Problems with exporting as aPLT

[Bruce Dorworth]

HELP, I have a Chinese laser. I draw things up in Corel. They look nice. Smooth flowing lines. I then need to export them off for my laser (Lasercut 5.3). I have been using a PLT file. it works sometimes. If you have very large curved lines you really get lots of vectors which makes for jaggy lines. According to Lasercut software you can import AI files. I tried and it didn't recognize the file.

Thanks in advance,
Bruce

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Check an option to export as curves instead of polylines, if it exists.
Otherwise Export from Corel as DXF.
(Our Chinese laser says it'll import AI files, but that's the one thing that crashes the system. DXF works way better for me, than PLT - but occasionally DXF has a hiccup- in which case the E-cut option for DXF-export fixes all issues.)

[Bill George]

I think not 100% sure but it needs to Exported as AI version 8, or I just Export DXF out. AutoCad R14 works for me. Looks like I was to slow.

[Kev Williams]

I love PLT files because they're simple and fast, but the problem is the resolution isn't great, especially when working with small objects.

-- one trick I do to fix that problem is to first, make note of the actual size of the object(s) I'm exporting, then increase it by 400%, then export it as a PLT file. When you import it, you'll need to resize it back to original, but your resolution is now 4x tighter, which takes care of those jaggy lines :)

Export to DXF is always my first choice however ;) -- but sometimes weird stuff happens, and rather than waste time trying to figure out why I'll do the PLT thing...

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Out of habit and expereince, I usually select AI version 3.0, as tbe bottom basic version to export vectors as - normally never a problem in software that just wants vectors, but out Chinese Goldenlaser crashes when I try and import an Illy file, and PLT files looked terrible with the little straights, so DXF it is...