Creating an svg file for cnc use

[rgmcleod52]

I'm using Illustrator CS5

I haven't used illustrator for a very long time and not for the purposes of creating a file that will be used by a CNC machine.

I have an image of a tree that I want to carve into a wooden box's top.  So far I have been able to import the image into illustrator and use the Live Trace function to turn it into a black and white silhouette.  I then invert the black and white so that the trunk and branches will be carved into the material.  So far, so good.

But the tree's image is rectangular and what I want is the carving area to be circular - i.e. surrounding the tree.  I have been trying to use the Shape Builder tool to lop off the square corners leaving a circle around the tree.  I have watched a number of videos online, but after drawing the circle around the tree's silhouette I can't seem to select those corners.

I have also tried the pathfinder tool, but have not had luck with that either.

I have tried creating a test by drawing a square, then adding a circle on top of it, and using the Shape Builder tool - and of course that works pefectly!  So I'm trying to figure out what it is that I'm doing wrong.

Any help  would be appreciated!

Regards,

Rick

[Monika Gause]

Could you perhaps show screenshots of what you have?

[rgmcleod52]

Here are some screenshots that show the steps I've taken.

1. Image of the tree after applying the Live Trace to create the silhouette.  Threshold set to 220
2. Image after inverting the colors.  Threshold set to 60
3. Adding a circle on top of the inverted image.  Shown here the circle is white.  The goal here is to  create a black band around the inverted image.  But even if I make the circle black the result is the same.
4. Using the Shape Builder.  When moving the cursor over the two selected objects the screening only shows when over the circle, not the corners.  I had hoped that the screening would be over each of the four black corners allowing me to erase these
5. The result of erasing the white (or black) circle while screened using the Shape Builder tool

I have duplicated these steps as a test using only a black square and putting a circle over it in a similar manner, but the circle doesn't end up white, it is black.  But when I use the Shape Builder I can remove the corners which result in a black circle.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong here...

Rick

[Monika Gause]

So there should be a visible black Circle around the tree?

You need to first Expand the Image Trace. When you select it, there should be a button with that name in the Control panel (the horizontal panel below the main menu)

Then ungroup

Then you need to delete the white objects. Select one of them and Select > Same > Fill color

Then draw a circle. Assign a black stroke of the width you need.

Object > Path > Outline stroke

Depending on your CNC machine you might or might not Select all the elements and make a compound path.

[rgmcleod52]

Monika,

The black circle around the tree is meant to be a circle around the irregular outline of the tree.  The goal is to have the CNC machine carve out any of the black sections  and leave the tree and branches at the surface level of the wood.  This is shown in the attached image.  Does that make sense?

But I have not been able to get an .svg file that gives me what I've shown...

So it seems that the expand and ungroup functions are key to this...

I can see that expanding and ungrouping creates the paths and makes separate entries for each path in the layers window.

Did you intend for the expand and ungroup to happen before inverting the colors, or after it?

And when you said to delete the "white objects" I'm not sure what you mean.

Rick

[Monika Gause]

You did not Ignore white when tracing, right? THen you need to delete the white objects after expanding and ungrouping.

In order to get that result, you just need a circle without a stroke. Select all and make a compound path.

[rgmcleod52]

So I am thinking that the order of operations here is critical. 

So, is this the right order?

• Trace original image
• Expand
• Ungroup
• Remove white objects
• Invert black and white
• Draw circle
• Make a compound path

Or  is this the right order?

• Trace original image
• Invert black and white
• Expand
• Ungroup
• Remove white objects
• Draw circle
• Make a compound path

And, if while tracing, I DO ignore white, then does that change the order of operations?

Rick

[Monika Gause]

You need to trace

and then expand.

ungroup

Select and Delete the elements you do not need (I actually don't understand anymore whether that is black or white)

Draw a circle

Make a compound path.

[rgmcleod52]

Monika,

Thank you for your help.  I was able to create an svg file that looks like it will work (attached).  I am running on my CNC machine now.  I should see the results in about 5 hours.

Regards,

Rick

[Monika Gause]

I'm glad you could solve it and I hope it will work out on the machine.

[rgmcleod52]

The carving looks good on my CNC machine - see attached picture.  Carving is roughly 4 1/4" round with the carving going in 2 mm.  This picture is of a piece of MDF.  I'm currently running a test on a piece of Maple which is the intended material.

Thanks again for the help.

Rick

[Monika Gause]

This came out nicely - thanks for showing!

[renél80416020]

Une supposition:

Au niveau de la figure 2, sélectionnez le carré et choisir convertir en ellipse..

René

CS5 menu effets