Corel Draw Plot Optimization?

[Mark Ross]

We do quite a bit of product, where the material is 36 X 24 and we raster in a logo in the center of the material and there is a border that runs around the outside of the material. It takes like 2 hours to raster this. It would be SO much faster to run if we did the top and bottom border as one file, the center logo as another and the left edge as a file and the right edge as a file, so the head wasnt traveling the entire 36 inches for every single pass.

Is there any software out there for optimizing plot files? Just wondering. Thanks.

[Rodne Gold]

You cant automatically optimise that border thing , but you can use various strategies
If its a straightforward shape like a filleted box or circle etc , make it a hairline and use the countour tool to offset it as many times as you need for thickness and then vector engrave it
If its more complex , use the virtual segment delete tool or whatever tool you like to split it into l, r, top, bottom and changes these to different colours and they will laser a lot quicker as 4 discrete items. You might also try running the border at a much lower DPI and faster speed as a separate file to the logo

[Scott Shepherd]

Not sure what laser you have, but that's a fine example of when to use color mapping. Make the horizontal lines one color, each vertical line a different color, and then the image a different color. It'll do them one by one.

DOHHH!!!!!!! Rodney beat me to it!

[Roy Brewer]

...It would be SO much faster to run if...Mark,

Powerclip to the rescue!(?).



An alternative I find significantly faster than color mapping; incredibly simple. For minimum laser time, send three files to your laser(in no particular order):

The internal logo/graphics
The upper left 1/2 of the border
The lower right 1/2 of the border
My solution is to create a rectangle slightly larger than the border(precision not important). Convert to curve then delete the lower right node and powerclip the border to the resulting triangle and print it(selected only).

Undo the Powerclip and undo the delete node then delete the u/l node and PowerClip the border to the new triangle and print it.




Notes:

Be sure your clipping "rectangle" has no outline (or send raster only if applicable).
Many think powerclipping is only for bitmaps, but try it on vector objects, groups, etc.
I know you're thinking you'll see a seam, but try the concept on a small scrap and I think you'll be surprised how precisely DRAW generates/outputs the powerclip(s).

Picture frames with stuff all around the frames are quite popular now. A great application for this procedure.

[Scott Shepherd]

Wow Roy, that's an excellent tip. I'll have to give that a try for sure. Never would have thought of that one. Thanks for sharing!

[Rodne Gold]

So in other words you send the border as this []?

[Richard Rumancik]

Rodne, I'm reading it as if he is sending the top and left side, then the bottom and right side, as raster. There would be joints in top right and lower left, but Roy says that they are not noticable.

[Rodne Gold]

oh ok , like this |_ -| (glyph isnt good but I get the drift.
I do it in 4 , colour map it , then its a single file I send. seems many ways to skin this cat.. :)


In the GCC driver there is a function called "cluster" , if enabled you can specify a white space distance for it to stop scanning and complete an object
For example if you had 2 dots spaced either side of the engraved item far apart , you can set it so it doesnt scan from one dot to the next but completes each dot. It will do this for any entities that are spaced further apart than your cluster setting.
Sometimes in an array , its a lot quicker to do items individually than scan.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=79977
Is a thread discussing various laser time optimization

[Mark Ross]

I broke it into 6 files, upper and lower border, right and left border, centered logo and centered text. Saves a TON of time...thanks for the replies.