Help File cutting to much

[Bert Kemp]

I Have a file that wants to cut each section 3 times:confused:. Its all hairline with 1 time in the cut box.
I've gone back 3 times now and did no outline then hair outline and it still wants to cut 3 times
its a 750 kb file so I can't upload it but does anyone have any idea why this just want to keep cutting the same lins 3 time. Thanks for any help here.

[Scott Marquez]

Did you use "unite lines" when you brought it into Lasercut?
After you brought it in, did you copy and paste it too many times?
Scott

[Joe Pelonio]

That happens a lot when it's been converted fro a CAD dxf or dog for some reason. I have had as many as 20 lines on top of each other. Normally in Corel you can select all, ungrounded, then select the shape and delete twice, leaving only one to cut.

[Bert Kemp]

Joe do you mean ungroup, I did a ungroup then deleted and all disaperared I designed in corel the saved as dxf and imported to lasercut


That happens a lot when it's been converted fro a CAD dxf or dog for some reason. I have had as many as 20 lines on top of each other. Normally in Corel you can select all, ungrounded, then select the shape and delete twice, leaving only one to cut.

[Bert Kemp]

No and No didn't do either


Did you use "unite lines" when you brought it into Lasercut?
After you brought it in, did you copy and paste it too many times?
Scott

[Kev Williams]

Bert, I think you're having the same problem I've been having with a customer's files...

Here is a Corel 9 file ...339456

It's self explanatory but I'll narrate anyway ;)

On the top labeled "as is" is a radius-ended rectangle, courtesy of a customer, who created it in autocad and converted it to Corel for me. (note that it matters not if I do my own conversion)...

The job was several large lamacoid pieces with many holes like this, in different sizes. Some weren't so bad, but this is a bad one--

No matter what I've tried, I have yet to find a way for Corel (or Gravostyle for that matter) to create a simple outline of that shape so I can cut it...

I CAN create a simple outline, but all that outlines is closed elements within the shape! --that shouldn't be closed! (which is what Bert is dealing with I'm thinking...)

Below the 'as is' is the result of the "outline shape" tool--

Below that are the results of me picking each piece of the 'as is' shape apart. Picking each part and nudging it to a new spot is the only way around this problem that I've found, I nudge a top & bottom line over, and a full-arc from each end (once I find them!), and from there, usually I can create an outline. But not all the time. Sometimes I have to play 'connect the node'... more wasted time...

It's ridiculous, and my customer has no idea how to simplify this before I get it, and I have no idea how to simplify it AFTER!

So here's a challenge for anyone-- load this file in your Corel and try to create a simple one-line outline ready to vector cut.
--and fair warning-- don't be surprised if your Corel crashes if you try the 'smart fill' tool. :)

I'll gladly pay $10 via paypal to the first person who can figure it out!

[Dave Sheldrake]

339467

done

[Ross Moshinsky]

Bert, I think you're having the same problem I've been having with a customer's files...

Here is a Corel 9 file ...339456

It's self explanatory but I'll narrate anyway ;)

On the top labeled "as is" is a radius-ended rectangle, courtesy of a customer, who created it in autocad and converted it to Corel for me. (note that it matters not if I do my own conversion)...

The job was several large lamacoid pieces with many holes like this, in different sizes. Some weren't so bad, but this is a bad one--

No matter what I've tried, I have yet to find a way for Corel (or Gravostyle for that matter) to create a simple outline of that shape so I can cut it...

I CAN create a simple outline, but all that outlines is closed elements within the shape! --that shouldn't be closed! (which is what Bert is dealing with I'm thinking...)

Below the 'as is' is the result of the "outline shape" tool--

Below that are the results of me picking each piece of the 'as is' shape apart. Picking each part and nudging it to a new spot is the only way around this problem that I've found, I nudge a top & bottom line over, and a full-arc from each end (once I find them!), and from there, usually I can create an outline. But not all the time. Sometimes I have to play 'connect the node'... more wasted time...

It's ridiculous, and my customer has no idea how to simplify this before I get it, and I have no idea how to simplify it AFTER!

So here's a challenge for anyone-- load this file in your Corel and try to create a simple one-line outline ready to vector cut.
--and fair warning-- don't be surprised if your Corel crashes if you try the 'smart fill' tool. :)

I'll gladly pay $10 via paypal to the first person who can figure it out!

Inkscape -> Paint bucket tool. No idea how many shapes you have, but shouldn't take much time.

As for Bert, you obviously have multiple lines in your file. You need to look more carefully at how you're building your files.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Kev's file contained multiple overlayed Splines, you cannot join a series of overlayed splines and get a single output, the software simply doesn't know what to join.

[Ross Moshinsky]

Kev's file contained multiple overlayed Splines, you cannot join a series of overlayed splines and get a single output, the software simply doesn't know what to join.

Did you try what I recommended first before saying it wouldn't work?

[Bert Kemp]

yes I have multible lines but i don't know why:confused:


Inkscape -> Paint bucket tool. No idea how many shapes you have, but shouldn't take much time.



As for Bert, you obviously have multiple lines in your file. You need to look more carefully at how you're building your files.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Did you try what I recommended first before saying it wouldn't work?

Kev asked what was wrong and how to fix it in Corel. The file just had a lot of legacy items in it, easy enough to remove :)

[Ross Moshinsky]

yes I have multible lines but i don't know why:confused:

I mean this in the absolute nicest way possible, it's because you have weak fundamentals in Corel. My guess is your method of building a file is flawed, primarily because your self taught and figuring out things as you go.

To solve this problem you either need to do one of the two (both in Corel)

1. Take your file and break it apart. Ungroup it all and break it all apart. Now start deleting everything that's not supposed to be there. Once you're left with just what you need, start grouping/joining everything again.

2. Re-Draw everything. Sounds counter intuitive, but often the best way to fix a problem is simply start over doing it "right".

I use both methods and which method I use is dependent on the job. Sometimes I pick a method and it doesn't work out and I have to switch. That's with many years of experience working with graphic programs.

[Tony Lenkic]

Guys,
Open up object manager when working on such a file to see how many objects are in there.

Here is a result on single object to cut.

[Bert Kemp]

Your right that I don't know corel and teach myself as I go. Like I've said before I'm not a business just a hobbyist . I give 95 % of the stuff I do away. I run my laser a few hours a week making things for vets, friends and family members. I don't have a lot of time to spend looking at tutorial and stuff like that, and when I do I find them hard to understand and follow. I'm hard of hearing and can barley understand those guys most the time. The files I design from scratch most work just fine, this particular file I found on the net. I didn't realize it had more then one outline. I was most of the afternoon using Kev's nudge and delete method :rolleyes: but I got it to cut finally.


I mean this in the absolute nicest way possible, it's because you have weak fundamentals in Corel. My guess is your method of building a file is flawed, primarily because your self taught and figuring out things as you go.

To solve this problem you either need to do one of the two (both in Corel)

1. Take your file and break it apart. Ungroup it all and break it all apart. Now start deleting everything that's not supposed to be there. Once you're left with just what you need, start grouping/joining everything again.

2. Re-Draw everything. Sounds counter intuitive, but often the best way to fix a problem is simply start over doing it "right".

I use both methods and which method I use is dependent on the job. Sometimes I pick a method and it doesn't work out and I have to switch. That's with many years of experience working with graphic programs.

[Glen Monaghan]

Kev,

There are a couple of problems with your shape. First, it isn't a single shape: as you already discovered, it has several overlapping copies of various segments. But the second and possibly more problematic issue is that most of the segments (objects) are not single arcs/lines but rather are closed (very narrow) paths. Looks like 17 closed paths that, without zooming in tight, appear to make the pill or racetrack shape, along with 12 very short line segments at the ends of the two horizontal "lines" (two at each end of the top line and four at each end of the bottom line). Furthermore, one of the closed (curved) objects is actually disjoint and covers 4 separate parts of the two arcs, one of those 4 parts is an open curve, and the object is CMYK where the other objects are RGB. Some of the objects have hairline outlines while other outlines are greater than hairline thickness. There are three overlapping horizontal objects across the top, but 7 across the bottom. There are 3 complete arcs on each side plus the one disjoint arc shape that overlaps both sides.

Presumably this mess is due to the way the object was drawn in the original program and then a lousy export and conversion into coreldraw. The combination of disjoint objects, open and closed paths, and degeneratively small segments makes it hard or maybe impossible to clean up with a couple of simple, quick clicks in coreldraw. It's simple but a little time consuming to delete the duplicate and excess objects, leaving only 4 essential objects (a top and bottom horizontal section, plus left and right arcs), combine, smart fill, select no fill, and ensure hairline outline for cutting.

I assume that the original object was created/exported as an outline, which might be part of the problem. Try creating and exporting as a filled, non-outlined object and see if that produces a single, clean, filled object in coreldraw that you can hairline outline and set to no fill.

[Kev Williams]

What I do Glen, is set my nudge for 20" or so (whatever it takes to be well away from the main graphics), then click and move individual segments, as you stated. If a partial segment moves, I delete it- and repeat until I have the 4 good pieces I need. From there the simple outline tool works. From THERE, I copy and paste them over any others...

The problem is, for one, deleting all the bad holes later, and mostly, this particular job has about 6 different sizes of these, about 6 to 10 of each size on one batch layout...!

Normally I just 'select all text', move it all well away, then group and batch outline everything from the outside in. To do this on this job, I would be done in about 5 minutes...

Doing it the pick-n-move way takes nearly an hour!

So essentially what I have here is a rant with no solution (my apologies! ;) ), other than maybe get the guy drawing these shapes to figure out a better way to do it! (and I'm no help as I've never used Autocad)...

Back to Bert, sir-- as I stated before, I believe you're having the same problem, as I know you're importing other people's work (typically)-- Your fix may be to try the pick-n-move method, to give yourself only ONE of everything to cut!

[Glen Monaghan]

So try the suggestion about having him create the same shape as a non-outlined, closed and filled object for you, and see if you can simply import, choose no fill, and set hairline outline.

[Dave Sheldrake]

If the customer is using AutoCAD Kev he needs to draw basic shapes like that using Lines and Arcs , NOT Splines...bezier curves are great is everybodies software uses the same means of reading them...that rarely happens.

Line/Arc followed by PEdit to turn those lines and arcs into a single joined polyline

Once he has made his shape if he uses "Overkill" that will remove any double entries like duplicates and extra segments

[Bert Kemp]

Kev did you see my post #15:)


What I do Glen, is set my nudge for 20" or so (whatever it takes to be well away from the main graphics), then click and move individual segments, as you stated. If a partial segment moves, I delete it- and repeat until I have the 4 good pieces I need. From there the simple outline tool works. From THERE, I copy and paste them over any others...

The problem is, for one, deleting all the bad holes later, and mostly, this particular job has about 6 different sizes of these, about 6 to 10 of each size on one batch layout...!

Normally I just 'select all text', move it all well away, then group and batch outline everything from the outside in. To do this on this job, I would be done in about 5 minutes...

Doing it the pick-n-move way takes nearly an hour!

So essentially what I have here is a rant with no solution (my apologies! ;) ), other than maybe get the guy drawing these shapes to figure out a better way to do it! (and I'm no help as I've never used Autocad)...

Back to Bert, sir-- as I stated before, I believe you're having the same problem, as I know you're importing other people's work (typically)-- Your fix may be to try the pick-n-move method, to give yourself only ONE of everything to cut!

[Kev Williams]

uuhh, no, not till now! http://www.engraver1.com/gifs/sleep.gif

[Joe Pelonio]

Joe do you mean ungroup, I did a ungroup then deleted and all disaperared I designed in corel the saved as dxf and imported to lasercut
Yes, darned iPad self correct!