Introduction to using Inkscape to produce cutting files

[MickRalph]

I was just going to post the same information.  Having changed the shape to an ellipse, the program remembers this shape and the next shape will also be an ellipse.  If having drawn it you need it to be an arc or a segment, you have to edit the nodes as above.  Strangely, the same effect is in version 48.5, though I can't remember whether it was there before I installed v91.

 

Don't forget that to get a circle you need to press the "ctrl" key when drawing the shape.  If you forget, you can change the ellipse to a circle by unlocking the padlock (in the selection pointer mode), making the height and width the same and then relocking the padlock to preserve the proportions when resizing.

 

Mick

[MikeTrice]

Having changed the shape to an ellipse, the program remembers this shape and the next shape will also be an ellipse. 

Presumably only if you have set your preferences as detailed previously.

[MickRalph]

As far as I can see, the preferences are used to set the line colour and fill either from the last ellipse (or similarly the last rectangle) drawn or a specified setting.  The shape (ellipse, sector or arc) is remembered from the last drawn (and a rectangle has either square or rounded corners accorfing to the last object drawn).

 

Mick

[BG John]

I've just got to the end of the coal hut, and I'm very impressed. Either this is the best drawing program I've come across, the best tutorial, or both! As my only cutting device is a knife and my hands, I've moved the doors and windows away from where the walls are, and coloured the scoring layer. My laser printer has produced a nice sharp image for me to cut to.

 

A bit of practice and I hope to be producing locos and rolling stock, as well as buildings! And I may have to buy a Silhouette!

[Steadfast]

I've been playing with Inkscape to produce a file to cut with the silhouette. Among other fixes, I'd like to separate the verticals and the horizontals to different colours to allow me to to get sharper corners.

Is there an easy way to do this or do I need to get redrawing this from scratch?

The way my layers are arranged so far is a part on each layer, I then export as a DXF and load into Silhouette Studio to cut.

Any help gratefully accepted!

 

jo

 

[43179]

I spy a 59 jo

[Steadfast]

I can neither confirm or deny... :-D

It will be a red one

 

jo

Edited July 27, 2015 by Steadfast

[MickRalph]

I've been playing with Inkscape to produce a file to cut with the silhouette. Among other fixes, I'd like to separate the verticals and the horizontals to different colours to allow me to to get sharper corners.

Is there an easy way to do this or do I need to get redrawing this from scratch?

inkscape-screen-59.jpg

The way my layers are arranged so far is a part on each layer, I then export as a DXF and load into Silhouette Studio to cut.

Any help gratefully accepted!

 

jo

It is not difficult, but it is not quick, as it needs each shape to be dealt with separately.

 

For a rectangle, with either square or rounded corners, highlight the shape and use "Path > Object to Path" (shift+crtl+C).  This changes the shape to a path and clicking on "Edit by Nodes" (F2; or the second icon down) you can see you now have a node at each change of direction.  Now click Ctrl+A, which selects and highlights all the nodes; select the fourth icon along the top (break path at selected nodes); and then "Path > Break Apart" (shift+ctrl+K).  By selecting the pointer (first icon on the down row at the left, you will see that you have now four separate lines (or eight separate lines for a rounded-corner rectangle).  By selecting (say) the vertical lines, the line colour can be altered.

 

This has to be done for each shape, but of course you can select all the lines from a shape and duplicate the shape (deleting those similar shapes which haven't yet been altered).

 

Your window-frames (?) are probably already paths; if so you can skip the "object to path" step.

 

I hope this makes sense and helps.

 

Mick

[MikeTrice]

You can actually select all the shapes first, then follow Mick's method of convert to path and edit by nodes, then using the lasso select all the nodes, then break path at selected nodes, then break apart. Phew.

[Steadfast]

Thanks for the tips Mike and Mick, I'll have a play when I have some time to

 

jo

[mudmagnet]

Being late to the 'party', I've spend the last hour or two reading through and trying out most the tutorials - so many thanks for all the tutorials which have been very useful.

 

I've been using AutoCAD for many years for work, so picking up Inkscape was a little alien to begin with, but with a bit more practice I seem to be getting to understand the basics. Typically with most computer drawing packages, there is a learning curve, but hope to get something cut soon!

[Londontram]

Sorry about this but I must have known this as old drawings I did a year ago have this on but my minds gone blank as I attempt to relearn Inkscape, just remind me if I've got a basic rectangle how can I change the top two corners to curved corners  but leave the bottom two as square corners. As I say sorry about this but I've slept (several times) since then

[MikeTrice]

There is no straightforward way to acheive this as rounding the corner affects all four corners, however with a little ingenuity it can be accomplished in a number of ways. Here is one approach that is probably the quickest.

 

Draw a rectangle:

 

Duplicate the first rectangle (CTRL-D) and drag the duplicate down the page so it overlaps the bottom of the first rectangle:

 

Select the first rectangle, then enter node edit mode (second button down on left toolbar). Drag the exposed circular handle on the top right hand corner of the first rectangle to produce a curve:

 

Select both rectangles then select from the top menu Path->Union:

 

You will end up with the following shape:

 

[Londontram]

Thanks Mike once more you've saved the day

                                                                      Steve

[davetheroad]

Should I upgrade to the latest version?

 

After a year or so break i have been playing around with Inkscape and tried producing some coach sides. It worked well or at least i think so. The image does not look as good as with the naked eye, especially my old ones!. I used some old and curly gloss vinyl with a mirror like surface, or that's the excuse for the reflections. Would matt vinyl be better or stay with gloss and use a satin varnish?

 

I am using an ancient version 0.48 so would there be any advantages in upgrading? I searched online yesterday and the Inkscape site had a banner over it claiming it was not the real site- argh. Is there a 'safe' source out there.

 

I am going to have a go at cutting vinyl using a silhouette cameo cutter, hopefully with nice window openings for all those coaches which are not available commercially.

 

 

[MickRalph]

I would certainly upgrade; there are some useful enhancements, not least a tool to measure distances.  I use this a lot to ensure that objects are the right size and in the correct place. 

 

I don't get any warnings when downloading from the Inkscape downloads page.

 

Mick

[Londontram]

There is no straightforward way to acheive this as rounding the corner affects all four corners, however with a little ingenuity it can be accomplished in a number of ways. Here is one approach that is probably the quickest.

 

Draw a rectangle:

screen1.jpg

 

Duplicate the first rectangle (CTRL-D) and drag the duplicate down the page so it overlaps the bottom of the first rectangle:

screen2.jpg

 

Select the first rectangle, then enter node edit mode (second button down on left toolbar). Drag the exposed circular handle on the top right hand corner of the first rectangle to produce a curve:

screen3.jpg

 

Select both rectangles then select from the top menu Path->Union:

screen4.jpg

 

You will end up with the following shape:

screen5.jpg

Thanks Mike I've just tried this and it works fine. Steve

[ozthedog]

Having read 51 pages of JCL's Guide to the Silhouette Cameo Cutter and worked through the coal shed tutorial here I have now decided to buy a Portrait cutter.  Many thanks to all who have contributed.  I found the tutorial an excellent way to learn Inkscape.  I have started building from scratch all the buildings for a new model of Wallingford and was intending to prepare an etch for the windows.  Never having designed an etch before I was somewhat dubious as to what my success would have been.  The versatily that these two forum threads have demonstrated for the Silhouette cutter inspires confidence that it will be much more successful than etches because if its not right the first time a repeat does not cost much.

 

I have also made the brickwork for the signal box from card using the Pendon technique of imprinting it before painting the bricks.  It gives a beautiful result as the watercolour paints are so realistic.  However it is a real pain having to  imprint the card with the brickwork using ground down scalpel blades.  I hope to have a go by scoring with the Silhouette.
 

The order will be placed with YOLO this weekend.

Particular thanks to Mike and Jason as I think these 2 threads have made a great contribution to the hobby.

 

Keith

Edited February 26, 2016 by ozthedog

[ozthedog]

My Portrait cutter arrived last week and I have managed to sucessfully cut a prototype window frame that is considerably better than my efforts to handbuild from Evergreen strips.  Also in a fraction of the the time.

This magnification is brutal in showing defects.

 

I achieved this by designing the cutting pattern on Inkscape, exporting the file as a DXF and importing this into the Silhouette Studio library before opening the dxf file from the library, re-sizing and printing to the Portrait from Studio.

 

Two questions:

 

When I opened the file in studio the window size had increased about 3 times and I had to re-size it back to 12 x 25mm before printing.  How can I prevent this increase in size on importing?

 

I would prefer to print direct from Inkscape but when I go to the print dropdown menu on Inkscape neither the Portrait nor Graphtec Craft Robo appear as a printer option to select.  I have tried to add a printer but when I search neither printer is found.  Looking in Printers and Devices in Control Panel nothing is listed there and again searching via this option does not find the Portrait.  I have tried to find a Portrait printer driver on Silhouette America but without success.  I assume the Studio software must be driving the Portrait.  I am using Windows 7, the latest Studio ffrom Silhouette's website and the latest Inkscape.0.9.

 

Any advice gratefully received.

 

Thanks

 

Keith

[BG John]

When I opened the file in studio the window size had increased about 3 times and I had to re-size it back to 12 x 25mm before printing.  How can I prevent this increase in size on importing?

Are you using the same units in Inkscape and Studio? I have both set to millimetres and it imports to Studio the right size.

These are the export settings I use in Inkscape. I always change the default units to mm when creating a new drawing:

 

These are my Preferences in Studio:

 

I would prefer to print direct from Inkscape but when I go to the print dropdown menu on Inkscape neither the Portrait nor Graphtec Craft Robo appear as a printer option to select.  I have tried to add a printer but when I search neither printer is found.  Looking in Printers and Devices in Control Panel nothing is listed there and again searching via this option does not find the Portrait.  I have tried to find a Portrait printer driver on Silhouette America but without success.  I assume the Studio software must be driving the Portrait.  I am using Windows 7, the latest Studio ffrom Silhouette's website and the latest Inkscape.0.9.

I can't explain how, as I've forgotten, but I have a Silhouette printer driver available in Inkscape on Windows 7. The options are so limited though, that I wouldn't use it.

[ozthedog]

Thanks BG John.  I was saving in pixels and also had the "use ROBO-master type of spline output checked".  Changing to px and unticking box gives correct sizes in Studio.

 

Keith

[BG John]

If you're not already doing it, selecting all objects in Inkscape and going to Path > Object to Path, before exporting, then in Studio selecting all objects and going to Object > Release Compound Path, can help to avoid problems. Before I was using the settings in my previous post, and doing this, I was getting problems with unwanted cutting lines appearing, and other annoying things I've now forgotten.

[ozthedog]

"Path > Object to Path, before exporting, then in Studio selecting all objects and going to Object > Release Compound Path" - Will do.

 

I have now found the printer drivers on the installation disc and after installation there is an icon named as "USB Printing Support" with the following properties.

However this icon is in the "Unspecified" section of Devices and Printers not in the printers section.  Inkscape is only seeing those devices in the printers section.  I cannot find a way to transfer this to the Printers section.

 

Any advice from those with more knowledge of the vagaries of Windows 7?

 

Thanks

 

Keith

[BG John]

These are the only cutting settings that seem to be available in the printer driver. No options for speed or pressure, so I think it's unusable for our purposes.

[ozthedog]

John

 

You are correct.  I have sorted out the issue with the unspecified device.  Simply had to right click on the unspecified device and then click update device.  Voila - it appeared under printers as the Silhouette.  Unfortunately same printing preferences as you in Inkscape.

 

Thanks for your advice

 

Keith