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TheGraphicguy
Participating Frequently
July 21, 2011
Question

psd to dxf

  • July 21, 2011
  • 4 replies
  • 30438 views

I need to export out of cs4 in dxf format. what would be the best method?

Thanks

    4 replies

    A
    Anonymous
    August 9, 2011

    Hi Graphic guy,

           Psd to dxf.

    As of from all your ques & ans.all says that

    you are in my same line of industry as wht

    i am in.

    Please send an example picture what you wanted to

    be converted. I can help you in the best way to

    solve your problem.

    I am dealing with router machine, water jet & laser

    machine related to sign buisness.

    thx & regards,

    tamil

    T
    TheGraphicguyAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 9, 2011

    Wow that is cool! I am trying to do a sign right now. I have been using cad for over 25 years I bet. Occasionally I need to make something such as the attached sign. My friends 80 year old father is a retired graphic artist and he drew up the attached mock-up "wally" of a proposed sign for my brother. We did not want all of the color so I traced around his artwork including his hand painted fonts and produced the second file. The boarder is 7 ga. mild steel fastened to a 12 ms plate. The main name will be spaced out away from the background producing a unique shadow. We are still going to accent with color and clear coat powder coat when finished.

    Thanks for your interest in helping me!

    Mark

    K
    kazmier
    Participating Frequently
    August 8, 2011

    Did you ever get this problem solved - I too would like to output paths to dxf to run NC machinery. I realize that I could probably get the job done with Illustrator however, I don't want to spend the money on it if I don't have to.

    Thanks,

    Kaz

    Silkrooster
    Silkrooster
    Legend
    August 8, 2011

    You may want to look at the company that makes TurboCad, they have sister program just for CNC machines. They may be a bit cheaper than illustrator, but its been awhile so don't quote me on it.

    T
    TheGraphicguyAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 8, 2011

    Thanks a lot for all of your input. I just wanted to say that all of this started with me just wondering if there was an add-on that could trace a bipmaps out lines as coral trace us to do. I do realize the difference between vector and raster files. Will Illustrator allow me import a Photoshop file then generate a dxf file of its outlines?

    Thanks again!

    A
    Anonymous
    July 21, 2011

    The best method would be education.

    Photoshop and the DXF format are not compatible.

    What are you trying to do?

    T
    TheGraphicguyAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    July 21, 2011

    Many years ago I could scan a picture and in coral trace "draw" I could run a trace around all edges and export a dxf file that I could then cut on a waterjet or laser. I still have this need. I see psd and pdf to dxf programs are available on the internet I am just not sure which one works best.

    Thanks

    Silkrooster
    Silkrooster
    Legend
    August 9, 2011

    Photoshop not only produces raster images - you also have the ability to produce paths, which are vector based. So it is not impossible to make a conversion from PSD to 2D dxf.  I saw a thread in another forum where someone was trying to do the job with PS scripts. hopefully he can come up with it - or I may just have to bit the bullet and buy illustrator.

    As far as dxf being obsolete - The dxf file is the standard procedure in the aerospace industry for moving data from 3D CAD to a projected 2D format for cutting flat parts in aerospace tooling shops. I have 26 years experience at 16 different companies including companies in England and Canada. Now it is always possible that new things arise that I am not aware of however, they are not the industry standard in aerospace tooling ... yet. So while we are at it what are these new formats you speak of, that replace dxf files for manufacturing?

    Thanks for your time!

    Kaz


    Photoshop not only produces raster images - you also have the ability to produce paths, which are vector based. So it is not impossible to make a conversion from PSD to 2D dxf.  I saw a thread in another forum where someone was trying to do the job with PS scripts. hopefully he can come up with it - or I may just have to bit the bullet and buy illustrator.

    Yes you are right photoshop can produce paths. But there is no stroke or fill, to my knowledge the only export format is illustrator(I have not tried the pdf format). Currently I do not know of any drivers specifically for photoshop, but I have heard they are available for illustrator.

    As far as dxf being obsolete - The dxf file is the standard procedure in the aerospace industry for moving data from 3D CAD to a projected 2D format for cutting flat parts in aerospace tooling shops. I have 26 years experience at 16 different companies including companies in England and Canada. Now it is always possible that new things arise that I am not aware of however, they are not the industry standard in aerospace tooling ... yet. So while we are at it what are these new formats you speak of, that replace dxf files for manufacturing?

    I don't know if I would say obsolete, but it is getting quite old. And frankly assuming your using autocad, I don't know how limited you are with formats, they may still prefer dxf since it is there own format.

    As for other formats, there are:

    solidworks (sldprt)

    STL

    IGES

    Step

    DWG

    DXF

    PDF

    EPS

    Plus way more than I can list.

    The thing is each industry is different, in what they consider to be the standard.  So rightfully so, I can not say what is the standard for the Aero Space industry. No more than you can for the teeshirt industry for example.

    That being said, there are a lot of file converters on the market, but I assume (have not tested them) that they prefer vector to vector translations. Though some could have an autotrace feature, which would be required for a raster image.

    So to get a file from photoshop to your device, it looks like it will require purchasing another app to get there.(This is an assumption as I do not know about all the plugins for photoshop on the market)

    Illustrator can import the ai file from photoshop and save it to dxf, though you may want to add a stroke to the paths, just to see it.

    Illustrator or corel trace can trace an image and export to dxf

    and finally a translator program to convert to the dxf format.

    Or bypass photoshop all together and purchase illustrator, or any one of the cad/camm apps on the market.

    Mylenium
    Mylenium
    Legend
    July 21, 2011

    DXF files are vector-based, so there can be no way of exporting any data directly from PS and that very much settles that... Sorry, but you're really looking in the completely wrong place and it sounds like you are just blindly trying to fulfill someone elses whim without actually understanding the technicalities involved or the specifics of the file format...

    Mylenium

    T
    TheGraphicguyAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    July 21, 2011

    Now wait just a minunte here my friend. I believe you are blindly answering this without opening your mind. I do realize what i am working with!

    Many years ago I could scan a picture and in  coral trace "draw" I could then run a trace around all edges and export a dxf file that I could then cut on a waterjet or laser. I still have this need but  i no longer have a compadable coral program that will run on my  operating system. I see that their are plenty of psd and pdf to dxf conversion programs available online I am just not sure  which one works best. So

    Thanks

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