Outlining complex vectors/drawings for vinyl cutting in Illustrator

[KIEurope19]

Hello all,

I hope you're well this beautiful friday 🙂

In advance, I want to say thank you to those who help me figure out my issue that I am currently having. 

Right, I will keep this as short as possible. 

I am currently designing a complex vector of a fence/gate, which needs to be cut on simple black vinyl and then installed into an office on walls & lockers. For the vinyl machines to cut the vinyl out correctly, I need to create an overprint stroke around the vector and inside every gap that needs to be cut. Straight forward right? Well here's the issue.

I have designed the fence using different vector components and some of my own hand drawings and cant seem to get the outline correct. Whenever I group all the objects and use a stroke on the vector, it causes complications as it outlines my shapes/objects correctly but doesn't outline the lines that are actually strokes which makes sense. (See all images attached).

If I try to use pathfinder tools to create compound shapes, so it all merges, it just goes really funny. If you see the original designed vector and compare it to all the outlines I have tried, you will see the issues I am facing. 

Now I really dont want to sit here and outline everything by hand, so is there any shortcut around outlining this? 

{Renamed by MOD}

[Monika Gause]

You need to use the functions in the pathfinder panel to combine the shapes. Grouping is not sufficient for that.

[KIEurope19]

Thanks for your response but if you read my whole post, you'll realise that path finder tools didn't work and the provided images show that.

[Monika Gause]

Please upload the file somewhere.

[KIEurope19]

Hello,

https://we.tl/t-LQao2AHaL6 Its a WeTransfer to the .Ai file

[Monika Gause]

You want them to stay this thin? Or do you want them filled in-between those thin lines? If the former: the strokes need to be outlined: Object > Path > Outline stroke. Pathfinders don't do that automatically.

[KIEurope19]

So if I have a line, the line should have a stroke going around it, so the machine cuts around the line, making it a thin rectangle. If that makes sense. 

[Monika Gause]

Exactly. Vinyl is cut like that.

[Monika Gause]

But you have to make sure that it matches the thinnest width that can be done. So the vinyl doesn't rip apart easily.

[KIEurope19]

That is correct. Bare in mind the file I sent is a 4.5m file, so its not as thin as you'd imagine. Also, I tried the way you recomended and it worked however, slight issues again. I believe this is my mistake somewhere but I used blob tool to fill some gaps in and the outline, outlines them and also have shapes that are supposed to connect overlap. (See image link) https://ibb.co/pzBw0bZ

[Monika Gause]

You have to combine those carefully and maybe even piece by piece. Check it in outline view. Seethat you delete invisible objects (no fill/no stroke). They might appear again after pathfinder operations.

[KIEurope19]

Thank you, I will try that!

[Myra Ferguson]

If you have strokes and shapes, try Object > Path > Outline Stroke to turn them all into shapes. To combine your objects, you might try the ShapeBuilder Tool (Shift + M).

[KIEurope19]

Thank you, i'll see what happens