Cannot get EZCAD2 to cut a design from a Vector file correctly

[Andrew Cleverly]

Hi Guys,

First post, been trawling through all your posts to see if I can get some light on this. I have created a drawing in Altium but for various software communication issues imported into CorelDraw 2019. Now in corel it is fine but the issue is the design needs to be a vector file now I have various versions of this (dxf, ai, plt, svg) dxf and ai being the best for the import but here's the rub.

I needed to invert the cut (Which doesn't appear to be possible in EZCAD2 for a vector (Bitmap fine) however it has to be vector due to the attention to detail in the size as it has to be perfect. See attachment for what I mean.

I am either losing the plot or it cannot be done as I have spent hours on it trying to achieve this.

Any one with any useful critique will be so appreciated.

Andrew

[Kev Williams]

So, I imported it into Corel, pretty small at 35 x 14mm-- I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're trying to accomplish, but my fiber ran all the lines in the file just fine...

-this I enlarged to about 8" long-
e3.jpg

This is 35mm long-
e4.jpg

--I can run or NOT run any of the lines-


And I'm not sure if the dxf as opened in Corel is correct, as there's a lot of disconnected, extraneous lines and arcs, most of them duplicated 1 or more times--

This is the busy middle section, this is what I get 'as is',
e1.jpg

Here, I've individually pulled many of the disconnects out--
e2.jpg
That's a lot of extra pieces that, as far as I know, don't need to be there..

I'm thinking all these separate disconnects need to be connected and welded into closed shapes, and all the extra copies thrown out in order to get this to do what you want?

[Ralph Undis]

What Kev said. The file was pretty bad. I cleaned it up as best I could. There are a few places that it doesn't follow exactly. Make adjustments as you see fit. I don't know what restrictions you might have.

One note...I created the top 2 pieces, and tried to mirror them down, but that doesn't work. Your original data is now on Old_TOPLAYER

Ralph

[Andrew Cleverly]

I do apologise chance are I forgot to regroup the design before posting here. Out of curiosity I am unable to open your attachments, would that be due to me being a member and not a contributor or something else?

I am sorry Kev I should have made it more clear the cut is on a gold sheet, so the tracks and inside of the tracks need to remain but effectively the background up to the perimeter needed to be hatched removing all the gold apart from the track and the outline of the rectangle. I will try and get access to all your images asap to see if there's something glaring I'm doing wrong.

Andrew

[Ralph Undis]

>I have created a drawing in Altium but for various software communication issues imported into CorelDraw 2019. Now in corel it is fine but the issue is the design needs to be a vector file<

I looked up Altium, and it is a PCB design software. It seems like you are saying you imported a raster file from Altium into Corel and output a DXF from Corel after you converted the raster to vector within Corel. Altium is supposed to be able to export DXF files per their website. From past experience working with old Gerber files output from a legacy PCB software program called IGI2100, the vector Gerber data can represent line thicknesses, and circles become donuts with thickness etc.

Your DXF file is not clean enough to work on a laser. I forgot that you wouldn't be able to access my file unless you are a contributor.

Ralph

[Andrew Cleverly]

Hi Ralph,

The drawing was created in altium which produces an Altium file but you are correct I converted in Altium to a DXF and AI to see the difference, it was the import into coreldraw as either file which I started playing with as the direct import from a DXF alitum file went completely off scale in EZCAD.

Looking at your file, what I would want to do is hatch 'Layer 1' only leaving the 'New top layer' exposed. If that is possible as when I try on your file it wipes the lot out and that then would basically be the premise I'm looking for.

Thanks Again

Andrew

[Kev Williams]

You should like this--

I took Ralph's version and opened it in Corel. I started removing extra lines, and then for fun I just swept 99% of the inner graphic from just inside the left edge to past the right edge, and deleted what selected, then did the same thing from right to left. I was surprised to find the actual needed graphic remained, and was fully closed as needed. This should now work for you

Some screenshots -

This is all garbage removed, and unpainted in Corel
up.jpg

-then painted- ok so far-
pt.jpg

as imported into EzCad
ec1.jpg

Cross-hatched, which may look weird this size--
ec3.jpg

so, closeup of the hatch fill-
ec2.jpg

I'm pretty sure this is what you're after-?

Corel x3 file is attached, this is a screenshot of it- It will have to be resized, it's 4" long now... Let us know if it works!
ec4.jpg

[Ralph Undis]

I probably should have deleted the bad lines that I put on layer OLD_TOPLAYER, but wanted Andrew to see how close I followed his data. I created polylines in Draftsight CAD, which is an AutoCAD knockoff. Polylines are closed paths, so that is probably why Kev was able to do the hatching in Corel.

[Andrew Cleverly]

I've just done the import now and looking to play with it on the laser, so Ralph if I wanted to add extra into it would it be wiser to use draftsight under the same method for the extras.

Looks good so far anyway the import came in - need to go to another computer for the laser.

Should see the smile on my face gents and it has even run yet.

[Ralph Undis]

Andrew - see if this will work for you. If you have to make edits using a program that creates DXF code other than Corel, you can download the free version of Nanocad.

https://nanocad.com/products/nanoCAD/download/

It is a pretty decent 2D CAD program, but there might be a learning curve for you in using it.

Ralph

[Andrew Cleverly]

Hi there both,

I want to thank you both for your help, it's been very useful and have managed to get what I wanted. (Nanocad - excellent little program, took about 30 mins to adjust myself to it but I really like it)

Here's a question for you, the laser being used is a Raycus 50W (Choice of lens 150mm and 100mm) the 150 mm is currently on and a focal point around 170mm.

Would any one have an idea what settings are ideal for cutting the gold? As I have turned the power right down and sped it up and having some real difficulty. I have attached a picture of what I'm doing and I will list the issues in number form - if any one can shed light on the issues and if any one has any ideal settings that would be great as Gold is a new one for me.

Gold Sheet Cut.jpg

1. Can see a type of smudging on the cut (Almost like a finger print - It isn't)
2. It has taken the gold from the track

Almost think 50W is too much, but it's what I have. I know the 100mm lens will increase my precision but just looking at my run settings - will the hatch design have an impact?

Andrew

[Kev Williams]

I engrave gold rings occasionally. Black smoke just pours off the gold while engraving, and I've never seen anything like gold to hold heat. A jewelry store gave me a couple of felt covered wood display arbors, I use them to hold rings for fibering. I caught one of them on fire recently just engraving a 1mm 'year' (2019) beneath a 4mm tall outlined triangle, which took about 15 seconds total.

Your laser will fire at zero power, which is essentially 10%- there's a 'power map' somewhere in EzCad that shows this. With gold you're in trial and error territory I'm afraid! Play with higher speeds, move freq's all over the place, keep notes on what works...