, CorelDRAW. Why save in .pdf - Alps printers work direct from the .cdr output of CorelDRAW? Just install CorelDRAW on your older computer. What file types will your laser accept; .cdr files are vector-based? Regards, John Isherwood. maybe so but the coreldraw wouldn't install on the older computer the laser accepts many file types but not cdr or anything else the student version saves in Edited January 7, 2019 by twiggy1969 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharris Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Again, CorelDRAW. ... Regards, John Isherwood. John, have you never used CoralDraw? It's a perfectly fine drawing program, except your colour palette is restricted to pink. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) CorelDRAW; see post #129 above; "You can pick up older versions of CorelDraw on Ebay for very little. I would recommend V7 or V12 on CD". Regards, John Isherwood. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=CoralDraw&_osacat=18793&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=CoralDraw+7&_sacat=18793 Edited January 7, 2019 by PenrithBeacon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jol Wilkinson Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=coral+draw&_osacat=18793&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.Xcoraldraw.TRS0&_nkw=CoralDraw&_sacat=18793 Touche; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Corel-Draw-x5-Disc-Serial-Number-Boxed/264116222823?hash=item3d7e8dbb67:g:bq4AAOSws2RcLekp:rk:7:pf:0 and there are plenty of other examples. Although this is getting away from the OP, my experience over a number of years is as follows I have CorelDraw 9 and 12 on and old Shuttle in my workshop which is running MS XP.. I have CorelDraw X7 (version 17, in other words) running on the home pc, which had W10 64bit. It will export to a variety of formats. Check with the photo etch company you are most likely to use to see what formats they accept, it is usually on their website. Older versions of CorelDraw can be found on Ebay at quite low prices on CD. I've used the various versions over the years and have designed over thirty kits and a variety of bits and pieces,and have found CorelDraw more than adequate. I have one friend who uses Illustrator because that is what he was professionally trained on and another who uses AutoCad for the same reason. On the other hand I know someone who uses some free download software, where files have to be exported to a suitable format and errors are not uncommon in the output format. In the end though, all it takes the Falcon Brassworks situation no further, other than possibly providing a little enlightenment as too why they may be faced with a rather large task to readily change their product offering. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arun Sharma Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Yes but I find Inkscape so difficult to grasp. I could also do with a program that can output vector for another project. Any ideas anyone? Andy G I would recc. DraftSight - It's free and easy to use. Additionally they run weekend courses on it at Missenden Abbey which are very much geared towards producing etch artwork. PPD [the etchers] like it because its files are almost indistinguishable from AutoCad. I would also take the liberty of suggesting you acquire a copy of MRJ 228 and read Mike Clark's article on etch design in it. Yes but I find Inkscape so difficult to grasp. I could also do with a program that can output vector for another project. Any ideas anyone? Andy G I would recc. DraftSight - It's free and easy to use. Additionally they run weekend courses on it at Missenden Abbey which are very much geared towards producing etch artwork. PPD [the etchers] like it because its files are almost indistinguishable from AutoCad. I would also take the liberty of suggesting you acquire a copy of MRJ 228 and read Mike Clark's article on etch design in it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted January 7, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2019 I never accept payment until I have a kit in my hand ready to supply. - Which is a really nice way to do it. Or perhaps asking for a small deposit to help avoid people messing you about and disappearing when it's crunch time. I often think it's good for small traders to have some system in place in case of sudden illness (or worse, which I hope never happens) such that customers don't end up with no money and no goods. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meil Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Well I have the Student version of X4 and that saves DXF files. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ArthurK Posted January 7, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2019 - Which is a really nice way to do it. Or perhaps asking for a small deposit to help avoid people messing you about and disappearing when it's crunch time. I often think it's good for small traders to have some system in place in case of sudden illness (or worse, which I hope never happens) such that customers don't end up with no money and no goods. If they disappear off the map I am not too worried I usually have others waiting. ArthurK 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiggy1969 Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Well I have the Student version of X4 and that saves DXF files. x7 cant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Farrell Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 I'm running Corel Draw 9 under Windows 10 64bit without any problems, though I mostly use Corel Paint 9. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now