Thread: Help with .jpg to .dxf

Originally Posted by BOSTON

you really need a better image to work with. I tried to convet in both Corel X3 and Bobart. they both look pretty bad

There is a simplified image that is used for embroidery but all the examples I found on the web are too small to get a good trace of unless one was to do it manually.

Originally Posted by micro

There is a simplified image that is used for embroidery but all the examples I found on the web are too small to get a good trace of unless one was to do it manually.

even with a good tracer. your still going to have some clean up. Some igames will vectorize better than other. needless to say SVR (Scalable Vector Graphic) works the best. At the other end is some one who sends you a copy of dot matix photo that was scanned. Just about uses

No DXF.

Your lo-res JPG right to 3d sculpted surface.

For all you DIY CNC naysayers. I don't care what you say, Mach3 is by far the best CNC controller $160 software there is.
Forget autocad, thiscad, bobs cad jerry's can, surface this or pro-e that with master cams and procams and surface whish upon a stars.

Mach3 eliminates all that horse whoie along with your fanuc/ yasnac / mazak or just a plain ole yak.

Go ahead.. flame me, Mach3 f'n rocks!

Originally Posted by metal_twister

For all you DIY CNC naysayers. I don't care what you say, Mach3 is by far the best CNC controller $160 software there is.
Mach3 eliminates all that horse whoie along with your fanuc/ yasnac / mazak or just a plain ole yak.

I use Mach 3 on my Tormach. As you pointed out for the DIY guy Mach is the way to go. But to compare it with controller like fanuc, yasnac, mazak is just silly. I alway get a kick out of the diy poster.

Thanks for your help guys! I really need a higher resolution than the samples I have been so graciously given. I figured out how to import a .jpg into autocad and like WILLEO6709 said to trace it so I am working on tracing it line for line. I am just doing one side and will mirror the other side as needed.

Boston,
what can a Fanuc controller do that Mach3 cannot?

Originally Posted by metal_twister

Boston,
what can a Fanuc controller do that Mach3 cannot?

I have never seen a real machining center come with Mach 3.

No answer to my question, that's what I thought.

What is a "real" machining center?...

Fanuc does a great job with the OEM's no doubt.

Does not mean that Fanuc is the best controller, or that it can do things that other controller cannot pull off. That may have been the true back in the day, but with modern electronic technology, the capability playing field has been leveled.


Kind of like Autocad's run as the industry standard for CAD sofware.. By no means was it the best CAD software, just the first that most people adopted.

This has gone OT and I understand if you do not want to flood this thread with all the things a Fanuc controller can do that Mach3 can't, but maybe just one???

Don't get me wrong, Mach 3 is much better than a Fanuc in a lot of ways. First and foremost what I like about Mach is. File size is only limted by PC memory. No need for drip feed or file tranfer. Mach can run what 6 axis now. You can upgrade pc or replace if needed for under a grand. But Mach is a long way away (as in many years) from getting on to the main stream shop floor. Look who else but machine shops still use floppy disk and A-Drives.

Higher res would certainly help but what if you copied only half ( one side) of the image then mirrored it and pasted the two pieces back together? That would at least give left/right symetry and then with just a little clean up you should have a good starting point for the conversion..

Hi heres a free option you can play around with i use it with a lot of sucess. Go to Source forge.net down free Inkscape it will allow you to manipulate a jpeg trace it and such and save as a .DFX but i usually do most of my tweaking in free program like photoshop called Gimp both can be gotten from Scourceforge.net there is a learning curve but its fun. -Chris-

Originally Posted by metal_twister

Boston,
what can a Fanuc controller do that Mach3 cannot?

Rigid tapping, C axis work.

John S.

I still need to clean it up a little and I am not happy with the font I used, if anyone knows what font to use for a Navy logo please enlighten me. (hoping to get this back on topic....)

click on the thumbnail for a hi-res image

I suggest you do a makeshift 3D scan to get a proper model. The technique below will give you a proper 3D model of suitable 2.5D objects with some work. First off you need to get hold of the physical object, a decent camera and a tripod or similar mount allowing the camera to straigth down. Then:

1. Put the object in a watertight container and mount the camera above pointing straight down.
2. Fill in a bit of water or other fluid with enough added color to be totally opague and monotonous. (And having a color quite different from the object - dirty oil comes to mind).
3. Take a picture.
4. Add some more fluid. Take another picture.
5. And so on until you have covered the model entirely.

You will then have a series of pictures with clear edges along the object at increasing heights. These are easy to trace and make a proper 3D model from.

Those pockets might be a problem for this though. I didn't notice them at first. Anyone done this with pockets?

Originally Posted by snocat_trf

I still need to clean it up a little and I am not happy with the font I used, if anyone knows what font to use for a Navy logo please enlighten me. (hoping to get this back on topic....)

click on the thumbnail for a hi-res image

In the embroidery version all the small lines in the waves are gone. this may make it easier to engrave too.

http://www.submarineshop.com/img/full/p042.jpg

I forgot to upload this when I finished the project.... I used Millwrite to do the code, our CMM guy gave me the spherical radius to carve the detail around.