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Travis Reese
01-25-2016, 8:16 PM
I've been trying to figure this out for a while now. Basically I want to be able to set the layer color of my paths so that when I open my file in LaserCut my layers are already set. I've done some searching trying to figure out what color palette to use. I came across another post that suggested creating a file in LaserCut with each path using one of the colors available then exporting that and opening it up in Illustrator to capture the palette. The other post said to use LaserCut to save the file as an .ai file. LaserCut 5.3 has no option to save or export as an .ai file. My only options are .dxf and .plt. So, I tried exporting it as a .dxf and opening that up in Illustrator. It kind of works. The file opens however only a few of the path colors come over correctly. In any case, I try saving that palette and using it in a new drawing, saving as an .ai file (Illustrator 8 version) and importing that back into LaserCut. Doesn't work. Everything comes across as black even though the colors are there in Illustrator. So I tried saving as a dxf from AI. There are a ton of options of which AutoCAD version to use. I tried the oldest and the newest but that doesn't work either. When I open it up in LaserCut everything is still black. Anyone have a clue? I'm using Illustrator CC, the latest version. I will note that the oldest version of AI I can save to is AI 8. When I import this into LaserCut I get an error that says, "Can't import the image data, please save the file use Version 7.0 file format." Even though I get this error it imports my drawing into LaserCut. This has been my standard workflow. I just can't figure out how to assign the layer colors in Illustrator and have them transfer. In AI I've been using no fill, .25pt stroke.

Gene Uselman
01-26-2016, 2:10 PM
I can't help you but I am really interested in your project. I am using Lasercut 6.1 and I don't see a Corel or AI plugin for that- have you tried the AI plugin (seems I have read about it but do not know for a fact it exists. Thanks Gene

Kev Williams
01-26-2016, 5:30 PM
My Triumph came with LaserSoft PHSoft/PHCad software to run the machine.
I've noticed that the basic 'interface' is the same as LaserCut, TruCut and probably many others.

This is a screenshot of the first version I used:

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/ph1.jpg

This is the updated 7.01 version, which is definitely better, and does look different, but-- still pretty much the same:

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/ph2.jpg


The point I'm getting at is, in either of these versions there "appears" to be a minimal color palette.
However, virtually ANY color I use in Corel will import and work fine, regardless of the colors in the palette shown...

The shot below, I just sent everything on this 'job' as different shades of gray, and even though none of those colors is in the PHCad palette,
they all work, and are individually adjustable, as shown in the 'layer options' panel. And the jobs will save fine too. I'm not saying it does, but it seems your LaserCut SHOULD
work the same way?

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/ph3.jpg

Travis Reese
01-26-2016, 6:06 PM
I appreciate the screen shots but I think the key here is Illustrator vs Corel. I'm using Illustrator.

Rich Harman
01-26-2016, 6:29 PM
I appreciate the screen shots but I think the key here is Illustrator vs Corel. I'm using Illustrator.

When you open the file in Lasercut do you lose the colors?

When I use Corel I always export in the illustrator format, then open that up in LaserWorks. No matter what colors I use, they appear in LaserWorks even though they are not part of the LaserWorks palette.

Travis Reese
01-26-2016, 9:04 PM
That's correct, I lose the colors. Hmm... the AI version may be the culprit here. Do you know what version of AI Corel exports? I can only save as low as Illustrator 8 with AI CC 2015. Any way you can post a basic file with at least 2 colors in it so I can see if your AI files will import correctly?

Bill George
01-27-2016, 1:15 PM
What happens if you save a color Bitmap or JPG? The colors are there and you can assign the colors in the LaserCut program to Vector or Raster. When I had my Chinese laser, once the colors were assigned the next import used the same settings.

Michele Welch
01-27-2016, 9:32 PM
Travis, I have a Rabbit Laser also and for some reason when I set the point size a little bit higher/thicker it seems to pick up more colors than when I set is much lower/thinner. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but I have noticed that difference. I too use Illustrator, although since I have this as a home business, I went ahead and have went with the Corel cloud version and just write it off of my taxes. Sometimes there are files that just have to be opened and worked in Corel. But I still see that if doesn't carry over all the colors I've assigned. That's just added work on my part once it's brought into LaserCut for cutting or engraving.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like, we're working on similar models so together we may be able to solve the problem.

Thanks,
Michele

Travis Reese
01-27-2016, 9:47 PM
Michele, you are talking about the color on vector paths, correct? Not raster images? You say it picks up more of the colors. Not sure what you mean. Are you saying that you may set 5 different colors in the AI file and when you bring it into LC it's only carrying over 2 or 3?

Michele Welch
01-28-2016, 5:43 PM
Yes, I'm talking about vector paths. And yes, I'm talking about sending 5 different colors over and when I bring is up in LC, it may only have 3 colors. It will turn a few of the colors to black and then a few other colors. It's just odd.

Travis Reese
01-28-2016, 6:37 PM
Any clue what version of AI your Corel is exporting?

Michele Welch
01-28-2016, 11:10 PM
No, I actually export everything as a DXF file and bring into LC.

Philippe Lecomte
01-29-2016, 7:09 AM
I've the same process (Illustrator to Lasercut).

You must create a color palette in Illustrator that matches the one used in Lasercut.

Simply import a screenshot of the lasercut palette into Illustrator and use the Illustrator color picker tool to match them. Then save the picked color in your new Illustrator color palette.

If color matched, you can import your AI file directly in Laser cut and see your different layers.

Regards

Travis Reese
01-29-2016, 12:16 PM
I've don that and it still doesn't work. Not only have I used the color picker on a screen shot I've actually exported to an air file and imported it into ai. When I save it back out as AI 8 however it doesn't retain the colors when imported into laser cut. What version of ai are you using? What version are you saving to that you import into laser cut?

Philippe Lecomte
01-29-2016, 1:32 PM
Did you untick "Use Compression" when you saved the AI file ?

I've uploaded my own swatch if it can help...
330591

My AI version is CS6

Travis Reese
01-29-2016, 1:37 PM
Hmm... I'm using AI CC 2015. I just opened it up to check that setting. There is a "Use Compression" check box however it is checked and grayed out where it cannot be changed when saving to AI version 8. And I have to save in AI 8 or I can't import it into

Philippe Lecomte
02-01-2016, 3:53 AM
Make sure you select a legacy version (even older than 7 if you want) when you save from AI and UNTICK the compression checkbox. It's a well known compatibility problem between AI and lasercut when you try to import.

Travis Reese
02-01-2016, 9:32 AM
Adobe Illustrator CC 2015 will only save back to version 8 or version 3. Nothing in between. Neither 8 nor 3 carry over the colors. As I said previously the compression checkbox is not available when saving to version 8 or version 3.

Michele Welch
02-02-2016, 4:15 PM
Travis,

I tried something new today and it seemed to work really well. I put each color on its own layer in Illy and then I saved as a DXF and opened in LC and bam, there they were, all 3 of my colors where they were supposed to be.

Give it a try and see if it works for you.

Michele

Travis Reese
02-02-2016, 4:56 PM
I would swear that I tried that. I'm at work at the moment but will give that another try when I get home.

Travis Reese
02-02-2016, 4:59 PM
Do you know what options you used when exporting to DXF?

Michele Welch
02-03-2016, 3:20 PM
330928

Does this help?

Gene Uselman
02-03-2016, 5:17 PM
My Triumph came with LaserSoft PHSoft/PHCad software to run the machine.
I've noticed that the basic 'interface' is the same as LaserCut, TruCut and probably many others.

This is a screenshot of the first version I used:

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/ph1.jpg

This is the updated 7.01 version, which is definitely better, and does look different, but-- still pretty much the same:

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/ph2.jpg


The point I'm getting at is, in either of these versions there "appears" to be a minimal color palette.
However, virtually ANY color I use in Corel will import and work fine, regardless of the colors in the palette shown...

The shot below, I just sent everything on this 'job' as different shades of gray, and even though none of those colors is in the PHCad palette,
they all work, and are individually adjustable, as shown in the 'layer options' panel. And the jobs will save fine too. I'm not saying it does, but it seems your LaserCut SHOULD
work the same way?

http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/ph3.jpg

What your screenshots appear to be is RDworks, -where the color import works as you describe. Lasercut is a different program.

Travis Reese
02-03-2016, 9:35 PM
Michele, that does help. Thanks. I'll give it a try.

Travis Reese
04-17-2016, 11:53 AM
Been a while since I've tried messing with this but I finally found the solution to the problem for anyone else using AI and Lasercut 5.3. I completely stumbled across this. To get the colors to come across you need to create the document as an RGB document and use the basic RGB color palette. You then need to convert the document to the CMYK and save as AI 10. For whatever reason this works.

Stuart Woolger
08-05-2017, 9:58 AM
Travis Reese you've made my day!

I always saved from Illustrator CS6 to Version 8 opened in LC5.3 and applied colours afterwards as I could never find a way to do it. I sort of got it working with DXFs but never that well!

Thanks for this tip, it's transformed my workflow :)


Been a while since I've tried messing with this but I finally found the solution to the problem for anyone else using AI and Lasercut 5.3. I completely stumbled across this. To get the colors to come across you need to create the document as an RGB document and use the basic RGB color palette. You then need to convert the document to the CMYK and save as AI 10. For whatever reason this works.

Haw-minn Lu
02-23-2018, 1:15 PM
Not sure if anyone is still following this thread, but I think I've figured out the color interaction between Illustrator and LaserCut 5.3. I'm using CS2, but I think as long as you save as Illustrator 8 any contemporary Illustrator should behave the same.

First, it seems to only remember colors when the document is CMYK. LaserCut doesn't seem to respect colors if the document is RGB.
Second, LaserCut's colors are RGB, but it will find nearby CMYK colors in the illustrator document.
Third, here's the rub. If you set the colors according to the LaserCut palate, they will get translated to CMYK by illustrator and back to RGB by LaserCut. In short each color goes through RGB -> CMYK -> RGB. Unfortunately some of LaserCut's colors are too close together so the map to the same RGB color. That's probably why people have reported having 5 colors in illustrator and only 3 when imported to LaserCut.

My advice (this is the way I work) if you are not using too many layers stick to primary and secondary colors as the are "far apart" avoid colors that are shades of each other. If you need a lot of layers, I'd go through the exercise of painting a test illustrator file with objects in each of the LaserCut colors in its palate. Then, import it and hide each layer. When two objects appear in a layer, then the colors are two close together. Keep only one of those colors in your "LaserCut" illustrator swatch library. I was able to pull about 18 distinct colors.

I've had inconsistency in the order they are imported, so sometimes it is hard for me to distinguish the 18 colors and sort them correctly. But I think you can easily come up with a palate of 10 easy to use colors. With a small investment in time to get your "working palate" you can greatly speed up your workflow.

This insight has drastically sped up my workflow at the laser. Basically I can import my file, set my speed and power and cut order.

Hope this helps you all.

Dave Sheldrake
02-23-2018, 3:51 PM
Use "web colours" lasercut won't see anything with an incorrect RGB value and will just read it as black