[b0j3]

I am searching for program to convert svg to gcode. Do anybody know if such beast exist or should I write one?

[aspenelm]

I thought I had seen that you could convert svg to dxf. Dxf would give you some more options.

[HayTay]

boj3 & aspenelm,

Welcome to CNCzone!!!

You probably want to check out this thread jpg to dxf conversion.

Also take a look at this thread, .dxf graphics files.

Bottom line is you should do very well using Inkscape.


Good luck to you, and, above all, have fun.

[b0j3]

Huh, I was searching the forum but couldn't find anything related to what I want. And now - three links
I'll check them out, since I am now in a search for a Linux of Mac OS X solution for dxf to gcode converter.

[rippersoft]

http://www.extrapic.com/mill/mill.html
http://web.media.mit.edu/~neilg/fab/dist/cam.py

Inkscape: http://www.inkscape.org/
--> Use to read SVG and save as DXF

Ace converter: http://www.dakeng.com/ace.html
NCPlot: http://www.ncplot.com/
CamBam: http://www.brusselsprout.org/CAMBAM/index.htm
--> Use to read DXF and convert to gcode. In addition, NCPlot and CamBam can simulate the gcode and show you how it cuts.

Hope this helps.

RipperSoftware

[Dan Falck]

If your are running Linux or Mac OS X, I think that Skencil can deal with SVG files. Jeff Epler wrote a script to export G-code from Skencil:

http://emergent.unpy.net/software/01153065922


Dan

[rweatherly]

I posted something similar in another forum, but programs like the above should be orgainized and listed in one place on cnczone. Maybe in the Utilities? The same place should accept "home-grown" programs. That way there it is easy to search for what you need.

[casta-baga]

Huh, I was searching the forum but couldn't find anything related to what I want. And now - three links
I'll check them out, since I am now in a search for a Linux of Mac OS X solution for dxf to gcode converter.

what are you using for gcode converter on mac x? if i can ask...
thanks

[b0j3]

Since I am using kicad to create PCBs (plot to postscript and autotrace to trace the image).
Autotrace creates POLYLINES so I've made a python script to convert it to g-code (since I don't care for layers - for now - the script is realy simple).

I've posted it on my page (http://www.japina.eu).

[galacticroot]

In case you haven't found anything yet, I wrote a quick Perl export plugin for Inkscape a while back that exports G-Code. It was 75% complete when I stopped working on it. It converts SVG paths to G-Code, but needs a lot of improvement and possibly bug fixing. I remember there was an issue without output scaling that I never fixed.

Some of the settings are in the perl file. The feed and Z heights are in there, since I didn't ever need to change them. You may want to include them in the Inkscape parameters box. The plugin should appear in the effects menu as "NC Output".

I've attached a zip file of it. Check the output before running it since there may be bugs. I have not actually tested the output on my machine, since I just wrote it to test a CNC backplot program I wrote.

Put the contents of the nc_output directory in the zip file into your ~/.inkscape/extensions/ folder.