A Guide to using the Silhouette Cameo Cutter

[siltec]

Hi All

 

I have not used mine for some time and recently decided it was about time. The software was back to the download version after installing Windows 10 and would not take my upgrade to designer key. An email to Cameo resolved it very quickly so full marks for support.

 

My biggest problem has always been getting a printed image with vector cuts to be cut correctly. I have managed this in the past by literally merging the verctor cut lines and the printed image manually on screen in designer. My efforts with .svg files came to nought.

 

However, since the latest version of the software I have found that so long as I have the vector lines a different colour I can now save as an .svg file and it can be printed and cut out.

 

I use DeltaCad 8 to draw up my original. Save this as a .dxf file and load this into Serif Draw 8. I find the layers system for colour separation great. In the past I then saved as a .dxf file from serif and as a png file and then merged them in the cameo software. I  could always save as an .svg file but it never worked properly with the Cameo software. Now it does.

 

Only snag was that the .svg file appeared well oversize when loaded into the Cameo software and had to be scaled down. Playing around with the save options on Serif DrawPlus I noticed that and svg file could be save as inkscape or adobe compatable. Well blow me down. the version saved in the Inkscape format turns up in the Cameo software the right size!!

 

Originally I had hoped that the Cameo would recognise the layers from Drawplus. It has layers but no such luck. However it looks as though I am going to be able to draw, colour, print and cut without anymore faffing around aligning up various drawings and pictures. Seems that there is progress in software!

 

Moral of the story is that the learning curve after an over long break can still produce srprises.

 

David

[Peterkern23]

Hey guys, I know there is a for sale section but as an avid member of the scenery forum I thought it would be okay? I have a cameo 2 and I don't use it now as I have a laser cutter. It has extra upgraded blades and all the paperwork and packaging with it. Would anyone be interested in buying it? I'm open to offers, it was only used 3 times. Let me know.

[siltec]

Another trial and while basically my approach works there are some points to consider.

 

The .svg file as it appeared on the Cameo Designer was over size. It is important to know the actual overall size before exporting. Scaling on designer is straight forward.

 

More worrying was the absence of any text. I had included some on the body. It seems to be essential that text is classified as curves. This worked as did the scaling.

 

Cutting out has been precise so that aspect works.

 

David

[JCL]

On the size issue, I know that with DXF files there is a setting in Silhouette to make sure that it resizes correctly. I can't remember which one it is off-hand (it's been mentioned on here a fair few times), but is there also a similar one for SVG?

 

With regards to the text, can you convert text to paths in your illustration software?

[MickRalph]

You need to ensure that in Silhouette the "Edit/preferences/import options/when importing SVG" is set to "As-is".

 

Mick

[JCL]

Thanks for that Mick.

[MikeH_83]

Hey guys, I know there is a for sale section but as an avid member of the scenery forum I thought it would be okay? I have a cameo 2 and I don't use it now as I have a laser cutter. It has extra upgraded blades and all the paperwork and packaging with it. Would anyone be interested in buying it? I'm open to offers, it was only used 3 times. Let me know.

 

Tempting but I don't have the funds atm, neither am I at that stage or have any experience with cad lol.  Does look a nice tool for creating thin awkward bits though

[siltec]

Decided to test out what was happening. Now these are .svg files produced by DrawPlus 8 so from another source results could be different.

 

The save options are as is, adobe or inkscape. Also converitng text to curves is necessary.

 

Anyhow I carried out the tests and came here and saw the post about preferences. So back I went, altered the preferences to as is to see what happened. well in my case nothing. before and after setting import .svg to AS  IS this is what happened.

 

My test image was 100mm square. Saved as an .svg loaded into Sihouette Designer 3 it arrived and sized at 133.33mm square. Set to the Inkscape option it arrived at 106.67mm square. In the first case 1/3 larger in the second 1/15. I tried with other drawings and these seemed to be consistent.

 

I have no idea why the preference settings did not work, but at least the oversizing is consistent and easy enough to adjust with the scaling feature.

 

I like using DrawPlus as the layers work well and it accepts my .dxf files with the layers intact. I had hoped I would be able to export the layers to SD3 but there seems to be a real difference in approach so no luck so far. It just means I need to remember to make sure the colours for the cut lines are different enough from the rest to prevent mix ups.

 

I hope all this works so that I get out what I expect. So far so good.

 

David

[JCL]

David, if you pm me the 100mm square, or upload it to here, I'll open it in Inkscape and see how big it is. If it is still 100mm then the problem is silhouette studio, if it is a different size, the problem is your Serif software.

[siltec]

Just carried out a quick test.

 

Loaded dxf into newly downloaded inkscape. Took it Ok and sized at 100.282 x 100.303!

 

I suspect the small decimal places to be line widths.

 

Filled in a bit and save a svg.

 

Loaded into SSD and it arrived as 80 x 80!  down in size, the opposite to files from DrawPlus.

 

Loaded dxf into SSD3 and it was still 100 x 100. Now this would be fine except SSD3 does not recognise the layers. Trying to pick out individual elements to colour them is not easy.

 

If I could work on layers in SSD3 as I do in DrawPlus then I would be there.

 

Seems to me that the svg standards are not as well fixed as the dxf.

 

David

[siltec]

Direct dxf to SSD3 today with no dimensional problems. using coloured card so plotted out lines before cutting. I bough some of the silhouette pens and some adaptors for normal pens. I am not impressed with the silhouette, but I am with the adapters. I bought some really cheap metal tube tipped pens to try out the adapter and they work perfectly. In fact most pens I have tried plot better than the ones supposedly made for the machine.

 

Decided that the best way to use the svg files is to reduce them by 0.9375 before sending to SSD3. When arriving at SSD3 they return to the correct size!!!

 

DrawPlus only permits 94% but the result was near enough. Next time i will reduce the CAD image before sending it to DrawPlus and see what happens.

 

David

[JCL]

That is really peculiar David. Did you see my reply to your PM?

[MickRalph]

Direct dxf to SSD3 today with no dimensional problems. using coloured card so plotted out lines before cutting. I bough some of the silhouette pens and some adaptors for normal pens. I am not impressed with the silhouette, but I am with the adapters. I bought some really cheap metal tube tipped pens to try out the adapter and they work perfectly. In fact most pens I have tried plot better than the ones supposedly made for the machine.

 

Decided that the best way to use the svg files is to reduce them by 0.9375 before sending to SSD3. When arriving at SSD3 they return to the correct size!!!

 

DrawPlus only permits 94% but the result was near enough. Next time i will reduce the CAD image before sending it to DrawPlus and see what happens.

 

David

David - back in March/April there was discussion about files being imported into SS with the wrong dimensions.  Look at this post.  In a later response I wrote:

 

"In case anyone else decides to buy Silhouette Studio Designer Edition or has a similar issue when exporting from Inkscape to the standard Studio, you can avoid having to change the settings for each document by changing the "document properties" of the default.svg file (in the "templates" sub-folder of the "share" sub-folder within the "Inkscape" folder).  This is the file which opens when you start a new document.

 

The only way I could alter the default file in Windows 10 (it won't let me save files in c-drive folders) was to open a new document, amend the properties to have the "general" default units as mm and the "custom size" default units as px; save this file as "default.svg" somewhere else; and then move this file to replace the original default.svg file (closing Inkscape first, so that the file isn't still open).

 

Now when you open a new file it will have the correct properties to import into Studio correctly.

 

I hope this is of help to someone.

 

Mick".

 

This worked for Ozthedog and I think he, you and I may be the only people using SSDE - at least I haven't seen any other references to it.

 

Mick

[siltec]

Why I use the Cutter/plotter

 

I am not a traditional railway modeller. Scenery really is not my thing other than as a photographic back drop. However the tec and design does interest me. As i am interested in the overall design just copying exisiting railways past and present I do not find fascinating. I am also a impatient and again spending weeks producing one loco is not my thing. So I hit upon card as a way of producing lots of bodies quickly. Now visiting various model railway shows, toy fairs and budget stores I have acquired quite a few powered chassis of the bo-bo variety. Initially with the idea of making trams. Now trams seem to be included with urban light and heavy rail such as the DLR, Underground, Tyneside Metro etc. Historically I also discovered the long gone Liverpool Overhead Railway. Obviously not catered for by the trade to any serious degree.

 

So at present I am producing the bodies for a sort of updated version of the Liverpool overhead. They were three car units the centre car being shorter than the two outer. I think because it was the maximum that would extend the original two car sets. On the original this centre car was not powered. However the short wheel base means that bo-bo chassis from old diesel locos, and especially old Underground Ernie are just about the right scale size. For ease of production my first effort uses cars all of the same length, short. Chassis is from and old Jouef diesel loco. I have five of these. Two bought with their original bodies for £15 and three, without bodies acquired for £5 for the three. So 5 three car sets means 15 cars. So you can see why I am into production lines rather than scenery.

 

The avatar is an early effort of a tram body. Windows are OHP acetate of which I have plenty of from before I retired. It is a plot and cut rather than print and cut model. I think I might have posted some others into the gallery as well.

 

By the way I am not adverse to buildings of the Hornby Dublo free standing variety and hope to use the cutter along with a jig saw to produce some replica style buildings.

 

David

[Rob Pulham]

Although not strictly Silhouette Cutter now as that bit's finished, as a bit of a change from wagons and the Kirk brakes that I have been working on recently I picked up and made some progress on the Silhouette cut NBR bogie CCT last weekend. This is now well on it's way to being ready for the paint shop.

 

 

 

 

I made a jig from a stip of styrene to mark/drill the bolt heads on the sole bars but as is usually the case when taking these photos I discovered that I had missed 8 on one side so they need to be added.

 

 

 

[etendam]

Rob,

 

excellent job but the windows are still looking odd. (curved lines)

 

Ed

[Rob Pulham]

Rob,

 

excellent job but the windows are still looking odd. (curved lines)

 

Ed

Thanks Ed,

 

I think that the curves are trick of the light/ photography, they look straight in reality. I will hopefully get a coat of primer on it later which might help.

[siltec]

That looks good. Another line of experimentation.

 

My big problem of CAD dxf to Drawplus and then svg from DrawPlus to SSD3 has a solution.

 

For reasons unknown the svg file from DrawPlus arrives at SSD3 6.25% too large. Drawplus only allows coarse resizing but the CAD programme is more precise. So I prepared my line drawing in DeltCAD, measured it at 240.09mm x 101.05mm and then scale it down exactly 0.9375. Saved it as a dxf file. Loaded it into DrawPlus and coloured it in. Then saved it as an svg file with the inkscape option. I loaded this into SSD3 and checked the dimesnions 240.09 x 101.05, spot on!!

 

The difference is actually 1/16 exactly which suggests it is a software aberation due I suspect to different interpretations of the svg standard. Not difficult to live with. I must just remember to check if there is an upgrade in any of the software involved as it might all change again. Certainly beats matching a dxf and a png file which was the previous method.

 

David

[sleeper]

That looks good. Another line of experimentation.

 

My big problem of CAD dxf to Drawplus and then svg from DrawPlus to SSD3 has a solution.

 

For reasons unknown the svg file from DrawPlus arrives at SSD3 6.25% too large. Drawplus only allows coarse resizing but the CAD programme is more precise. So I prepared my line drawing in DeltCAD, measured it at 240.09mm x 101.05mm and then scale it down exactly 0.9375. Saved it as a dxf file. Loaded it into DrawPlus and coloured it in. Then saved it as an svg file with the inkscape option. I loaded this into SSD3 and checked the dimesnions 240.09 x 101.05, spot on!!

 

 

 

David, I'm glad you seem to be coming to the end of your myriad of problems with your software (s), it sort of reminded me of a bees nest!  As my recent work has been of cardboard construction too, (see my blogs) I look forward to seeing your results, because your methods appear to be very different from mine, how you will achieve compound curves for example. Don't forget to post up some progress photos, good luck with it.

[siltec]

My problems were due primarily to me not using the machine for over six months and then based on experiences from this forum deciding to have another go at using .svg files. Interestingly .svg works fine, it was that pesky dimensional difference that caused all the problems. Now that that is solved I was able to get going and found the printer was running out of ink. It is an HP Photosmart 8150 and other than the pricey cartridges prints quite well. Anyhow as the last colour cartridge was a new one when it ran out I decided to re-fill. This I managed Ok and ir sort of worked. Unfortunately the efforts I printed for cutting had varying colours and banding. this was yesterday.

 

Today I popped into my local computer store and bough another non HP cartridge. Anyhow before sticking it in I thought I might as well run a test print or two where the colour etc. did not matter.

 

Well blow me down the thing now works perfectly. Seems that leaving it to settle overnight was the solution. so if you try a refill leave it a day or so if it is not iniatially up to scratch. worked for me.

 

I even entrusted some expensive glossy photo card to the printer for cutting out on the Cameo. All worked well. It looks good, just like the glossy appearance of Hornby Dublo tin plate.

 

However, I decided to trial bending this card by the usual partial cut method. Not a good idea so it will have to be a crease in future. Has anyone ever tried creasing glossy photocard for bending?

 

As to the compound curve problem. i'm afraid I chickened out. One reason for going freelance on rolling stock design is that I design it to made from card from scratch.

 

David

[Londontram]

In case any one is interested here's my first draw, cut and build. Its a Caledonian diagram 83 6 wheel CCT from about 1906 the sides were drawn in inkscape and saved as svg files and with Jason's (JCL) help the files were converted to dxf files and sent to the silhouette cutter. Once the sides were laminated together the whole assembly was mounted on a substantial inner box built from 60 thou plasticard. It lacks detail yet as its very much a work in progress project.

        Its been a bit of a journey as I'm an old dog who doesn't take well to new tricks but with Jason's patience we've overcome problems and worked out how to convert the inkscape into uncorrupted silhouette usable dxf files and here's the proof the first of many I hope.

In the second picture sat behind the CCT are the W irons ready to go under the CCT. I use a simple system of one fixed axle at one end one rocking axle at the other and one sliding axle in the middle which I use on all my six wheelers and seems to work very well on my 00 track, The sliding axle is converted to inside bearings and lets the wheel set slide 1mm either side (A total of 2mm all together)

Now with underframe and buffer beam added

                        Steve

Edited July 2, 2016 by Londontram

[57xx]

I'm slowly working my way through this interesting thread. I've been trying to think of projects where I could use one, seeing Rob's use for making a planked roof got me interested. Then I saw this old post...

 

Portrait, I don't need a big machine as I'm only going to be cutting 4mm coachsides (and half-shaft gaskets!)

 

Yolo are the cheapest at £149 inc vat.

 

Andy G

 

A big grin crossed my face as I make lots of gaskets for my bike, cylinders, carbs etc and its quite tedious but essential. A Silhouette would be perfect for the job! Seen the Portrait for £103 now, so looks like I'll be getting one soon. 

[Kiwi]

Portrait or Cameo?

 

Somewhere early on in this thread I recall discussion about the comparison between the two. Apart from size / capacity and price it was suggested the cameo could have issues due to some flexing of the cutter caused by the added width of travel.

 

Is this still relevant or has there been any design change? If it is relevant then are there are other worthwhile reasons for paying the extra cost of a cameo that are more important (relative to railway modelling work)?

[Alister_G]

Well look out world, I'm now the proud owner of a Silhouette Portrait.

 

Until now, I couldn't really justify one, as I'd sneakily got Jason to do stuff for me on his

 

But, having recently started a new layout, I identified that I would have a legitimate need for one, as I will require quite a lot of fiddly detail items which I would be unable to do by hand.

 

And of course, now I've got one, I can probably be persuaded to try all sorts of new things...

 

So, Jason, thank you for your help in the past, and thank you for this thread, without which, I would never have contemplated such a machine!

 

Al.

[jonhall]

I think I might take mine along to the CMRA modellers day in a couple of weeks time if anyone wants a look.

 

Jon