[hybridmojo]

I've burned a day trying to find a working toolchain for converting vector shapes (Illustrator AI or Inkscape SVG) to CAM for engraving. My laser cutter that I use for engraving blew its tube and my shop helper has been sick for a few weeks so the machine hasn't gotten fixed. It's a Full Spectrum 35 watt deal to so it's incredibly slow anyway and doesn't cut anything but acrylic really, which is pretty annoying. However, the RetinaEngrave software does load vector images and just "follow the lines" which is exactly what I want.

I normally do SolidWorks->HeeksCNC for making parts.

I've tried Cambam, pstoedit as well as just trying to load SVG or AI into HeeksCNC (which always comes out as a corrupted mess). Nothing is even remotely working so far. Everything has churned out total garbage.

Any recommendations?

[hybridmojo]

Well ain't it always like that. I tear my hair out, ask for help, and then an hour later figure it out. Dxf2gcode seems to be doing the trick, as long as I make my vector file "right". This post on the Adobe forum is pretty informative:
https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1075327

I tried to also figure out how to use compensation and such to make pockets but no luck so far.

[dustinsla]

would this dxf2gcode work on 3d? I am trying to do basic 3d engraving ( think engraving a circle onto the face of an inclined plane) I have 3d surfaces and polylines drawn in Turbocad...

[hybridmojo]

would this dxf2gcode work on 3d? I am trying to do basic 3d engraving ( think engraving a circle onto the face of an inclined plane) I have 3d surfaces and polylines drawn in Turbocad...

I don't think so. It has several input boxes for various Z heights (ie final depth, rapid safety height), but they apply to the whole DXF.

I'm actually totally stuck trying to get cutter compensation working. I've turned it on, manually edited the gcode, but it never seems to work right in OpenSCAM. I haven't found confirmation that g41/g42 work in OpenSCAM so I'm not sure what to think.