A Guide to using the Silhouette Cameo Cutter

[Cheshire001]

Thanks for the replies.

Hi

It might be worth trying cutting the cereal card with the glossy / higher quality side facing upwards.

Paul

Makes sense because the outer layed seems tougher than the grey card.   The ladders really had too much fine detail for a fibrous material, so I will limit cereal boxes to larger jobs like buildings.  In fact I have an ambition to make Ribblehead viaduct in T scale.   Up to now I haven't fancied cutting all those arches by hand...

 

 

If the styrene is glossy on one side mount it glossy side up so it cuts first.

It works!   I had never realised that one side was glossy.   Just so happened that I had been cutting on the matt side.   Upon reading your suggestion I turned it over and cut a test square first time.

 

As an aside, it is interesting that not all plasticard is the same.   I thought it strange that some joints bonded really well while others just seemed to fall apart.   Perhaps some react better to whatever solvent is in use?   I had almost given up using EMA Plastic Weld in favour of Humbrol Poly.   Even with the latter some think that the 'recipe' has altered for the worse.   Maybe it's the plastic rather than the solvent?

Edited January 22, 2017 by Cheshire001

[stevejjjexcov]

Can anybody suggest a free drawing program that we can try? We have a cameo 3 and a cameo portrait and want to do some of our own designs. We may buy a more comprehensive drawing package if we get on o.k.

Thanks for any info you may have

Steve

[Robin2]

Can anybody suggest a free drawing program that we can try?

Steve

Inkscape is free.

 

I do my drawings in LibreOffice4.3  Draw (which is also free) because I am very familiar with it and it seems to have more shapes than Inkscape - in particular I find the trapezoid very useful. It can export files in SVG format and I then use Inkscape to send the data to my Silhouette Portrait. I discovered that the newer version of LibreOffice seemed to add some unwanted borders when exporting the SVG file (which completely screwed up the cutting) so I reverted to the older version.

 

I use Linux but both of the programs are also available for Windows.

 

I don't know if you can export SVG files from Microsoft Powerpoint (which you may already have)

 

...R

Edited January 22, 2017 by Robin2

[etendam]

Can anybody suggest a free drawing program that we can try?

Inkscape is free and is used by a number of people in this topic.

 

Ed

[jonhall]

Can anybody suggest a free drawing program that we can try? We have a cameo 3 and a cameo portrait and want to do some of our own designs. We may buy a more comprehensive drawing package if we get on o.k.

Thanks for any info you may have

Steve

 

I've managed perfectly well with the supplied Silhouette Studio software.

 

Jon

[stevejjjexcov]

Thank you all for the info. We will try later today and let you know how we got on.

Steve

[MikeOxon]

I've managed perfectly well with the supplied Silhouette Studio software.

 

Jon

It's good to be reminded of that - the snag, though, is that the Studio software uses a proprietary format, which makes many people prefer to put their designs into an 'industry standard' format, to give them more options in the future.

[JCL]

... and unfortunately you can't even copy objects from Silhouette Studio and paste into another drawing program. Obviously if there is never any intention of reusing the files with a different machine then this wouldn't be a problem.

 

Hi JohntT, having got your to provide more info, I'm afraid I've no idea. One of the worst things when troubleshooting is not being able to recreate problems consistently. It sounds like you're doing the right thing.

[etendam]

... and unfortunately you can't even copy objects from Silhouette Studio and paste into another drawing program.

Perhaps....Export the file to SVG format, open the file in your drawing program & copy / paste what you need.

 

Ed

[JCL]

Hi Ed - I didn't think you could export SVG from Studio, has this changed?

[etendam]

Hi Ed - I didn't think you could export SVG from Studio, has this changed?

No, this has not been changed..... I have seen it on the web somewhere, but reading it again (  ) you should save it as a JPEG and then they convert the file.

http://www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2016/03/converting-silhouette-studio-files-to.html

 

I don't know if converting it this way file properties are kept.

 

Ed

[etendam]

There are online converters but I have tested them. (I don't use inkscape, still using Coreldraw on my old Craft Robo cutter)

 

http://www.ideas-r-us-software.uk/FileConverters/SilhouetteStudioConverter.aspx

 

Ed

[BG John]

No, this has not been changed..... I have seen it on the web somewhere, but reading it again (  ) you should save it as a JPEG and then they convert the file.

http://www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2016/03/converting-silhouette-studio-files-to.html

 

I don't know if converting it this way file properties are kept.

 

Ed

That's almost as bad as in the good old days, when people created documents on a computer, and faxed them to the recipient, who then had to type it all into his computer, from a very dodgy thermal print .

[JCL]

No, this has not been changed..... I have seen it on the web somewhere, but reading it again (  ) you should save it as a JPEG and then they convert the file.

http://www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2016/03/converting-silhouette-studio-files-to.html

 

I don't know if converting it this way file properties are kept.

 

Ed

 

Hi Ed

 

The problem you'll have there is with tracing the lines in the jpg file. You'll find that the software will have to do something with the line thickness, and although it might be very thin, it will still be an issue.  You could end up with the tracing software taking a guess with a line edge or where the middle is, or it will just trace a double line - one each side of the original line in the jpg file.

 

I stopped using trace functions for plans almost as soon as I tried them. When I was doing crossing gates, there was so much work involved in tidying up a drawing that it was easier just to redraw the thing.

 

Unfortunately there aren't any .studio file converters - or at least none that I've found.

[etendam]

 (I don't use inkscape, still using Coreldraw on my old Craft Robo cutter)

The good news is that I am retiring my Craft robo cutter at the moment, and then I will buy a Curio.

I will start with the Studio software but if it doesn't work I will get to Coreldraw (I am using that software for almost 20 years now)

 

Ed

[etendam]

Unfortunately there aren't any .studio file converters - or at least none that I've found.

 

Did you try the converter in post 1737?

Ed

[JCL]

That's the thing, it's better to use what you know. Inkscape certainly isn't the last word in drawing packages by any means. I used it for the first time years before buying the Silhouette cutter, and it was one of the most frustrating pieces of software. Lack of knowledge + constant crashes = raised blood pressure    It'll be good to see some of your build on here if possible.

 

re: converter - no! I'm sorry, I didn't see that. I'll give it a go this evening and let you know how I get on.

 

cheers

 

Jason

[JohnT]

Hi JohntT, having got your to provide more info, I'm afraid I've no idea. One of the worst things when troubleshooting is not being able to recreate problems consistently. It sounds like you're doing the right thing.

 

Thanks for trying anyway Jason. It's always good to get a second opinion.

 

After plotting directly from Inkscape a couple of times I find that the lack of control over cut parameters is too much of a retrograde step for me so I have gone back to the Inkscape-dxf-Studio route but I have added a step before I actually cut styrene. I load the cutter with paper and pen and plot the design at the same setting as I intend to cut. I run it a couple of times waiting for problems! If there are none I proceed to the cut styrene stage. It slows down the process but I can bu**er off and do somshing else while it proceeds.

 

Finally an Inkscape question. What is the difference between the Path>Object to path and Path>Stroke to path commands? How do you decide which one to use?

 

John

Edited January 24, 2017 by JohnT

[MikeTrice]

Finally an Inkscape question. What is the difference between the Path>Object to path and Path>Stroke to path commands? How do you decide which one to use?

 

 

If you have drawn a rectangle or circle Inkscape will treat it as an object with those characteristics. It will not let you edit the nodes that make up the object or indeed let you view them. Path->Object to Path will convert them to identical looking constructs but will stop them continuing to be treated as objects. So drawing a rectangle and converting to a path will result in the same thing as if you had drawn 4 lines in a row in a rectangular fashion. When converting an object to a path the width of its border is transferred to become the width of the stroke making up the paths.

 

Using path to a stroke has a slightly different effect. A single stroke of a given thickness will result in a path around its perimeter. A straight line 10mm thick and 30mm long will result in a rectangular path 10mm * 30mm.

 

The easiest way of illustrating this is by example:

 

In the above image the original objects have been duplicated then converted to a path and to a stroke. When entering node edit mode you can see what handles are provided to allow fine tuning.

 

The bottom elements have had their top right hand node moved vertically.

 

Hope I have explained that well enough.

 

Edit. Just thought to add to the above that this is what will physically be sent to the Silhouette when cutting:

Edited January 24, 2017 by MikeTrice

[JohnT]

Hi Mike

 

That is an excellent answer, and the difference is now very clear Thank you.

 

Th problem I was having is that if I view three rectangles as you have shown - original, object to path, stroke to path - and then select them using the select tool they still look identical. I need to show then as paths/nodes to see the difference. Then it is very obvious.

 

Thanks again. you have closed a very big hole in my understanding. Now so many other things start to make sense as well.

 

John

[JCL]

Hi John, in one of Mike's tutorials he goes on to explain how to use the stroke to object function to create coach beading where you need an inside and outside rectangle, with the distance between the two the same the whole way around. The width of the stroke of the original rectangle determines the width of the the resulting beading. Seeing the circle there, it could also be used to create washers, portholes, curving paths, etc

[Robin2]

I have hardly used Inkscape at all for creating or editing a drawing. I just use it to export my SVG file to my Portrait.

 

I use LibreOffice4.3 Draw to create images and the impression I have is that it is a lot more comprehensive than Inkscape (I mention version 4.3 because I had problems with SVG files with version 5.1 and had to revert).

 

For example if you create a shape (such as a rectangle) you can convert it to a polygon and then edit the points, or add or subtract points. And it has the usual merge, subtract and intersect options to create complex shapes from simple ones.

 

It normally puts a border around an object - which can be a specified thickness - and if the object has a border both the border and the object will be cut. I normally remove the borders for simple cuts.

 

...R

[Rob Pulham]

I have hardly used Inkscape at all for creating or editing a drawing. I just use it to export my SVG file to my Portrait.

 

I use LibreOffice4.3 Draw to create images and the impression I have is that it is a lot more comprehensive than Inkscape (I mention version 4.3 because I had problems with SVG files with version 5.1 and had to revert).

 

For example if you create a shape (such as a rectangle) you can convert it to a polygon and then edit the points, or add or subtract points. And it has the usual merge, subtract and intersect options to create complex shapes from simple ones.

 

It normally puts a border around an object - which can be a specified thickness - and if the object has a border both the border and the object will be cut. I normally remove the borders for simple cuts.

 

...R

 

Hi Robin,

 

I pretty much do all that you describe in Inkscape - with the exception of the border round objects. (from another Robin, there seems to be quite a few of us on RMweb...)

[Robin2]

 

I pretty much do all that you describe in Inkscape

I was already very familiar with LibreOffice Draw and I gave up on Inkscape very quickly when I could not find how to produce a trapezoid - a shape I find very useful.

 

I am tempted to say download LibreOffice and try it because I find it much easier to use. But I am very conscious that it would be large download and then there would be a learning curve. We all seem to get trapped by the things that are familiar unless a new thing has a very clear benefit.

 

Anyone who is familiar with Powerpoint should find LibreOffice Draw very obvious.

 

And I would certainly recommend it over Inkscape to anyone is is unfamiliar with either.

 

...R

Edited January 24, 2017 by Robin2

[JCL]

That's the thing, go with what you know, and if they all produce files that are compatible (give or take) with Studio, all the better. Each piece of software has it's strength, and quirks, and after a while some of the quirks become transparent as you get used to working around them. Inkscape had a huge learning curve for me when I first started using it - though Blender, the 3D package was harder - but I have the measure of it now. Some of the worst software is that which has no documentation, tutorials or help forums. I tend to avoid those as life's too short.

 

Didn't get time to look at that converter, so I'll look this evening if I get a chance.

 

cheers

 

Jason