corel ?

[Bert Kemp]

I hand traced a welcome jpeg sign I found, I kept saving it as I went. I changed the trace outline to red. I saved as a dxf and imported to lasercut. Lasercut said all I could do was engrave the bitmap. all I want to do is cut out the outline. If I try to separate the outline from the picture it comes out in pieces not as a whole tracing. noway I can line up all the pieces .
is there a way to get the outline all in one piece and separate it from the image?
It won't let me upload the file for some reason

[Kev Williams]

You should be able to just group only the jpeg and delete it (or "cut" it), leaving only your tracing. Now export the tracing to Lasercut, then go back to corel and hit "undo" (or "paste") to bring the jpeg back!

**also** DONT save or export it as a dxf, it's not necessary. Anything you draw in Corel will export directly and engrave or cut just fine. Exporting it as a dxf may be why it's ending up in pieces...

[Bert Kemp]

Kev I can't seem to grab just the jpeg I keep getting the outline.

[John Bion]

Hi Bert,
I hope I understand the problem? Try click Arrange - Order - To Back Of Page, hopefully your trace will now be behind the image and you can delete the image or put it on a second page. Once This is done, you can weld your trace. Preferably Weld or Combine. When you have welded, check that the joints are in fact welded as one line or your laser will be going crazy jumping from one start point to another over numerous lines in your drawing instead of a continuous cut.
On my lasers, I have never been able to get Corel/Lasercut to talk to each other, so exporting/importing as a dxf is the best alternative.
Another method is to save as a dxf and at the point of importing into (lasercut on mine) the laser, only import the vector portion of the file and not the bitmap portion, (lasercut separates the two - I am not sure what program runs your machine).
Kind Regards, John

[Bert Kemp]

Hi John,
I tried what you said but it didn't seem to do anything.After I did that I opened the object mgr and it showed a black and a red layer but they both said layer 1. they weren't separated.

Hi Bert,
I hope I understand the problem? Try click Arrange - Order - To Back Of Page, hopefully your trace will now be behind the image and you can delete the image or put it on a second page. Once This is done, you can weld your trace. Preferably Weld or Combine. When you have welded, check that the joints are in fact welded as one line or your laser will be going crazy jumping from one start point to another over numerous lines in your drawing instead of a continuous cut.
On my lasers, I have never been able to get Corel/Lasercut to talk to each other, so exporting/importing as a dxf is the best alternative.
Another method is to save as a dxf and at the point of importing into (lasercut on mine) the laser, only import the vector portion of the file and not the bitmap portion, (lasercut separates the two - I am not sure what program runs your machine).
Kind Regards, John

[John Bion]

Hi Bert, As I am only a novice, I hope someone with more accumulated wisdom will help here! Would it be possible to upload a screenshot of what you are doing if you are not able to upload the file? I am sending you a PM
Kind Regards, John

[Kev Williams]

The object manager is totally useless to me for how I use Corel.

And I've never known an image to "become one with" any lines or whatever I've added that can't be separated.

You say you can't grab the jpeg, only the outline-- you should be able to move the outline(s) away from the jpeg. If they move together, then they're likely either grouped or combined. While they're still selected, click on the "arrange" tab and see if available options include "break apart" or "ungroup" or "ungroup all". If so, click whichever is available and that should separate the jpeg from your work. Then you should be able to select just the jpeg by clicking somewhere along it's border...

[Dave Sheldrake]

Bert,

An object in any cad file can be the same layer but different colours, or it can be different layers of the same colour.

You will need to use a vector extraction method (I have no idea how it's done in corel, I despise that package with a passion)

For DXF files try draftsite and the "Overkill" command (same for autocad) that will remove overlayed lines or dupes, Lasercut treats BMP's and picture formats differently to vector files, the easiest way if you are trying to engrave then cut out is to import the picture into draftsite, trace the outline, keep it on a different layer (and a different colour) then set the jpg layer to "Engrave" and the Vector layer to "Cut"

If you save both in the same file as a jpg Lasercut will assume you want to engrave all of it and the picture will be a single entry in lasercuts file table.

cheers

Dave

[Bert Kemp]

Kev I can separate the red lines from the outline but not as a whole picture, I can only grab little pieces of it at a time and theres no way to put them all back together again.welcome pieces.jpg

[Bert Kemp]

Dave I have no idea about draftsight. I'd have to try and learn another whole new program, CDR is hard enough for me can't imagine a new one

Bert,

An object in any cad file can be the same layer but different colours, or it can be different layers of the same colour.

You will need to use a vector extraction method (I have no idea how it's done in corel, I despise that package with a passion)

For DXF files try draftsite and the "Overkill" command (same for autocad) that will remove overlayed lines or dupes, Lasercut treats BMP's and picture formats differently to vector files, the easiest way if you are trying to engrave then cut out is to import the picture into draftsite, trace the outline, keep it on a different layer (and a different colour) then set the jpg layer to "Engrave" and the Vector layer to "Cut"

If you save both in the same file as a jpg Lasercut will assume you want to engrave all of it and the picture will be a single entry in lasercuts file table.

cheers

Dave

[John Bion]

Hi Bert, try to select all the parts (by clicking and dragging) and use ‘combine'. As you select the parts try to do so in such a way that part of the bitmap is not selected. hopefully then the parts can be moved as one piece and you can get rid of the bitmap.
Kind Regards, John

[Jerrimy Snook]

Bert,

Object manager is ordered from top to bottom meaning that the object on top of the list is the top object in your drawing. If you press the alt button when clicking an object you can dig down through that pile of objects. It is generally a good practice to have tracings on different layers than the image that you are tracing.

If I understand what is happening, I would click edit, select all objects then ungroup or break apart that selection. Then in object manager, create a new layer, move the jpeg to the new layer and click the pencil and the print icons to lock and prevent that layer from exporting. Highlight the other layer, then you can double click the select arrow to select all objects and then click combine or weld (weld might work better for laser as it may join all the nodes). Then export as needed, make sure that the selection settings are correct.

[Dave Sheldrake]

If it's providing a broken line Bert the machine is going to skip all over the place when you try and cut it it really needs to be a single joined PolyLine for the vector cut,

LaserCUT WON'T cut using a picture file, it has to be a vector format file such as a DXF

cheers

Dave

[George M. Perzel]

Hi;
The easiest way to get a vector outline of a bitmap or jpeg is to change it to a black and white image and then crank the brightness down-then import into Corel and do a trace. Easy peasy
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[Bert Kemp]

I had some help from John and got the outline so this one is good, but I'm still trying all the suggestions you guys are throwing at me to see what I can make work. Thanks for all the help.