Can this be done in AutoCAD?

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-06-2011, 09:00 AM

We want to have our logo waterjet cut out of Al to make in store display signs. Problem is it's an Illustrator vector with line thickness of at least 2mm but the cutting stream is 30 thousandths.

is there an AutoCAD add-on that will trace both sides of these lines? Where it is blue will be cut through. We'll add in "bridges" so the white parts (the Al) don't drop out. Finished product will have a blue sheet behind it and back-lighting for those stores that can.

Any other ways to do this? Only need a few hundred made, would like to keep it local.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Contact whoever will do the cutting. They should be able to work it up in whatever software they use.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-06-2011, 09:04 AM

They can't Sid, it's not really their thing. they just get files and cut them.

stomachmonkey · 10-06-2011, 09:22 AM

Illustrator supports export for dwg and dfx which import into autocad. File->Export choose from drop down on bottom.

I've had great results and absolute disasters but it's a place to start.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-06-2011, 09:25 AM

Yup, thanks Scott, but it exports as a line that will be cut 30 thousandths thick. I need to trace the inner and outer lines of the art and those will be cut lines.

this is how we had the Urban Dino T-Rex skulls made, but those were just outlines with a few holes in the skull.

Tom '74 911 · 10-06-2011, 09:29 AM

I don't know of any automated way to do what you are asking. There could be a solution out there; I'm surprised that the place that does the cutting can't point you in the right direction. I have done similar work, but ended up tracing over the image w/lines w/in my architecture software (ArchiCAD) and then converting to DWG.

stomachmonkey · 10-06-2011, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

Yup, thanks Scott, but it exports as a line that will be cut 30 thousandths thick. I need to trace the inner and outer lines of the art and those will be cut lines.

this is how we had the Urban Dino T-Rex skulls made, but those were just outlines with a few holes in the skull.

You still have my email?

Send me the AI.

stomachmonkey · 10-06-2011, 09:44 AM

I'm think outline stroke or offset path may do the trick.

Object->Path->

MarkRobinson · 10-06-2011, 09:55 AM

I would import the image into AutoCAD, blow it up full size, & trace it. I've done this for state seals before, turned out nice.

Might take an hour or two, but you'll spend that much time buying & installing a software alone.

island911 · 10-06-2011, 10:07 AM

why waterjet cut? ...looks perfect for chemical etch.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Yes, I could make that into a .dwg. Scan & import as .jpg and then trace over it. Time-consuming but that's the best way I'm aware of to convert it accurately. I've done it a number of times with corporate logos (for example) to put on Contract Document sets versus cut/pasting a .jpg or .pdf into the drawings (which always tends to look like crap when plotted).

island911 · 10-06-2011, 10:14 AM

oh, and if by "keep it local" you mean the US, here is who I use. Metal Etching Photochemical Machining by Acu-Line Corporation

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-06-2011, 10:35 AM

Glen, my understand on metal etching is that it's for foils. In the pic below, same artwork, the 1/4 inch Al is waterjet cut as a template to lay on a shirt and spray bleach over it.

The T-Rex Cu foils were something we did 2 years ago and glued them to the shirt with carpet glue. LABOR INTENSIVE. Sad part was stores were worried about returns with the foil crinkling in the wash, which only made them look better IMHO. Hitting these with a torch here and there made them truly special.

For our in-store signs, we'd be looking at 1/8 inch Al sheet stock.

Local means machine shop in NH, though if the etching would work, that would be here in MA where we had the foils done.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-06-2011, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

You still have my email?

Send me the AI.

Scott, thank you for your help!

Eric Coffey · 10-06-2011, 10:55 AM

Regardless of method, that logo looks like it is in dire need of being cleaned up and finalized (even if you are going after a rough/non-perfect/asymmetrical look). The current version posted looks like a napkin sketch of the idea for a logo. If it looks that sloppy now, imagine how indistinguishable it would be if embroidered, or shrunk to fit a small label/tag. Personally, I'd spend a bit more time perfecting it before sending out to anyone. Just my $.02. YMMV.

island911 · 10-06-2011, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

...
For our in-store signs, we'd be looking at 1/8 inch Al sheet stock. ..

If your logo is near that size, backlit thru .125" it will present poorly - the depth of cut is too large for the width of cut.

IMO . . YMMV ..I'm out.

DARISC · 10-06-2011, 11:31 AM

Why not clean up the drawing, locate your 'bridges' and have it router cut by a CNC shop, specifying what width cut you want? I think this would be a no-brainer but I don't know what the cost difference would be compared to water jet.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Exactly - someone should sit down and clean that up nicely. Just having a bunch of segments/trace lines in ACAD will yield a humongous .dwg and a crummy end product. It should be actually drafted carefully so lines close, etc. (makes it easier to create shaded/hatch areas later if you want) using lines, arcs, etc. Not a bunch of line segments floating in space that might or might not close (often what you get from third-party apps that convert stuff from .dxfs for example). Those are the things that make me and my guys tear our hair out when we get them as part of record drawings, since they're so cumbersome to use. Don't even get me started on poorly-drafted/translated files that have 15,000 layers with meaningless names. It's far more useful when things are on sensible layers so one can figure out what's what.

I know not 100% applicable here, venting a little. Long story short, someone really should sit down with that and draft it nicely - it wouldn't take more than 3-4 hours really, and even that's probably on the high side.

MarkRobinson · 10-06-2011, 11:55 AM

A good AutoCAD'er can clean up the ends to make it look Pro. Use someone with experience doing it before.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 10-06-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

Regardless of method, that logo looks like it is in dire need of being cleaned up and finalized (even if you are going after a rough/non-perfect/asymmetrical look). The current version posted looks like a napkin sketch of the idea for a logo. If it looks that sloppy now, imagine how indistinguishable it would be if embroidered, or shrunk to fit a small label/tag. Personally, I'd spend a bit more time perfecting it before sending out to anyone. Just my $.02. YMMV.

I completely agree for the most part. The logo was "designed" and I use that term very loosely, to be exactly what it is: rough. It has worked very well on all of our signage, hangtags and labels. Customers have time and again commented on how much they like it. As it gets smaller, it does look better BTW.

But it wasn't created with marketable, identifiable branding in mind. Hell, starting this company was a fluke, but it's grown year over year. We recently launched infant boys adding to the boys line and girls with the thought that we'd start to brand the clothing by putting the unicorn on the girls stuff and lion on the boys in some interesting way. Fact is, the artwork is terrible for that purpose and does need to be redone. Thanks for your $.02, it is well taken.