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bobbethune
Known Participant
January 25, 2023
Answered

Trying to figure out the simplest way to use Illustrator to create my cutting paths

  • January 25, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 858 views

I'm using Illustrator to create 2D cutting paths for a CNC router system (Shaper Origin). So I need to figure out what the simplest way to get this sort of thing done is. I've played with Illustrator before, but never seriously learned much about it. The reason I'm doing these things in Illustrator is that Illustrator is included in my Creative Cloud subscription, so I have it at no additional cost. Also, it exports to SVG very politely; SVG is what the router system eats. My problem is that I get totally lost in the Illustrator woods very quickly.

 

The drawings will always be of objects to be cut out of wood or engraved into wood. There will frequently be the need to create geometrically spaced arrays of identical or similar ojbects and to cut lettering. These cutting drawings will always consist of outlines around areas. The cutter always either follows the outline or clears out the area within the outline. There's no need to draw a third dimension; all the drawings are 2D. The colors are always black stroke/white fill, white stroke/black fill, grey stroke and fill, or blue stroke/blue fill. The last step in the workflow is to export from the AI to SVG, which is the file format that the cutting system uses. My thinking is to save the AI's, but discard the SVG's once the cutting is done.

 

If I can work out a reasonably simple workflow or set of workflows to do this, I'll be home free. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Here's an example of a simple project I recently did - mostly without much comprehension of what I'm doing.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D3f81TV0xZhi-kGmB74plpkcxwy6lAxq/view?usp=share_link

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Doug A Roberts

You will get answers to any specific issues you have on the forum, but defining your entire workflow is a tall order, simply because it might involve very many overlapping topics.

 

It sounds like you might benefit from some kind of beginner's lessons package from LinkedIn or the like.

 

For your blend example: 

A blend is a series of generated objects between two 'real' objects. The generated objects have no appearance attributes of their own and cannot be manipulated separately from the 'real' objects. If you wish to edit them individually, you tell Illustrator to create 'real' objects from them by selecting Object > Blend > Expand. After that point, they will form a group with the original objects. The blend can no longer be edited (i.e. steps added or removed), but the individual objects can.

 

You can find the Illustrator user guide here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/illustrator/user-guide.html

1 reply

Doug A Roberts
Community Expert
Doug A RobertsCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 25, 2023

I'm having trouble discerning what your issue is from your post. Where are you getting stuck?

B
bobbethuneAuthor
Known Participant
January 25, 2023

Pretty much right from the start. I find it hard to figure out what tools to use, how to get things to color properly, how to create arrays of objects, and perhaps most importantly, how to get into a drawing I've made some time ago and figure out what I did. In other words, it's really babe-in-the-woods level stuff.

 

The tutorials I've studied are usually more confusing than helpful, because they're made for people who want to do things Illustrator is intended for, such as logos, graphic designs, and so forth. I'm being wierd, but my wierdness is rather simple wierdness, so I'm thinking I can figure out a few simply ways of doing things that will meet my needs.

 

For example, I made the array of little circles in the sample drawing using a blend. I did it by stumbling through several different tutorials on how to arrange objects along paths, but after getting the little circles to become close enough to right, I couldn't figure out how to get them colored properly. I still havde no real idea what a blend is. I got thoroughly lost in the woods. I'd like to create my own little clearing in the woods where I know how to operate.

Doug A Roberts
Community Expert
Doug A RobertsCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
January 25, 2023

You will get answers to any specific issues you have on the forum, but defining your entire workflow is a tall order, simply because it might involve very many overlapping topics.

 

It sounds like you might benefit from some kind of beginner's lessons package from LinkedIn or the like.

 

For your blend example: 

A blend is a series of generated objects between two 'real' objects. The generated objects have no appearance attributes of their own and cannot be manipulated separately from the 'real' objects. If you wish to edit them individually, you tell Illustrator to create 'real' objects from them by selecting Object > Blend > Expand. After that point, they will form a group with the original objects. The blend can no longer be edited (i.e. steps added or removed), but the individual objects can.

 

You can find the Illustrator user guide here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/illustrator/user-guide.html

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